An 11-year-old sixth grader from Linden, New Jersey has become the youngest person ever to partner with American Girl, turning a childhood habit of sewing clothes for her dolls into a nationally sold product line. Brooke Sumpter's Cherry Blossom Couture collection is now on shelves under the American Girl name, capping a design career that started before she could reach the pedals on a sewing machine.
Sumpter's path to the partnership began in preschool, where she first developed an interest in fashion, according to WABC-TV. She learned to sew by watching her grandmother work a sewing machine, and from there she began designing and making hats, gloves and dresses — first for herself, then for her dolls, per the same report. Sumpter has said she started designing in part because she disliked the clothes her mother picked out for her, and that learning to sew was difficult at first given her small fingers and a fear of the needle.
Harlem's Fashion Row, the agency that supported and guided Sumpter through the collaboration, connects major brands with designers of color. The organization was founded in 2007 by CEO Brandice Daniel, who launched it in New York after moving from Memphis, according to Harlem's Fashion Row. The relationship between the agency and Mattel is not new — American Girl previously partnered with Harlem's Fashion Row on its 2021 World by Us doll line and on wardrobe for historical character Claudie Wells, a figure set during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, as detailed by American Girl Doll News.
A Runway First for American Girl's 40th Anniversary
The Cherry Blossom Couture collection officially debuted on September 9, 2026, during Harlem's Fashion Row's 19th Annual Fashion Show & Style Awards in New York City, with the showcase coinciding with New York Fashion Week, according to The Toy Book. It marked the first time in American Girl's 40-year history that the doll brand presented a collection on a New York Fashion Week runway, a milestone reported by Black Enterprise.
The line itself includes four distinct outfits for 18-inch American Girl dolls, incorporating statement bows, cherry blossom embroidery, denim and layered mesh, alongside a matching girl-sized ruffle dress so children can dress like their dolls, according to Parade. Individual pieces include a 2-in-1 ruffle dress and jacket, a bow shirt paired with a jean skirt, and an embroidered jean set, the outlet notes. Pamela Velarde, Vice President and Head of American Girl at Mattel, said the collaboration forms part of the brand's 40th anniversary initiative to champion youth creativity and girl empowerment.
Mattel announced in February 2026 that American Girl has sold more than 36 million dolls and introduced over 50 characters since its 1986 founding, a figure released as part of the brand's 40th anniversary celebrations throughout the year, per Mattel's corporate announcement.
From Mall Kiosk to the Emmys Red Carpet
Sumpter's business, Brooke LauRen Children's Brand, has a longer history than the American Girl deal suggests. She opened her first physical retail store for the brand at Menlo Park Mall in Edison when she was just 5 years old, before shifting to an online sales model in November 2022, according to RLS Media. She had been taking formal sewing lessons since age 3.
At age 7, in December 2022, Sumpter designed two custom dresses for two-time Emmy-nominated producer Tabitha Brown, who chose Sumpter's red-carpet tulle dress to wear at the 1st Annual Children's & Family Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, RLS Media reported. Brown reportedly invited Sumpter to California for a personal red-carpet fitting. Sumpter has also designed her own school uniform, and she has said she hopes to one day work with Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Teyana Taylor and Tracee Ellis Ross.
Next Up: A Design Studio in Union
Sumpter plans to open a design studio in Union later this month, where she intends to teach both children and adults how to sew, per the report from WABC-TV. Exactly how the studio will be structured to serve the local community remains to be seen, as does how far Mattel plans to expand child-designed product lines following the Cherry Blossom Couture launch.
For now, Sumpter says the experience has reinforced a simple lesson: to keep pursuing her goals and keep believing in them. For a sixth grader who started out sewing hats and gloves for her own dolls, that belief has carried her from a mall kiosk in Edison to a Fashion Week runway in Manhattan.
