At nine years old, Sapphire Autumn Rose already has a heart full of dreams and with much confidence she is ready to show the world her natural skill of design, taking her business to the world-wide web and preparing for runways in the world’s fashion cities.
It comes as no surprise that fashion designing is the choice of the daughter of two big name Guyanese designers – Michelle Cole and the late Trevor Rose – but what is surprising is that at such tender age, she is already making it happen.
This American-born charismatic child is preparing to launch her website ‘dobviousrose.com’ hosting an online fashion store, writings for kids and teens, and giving the public insight into the life of the young fashion designer and other interesting features.
In a recent interview with the Sunday Chronicle Pepperpot Magazine, Sapphire Autumn called herself a dreamer from the heart and one who has a passion for the arts and touching lives.
She has decided to host a special feature on her website titled; ‘A Heart Full of Dreams’ which encourages friends and fans to believe and achieve dreams from the heart.
‘A Heart Full of dreams’ was a choice name because it encourages one to “learn to dream big, and because it means to dream with all of your heart , to believe in yourself, and to achieve the things you may think is almost impossible,” Sapphire Autumn told Pepperpot . This young Rose has already laid out her dream and is headed for success. She has an army of supporters who believe in her dreams and are preparing her to make them reality. While her dad, Trevor Rose, is not there physically anymore, the impression his relationship with her and his work has left still lives.
“My dream is to become a successful fashion designer who is passionate about making a positive impact in the world by inspiring other young children like me, to dream. My uncle Roger Gary, dad Trevor Rose, mom Michelle Cole, and Ms. Paulette Cleghorn of the House of Yumi Katsura are some of my icons,” she confessed.
In the ‘Creative Edge’ project in art class, she performed with excellence last November in displaying some of dream pillow creations to the pleasure of a school community and was among one of the girls who “rock.”
Family is of great importance to her and Sapphire Autumn credited her creativity to her parents whose lives she observed carefully as a younger child.
“Both my parents were fashion designers and I grew up watching them work on designs. Then I just knew I wanted to grow up to be like them.”
Though her dad Trevor Rose was shot dead in Guyana years ago, mom Michelle Cole keeps standing by her daughter’s dream, and is amazed by the work she is able to create since her first piece – a skirt – the child created at age six. She never stopped creating since and has many of her original outfits worn by family and friends and available for sale on her website.
“Soon you will see me fulfilling my dream as with my involvement in many community service projects including visiting many hostels and orphanages to bring hope to young girls who may have dreams. I want them to dream, believe and achieve,” Sapphire Autumn said.
In fact, her humanitarian work has already started with her latest project being participating in the United Nation 70th Anniversary celebration at the UN building in the USA, and learning about all the children around the world that UNICEF and its Ambassadors help save. Pillows created from her personal project, ‘heart full of dreams’ will be distributed to orphans, as a symbol of encouragement, reminding them that they too have what it takes to dream and achieve greatness.
“Maybe one day I can be one of Unicef’s Ambassadors and help children around the world. My wish for every child is dream, love and family. The heart full of dream projects is my charity project. I plan to visit little girls who may be without parents and give them one of my dream pillows to remind them to dream, because if you believe in your dreams, you will work to make them a reality. I would like to inspire them to always dream no matter how impossible it may seem.” The young designer said she never realized how important it was to dream until last summer when she and sister Zephyra had a breakfast date in their backyard with Aunt Natasha Martindale and were given a one-hour challenge.
“During that time (Aunt Natasha) told us about little girls our age who were able to change the world in a positive way and asked us what we would do to change the world.
I started to think about my desire to become a fashion designer and what I can do to make a positive impact in the world. I suggested owning my own fashion designer company, inspire other young girls to achieve their dreams and also give back to those less fortunate. My sister opted to become a professional soccer player as well as my assistant. She designs as well,” Sapphire Autumn explained. By sundown her brand was named and logo designed.
“We started braining names for my company. As my mom has her last name in her company brand name, ColeFacts, I decided that I wanted to incorporate Rose as a part of my company’s name as swell. My mom said: “It’s obvious” and it was then that we all said the same thing “The Obvious Rose” — I however, dropped “the” for the “D ‘apostrophe” to give it a French touch,” Sapphire Autumn related. Her logo represents beauty, freshness and many layers of creativity — almost like a garden full of possibilities.
A few weeks later she was tasked with an academic project of producing an essay entitled “My Dream Is,” outlining her career dream and giving reasons for her choice. Her mom encouraged her to combine the project with her design goal and she named her first brand awareness campaign “Heart full of dreams.” To build on her dream, she constantly sews and sketches new designs and attends weekly art club, dedicating more time to be creative.
“I see myself succeeding with my own dreams to become a young fashion designer. I attend Alvin Aily dance school and creative edge modeling and acting classes which both have something to do with being creative in a way. I take art classes and theater because they are the two most artistic classes to choose from. They can help with my career of being a Designer. Art helps with sketching and theater helps with public speech,” she said. She is also an honor student of Success Academy Elementary School in New York. Sapphire Autumn is encouraging everyone to visit her online store www.dobviousrose.com after its launch on January 28, and support her introductory “Heart full of dreams” line, which features her original creations of necklaces, bracelets, scarfs, dream pillows, T-shirts, blankets and charms.
“One dollar from every item sold from this collection will go towards my heart full of dreams
project,” Sapphire Autumn said.
She is asking everyone to support her new project and life dream by supporting her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/dobviousrose, and following ‘dobviousrose’ on twitter and Instagram.
“I am a nine-year-old designer who dreams of changing the world in a positive way. What I like most is that I am able to take what I love and be very creative with it,” Sapphire Autumn told Pepperpot Magazine.
~Credit: Pepperpot, January 7, 2017. http://guyanachronicle.com/2017/01/07/sapphire-rose
