Let us help to transform your keepsake textiles into our Legacy Jacket.  Perhaps you have a beautiful tablecloth you love and never use. Or maybe there’s a textile you couldn’t resist buying tucked away in a drawer. You might even have an actual piece of clothing from a loved one holding wonderful memories but isn’t something you’d wear.  We have a way to transform these keepsake pieces into something truly unique and totally wearable.

We are excited to share with you our ‘Legacy Jacket’ made from transforming keepsake textiles.  The  design features reworking vintage pieces that are perfect for those who love retro and vintage fashion and keeping memories alive. Each piece is one-of-a-kind and made to order, making them truly wearable works of art. The Legacy Jacket is also sustainably made in Denver, Colorado and completely eco-friendly.

Each jacket is made even more special with our creative use of visible mending and patchwork techniques.  These techniques add beautiful details and unique accents. Our slow fashion approach ensures that every Legacy Jacket is crafted with care and attention to detail, so you are enjoying  it for years to come.

Whether you’re looking for a statement piece or just want to add some color and personality to your wardrobe, our upcycled heirloom Legacy Jacket is perfect for you.

Join us in our commitment to sustainable fashion and get your own wearable art today!

Contact us here  or at designroom@brooksltd.net.

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Cheryl B. Engelhardt’s album, “The Passenger” (written and recorded on a train), was nominated for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album for the 2023 Grammy Nomination

Her Amtrak journey took her through the Colorado Rockies which she immediately fell in love with.  Turns out one of her best friends and collaborator (Kevin) grew up in my hometown of Lakewood, Colorado there was yet another connection for her storytelling.

Cheryl had been collecting the signatures of her friends,family and fans.  It was Cheryl’s intention to take her fans with her to the Grammys awards presentation. What a wonderful idea to bring your loved ones along as passengers on such a joyous journey!

The Process

After many discussions with Cheryl we decided to have the signatures transferred onto silk taffeta, the same fabrication as the skirt.  I  took those signatures shaped and formed them and appliqued each one by one to her custom Brooks LTD bustier-crop top. Each edge of the 100+ appliques were hand frayed and stitched on a soft undergarment of knit  fabric allowing comfort and ease of movement the entire night.

First, I did sketches of options for the top. Once she selected the style she liked(I gave her 3 choices) my work began.

 I draped the choice in muslin so she could see the vision(it did change somewhat).

The tedious work.

“Admittedly, I thoroughly enjoyed the process of stitching the appliques one at a time. Many Zen moments for sure.”

“Couture Details makes my heart sing.”

On the Red Carpet

Being able to work remotely with like-minded professionals reminded me that the world really is our oyster, as we have so many more avenues of connection. Using Zoom for meetings made the process seamless. We collaborated with an Atelier in Darian, Connecticut near Cheryl’s hometown, called SOKAYRI Atelier.

As time went on the chic, sophiscated look morphed into what  She Knows says “Composer Cheryl B. Engelhardt stunned everyone at the 2023 Grammys in this mermaid-esque, custom blue SOKAYRI ATELIER skirt and a floral white top from Brooks LTD.”

The complete ensemble

The ball gown skirt was the perfect complement for the ensemble, both pieces can be worn again .  I returned all of the scraps of the signatures and the team at Sokayri Atelier put together the perfect chocker to compete the look.  As fashion designers we like to utilize all parts of the fabric, so it doesn’t end up in the landfill, we call it zero waste.

Cheryl finished her chic 2023 Grammy ensemble with a pair of sneakers to add a touch of playfulness.  Here’s to looking and being fabulous!

I can’t wait to see how she styles her crop top with jeans or other choices for her lifestyle. This is what I like to think of as investment dressing – where it’s #funtobedressedup I am a big fan of use and reuse.

We are in Vogue Magazine!

Cheryl was so perfectly put together by her team of creatives Vogue Magazine(along with many others) thought it worthy of a photo op. As a result, I couldn’t be more pleased. A dream come true for many of us who worked together on this project.

Everything is available across the continent just by reaching out to make your dream a reality.

Follow Cheryl’s music here. I trust this is only the beginning of a long future in the New Age, Ambient Music arena. Thank you for having me as a ‘passenger’ on your journey. I look forward to your next nomination.

Credits:

Model/Composer: @cbemusic

Top: @brooksltd

Skirt and Choker: @sokayri_custom_couture

Hair and makeup: @daniellebaumbeauty

Jewelry: compliments of @hudsonvalleygoldsmith

 Shoes: @juicycouture

Publicity: @diyprinc

Champagne (in blood stream but not pictures): @whitecliffvineyard

Online publications:

Vogue

She Knows

Eonline

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“Eco-Friendly” fashion  is no longer a term only associated with laundry detergents and household cleaners. We’re in an era of conscious consuming where buyers are regularly seeking out brands in all areas that value and promote sustainability and ethical practices.  The clothing industry is no exception. With the knowledge that “fast” fashion is ranked as one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions, water pollution and waste from unused textiles – makers within the industry are seeking ways to change those results.

Upcycling Style Eco-Friendly Fashion

Upcycled fashion is a way designers can create more eco-friendly clothing. It involves using post-consumer waste or used textiles to create new and unique pieces. This approach to sustainability in fashion is gaining speed! Taking clothing or fabric destined for the landfill and recycling it into something new and beautiful to wear creates a circular loop of consumption. It offers shoppers an ethical option to achieve their style goals.

Upcycled Fashion vs Luxury Upcycling

Using the highest quality fabrics and designer clothing to create new pieces makes standard upcycling luxe. Luxury upcycling is having a moment in fashion 2022.  High end designers are seeing the value this approach. Not only are customers getting a beautiful item made from recycled fabric, but designers are leaving a smaller footprint on the environment. It’s a win-win. Sustainable style is here to stay.

Current Trends at Brooks LTD

Here at Brooks Ltd., creating ethical and sustainable women’s clothing has long been a goal of ours. Our approach to luxury upcycling involves utilizing high-quality deadstock fabric, vintage textiles like tablecloths, and even clothing with sentimental value to design new pieces to wear and enjoy. Our latest collection beautifully combines old and new fabrics. We’ve created dusters (the perfect topper to any outfit) and vests out of a cotton/spandex Ponte fabric and a gorgeous jacquard. Details like hand stitching on the surface and deadstock lace insets add artistic interest.

Both the duster, linen toppers and the vest are ideal for layering over outfits. The simplicity of a black tee and jeans sets off these special, sustainable pieces perfectly. But you can also glam up these environmentally-friendly styles by wearing them over a little black dress or a pleated trouser and a silky top. Style and sustainability make our pieces easy to enjoy. Next time you’re looking to add something to your wardrobe, consider one of our luxurious upcycled pieces. You and Mother Earth will both enjoy the results.

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As I reflect I see how Covid changed my direction. My designs are reflective of the times. To slow down and enjoy the process has been  memorizing.  From those of you who have visited the online shop or in person you have responded positively to the final pieces.  Thank you for the encouragement.

I am honored to have been interviewed by Voyager Magazine about my current design career. The article explains more of this new direction.

Read the full article here

Collection of cherished textiles

Moreover, many of us we have collected textiles from our travels or from past generations and do not have a clue what to do with those pieces.  It is our intention to help so as to avoid having special textiles end up in the land fill. Much of the trash that ends up in landfills can also be recycled or reused in other ways, I choose textiles to help improve our planet.

Rules that no longer serve

Rules no longer serve me.   I execute designs with fresh eyes and new techniques. The results are something I never thought I could create.   It has me engaged in an entirely different way.  I have since created a collection based upon these beliefs.  It is called The Attic Gem Collection.   Vintage textiles that have been gifted to me as I turn them into wearables by mixing them with modern fabrics.  If needed I will stitch together these pieces to create another unique cloth to then create with.

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I share our meeting as an opportunity for you to dive deeper into the relationships and connections that exist in your individual world.

EllynAnne Geisel author of The Apron Book and the writer/curator of Apron Chronicles: a Patchwork of American Recollections, her traveling exhibit

Storytelling

EllynAnne’s storytelling begins with the origin of her 20-year apron journey and her discovery of the apron’s connecting threads. She writes:

“In 1999, when my youngest went to sleep-away college, my chosen career as a full-time homemaker and stay-at-home mommy was at its end. I envisioned a second career for myself – a writer. My first article, I decided should be about the apron as the domestic symbol of what I’d just done with 26 years of my life.”

But there was a problem with her subject choice: she didn’t own an apron.

“Visiting several thrift stores before finding an apron in more than rag taggle condition, I spied a skirt of sunny yellow cotton with a wide waistband the color of periwinkles, and four evenly spaced narrow bands of colored bias tape. At a cost of twenty-five cents, this was the apron that set me on an apron journey and changed my life.”

Journey

“In the twenty years since I began this apron journey, I have been privy to hundreds of stories, and I have learned that an apron memory isn’t a scholarly dissertation. It isn’t mired in dusty facts and details. It is a story of life and memory that engages and catches you up in the telling. You need not have walked in the storyteller’s shoes to know the journey.

APRON CHRONICLES: a Patchwork of American Recollections debuted in 2004, 3 years post-9/11. Such was a time when our sense of security was trampled, our trust in one another rife with mistrust. The exhibit then and now offers a respite from a climate of societal outrage and chaos through the unexpected domestic symbol: the apron; the storytellers’ memories triggered by the apron much more about life than fabric, illustrating how much we are more alike than different.

The storytellers’ voices are the patchwork of our America…the stitches uneven in places, but stitches all the same. The aprons’ ties bind them – and us – together, because when it comes to the journey of the human experience, we are all in it, together.”

From Ellyne’s personal collection of Aprons and connecting threads

APRON CHRONICLES is a wonderful juxtaposition of storytelling, photography and aprons. Going along with the theme of connecting threads, one framed apron resonated with me. It’s an embroidered apron, delicately stitched and a beauty within its own right.

Embroidered and stitched beautifully

Next to it reads:  ” Stitchery was once a domestic art learned through practice and patience.  With its embroidery perfectly stitched and painstakingly tiny, and the silk ribboned waistband and rosettes, this apron was a testament tothe feminine skills of the seamstress.  Of the hundreds of aprons I own, this apron – its sheer fabric the color of a girl’s sweet blush – is the most captivating.”  from the Apron Collection of Ellyn Anne Geisel.

Exhibit of Aprons and connecting threads in its final days

APRON CHRONICLES traveled America for 16 years. The exhibit ends its travels at History Colorado (12th and Broadway in Denver).  The last day of the exhibit is Monday, May 31, 2021.  EllynAnne will present her final curator chat Saturday May 29, 2021 at 9:15 am.  Tickets must be purchased in advance:

https://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/apron-chronicles.

Or by calling the museum 303/447-8679

Relationships

I’m so honored that I had the pleasure of meeting and connecting before the exhibit closed.  As we discussed, I believe there is a synergy between us that our paths will not only cross again but we will come up with something interesting through our connecting threads energy!  Who knew that aprons and connecting threads, stitching, and relationships would have such an enduring meaning in our lives.

Thank you for our deep rooted common understanding of how fashion and threads became the begining of a new found relationship.

Connections

As you wander through your everyday life remember that the connections you make through your individual passion can have a much deeper meaning than only that  connection.  It may be the vehicle to profound wisdom, shared joy and learning new things.  Keep an open mind where something small may seem insignificant at the time as it could turn into a huge heartfelt experience.

In need of a special ensemble, lifestyle or something for an important occasion we can help.  We’ve got you covered, literally!  Reach out here.

Ties that bind us

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” Now, moms are encouraged to wear a look that makes them feel fashionable and confident (with the bride’s approval of course)” a quote from The Knot by by Sarah Hanlon.

I know Barbara well, she’s been a follower for years.  She loves blue. Pulling out all  stops with a special textile (pleather and tulle) with blue as the accent color.  Working around that theme I  put together different shades of blue in different textiles, all 100% silk.  With my current knowlege of the Art of Japense Draping I began the process which can be appropriate for Mother of the Groom or Mother of the Bride as well as for a speaking engagement, or any event that you may be participating in in the near future.

Documenting the finished product

I choose to make artisan clothing for Mother of the Bride & Groom which has delightful interesting details.  View the front, back and up close in these photos:

The wedding event

Fast forward to the actual event that took place in September 2020, with Covid restrictions in effect.

Barbara, the Mother of the Groom looks very happy in her artisan clothing piece.

Jo Julia Photography

Relationships

With each artful piece I create I’m lucky to say that important relationships are created.  I love working one on one with women helping them to create handmade clothing that speaks to their personal style.  Fashion has no age limits as I believe that age doesn’t matter. Whether it’s for a special occasion or your everyday lifestyle choice, it’s all about how you present yourself to the world.

I  help you with your fashion needs, including a mask that might be appropriate for the occasion. In my newly revised web site I take you through the steps on how easy it is to work with me.  Read about it here.

We are all about one stitch at a time, slow fashion at it’s finest.

 If you have a need for a special garment or know someone in the market, send them our way!

Lastly, we’ve got you covered, literally!  We help you reveal your favorite body parts and conceal ones you’d like to hide.

Here’s to your well being,

Brooks

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Denim dress done differently with a tencel fiber seems to be a new theme for my brand.

“The (tencel) fibers originate from the renewable raw material wood, created by photosynthesis. The certified biobased fibers are manufactured using an environmentally responsible production process. The fibers are certified as compostable and biodegradable, and thus can fully revert back to nature.”

 https://www.tencel.com

As a result, tencel now becomes a sustainable fabric! TENCEL™ branded cellulosic fibers define a new standard of sustainability and natural comfort.  Also known as tencel lyocell.

Three new denim designs

Designing 3 different pieces incorporating denim gives  a new sense of awareness for my love of denim.  This caftan shape tencel dress  has movement in the body. Of course there are pockets to hold your necessary items.  It’s carefree, casual and comfortable for hanging around the house as well as going to beach.  The open arms has a peak a boo effect without baring too much skin.

The second one is a turtleneck style that is draped  into a tencel cocoon dress. A cocoon, it’s just that– you feel like curling up as if you were inside a cocoon.  With the turtleneck sleeve and neck element it protects you from the elements of mother nature when changing weather  arrives.  I’ve detailed it with hand stitching along the sleeve line giving it a slow fashion feeling.  Something I like to do in front the the TV on cold winter nights.

Lastly is a sweatshirt shape. This design on tencel has been treated with a pinkish color to create colorful, artful shapes along  the hipline.  As a result, separate appliques are stitched onto the garment on top of the pinkish dyed color in the garment.

See these pieces and purchase them in my shop here.

I trust denim will follow my branding as the new year develops.

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Tis the season to wear Red for Christmas.  Cherry red is the  main color for the Brooks LTD 2020 holiday season. Wearing red is a sign of confidence, but which red you wear tells it all!  This boiled wool cherry red jacket protects you from the biting winds in winter, and shows your holiday spirit. The  jacket is the perfect length to top off some feisty leggings or a mid-length skirt with boots.

Hardy Klahold photography

The jewelry that compliments my design is by Christine Marguerite from Boulder, Colorado  and is also a symbol of protection.   The Shaman Medicine Stick joined with prayer mala beads, is associated  with prophecy and good health. Layered with an accenting longer green rough turquoise bead necklace and topped off with stacking bracelets finishes your holiday look.

The art of Japanese Draping

I utilized the new technique of The Art of Japanese draping in this unqiue piece.  It’s a one of a kind jacket with interesting design lines throughout.

Note the touch of hand embroidery at the sleeve opening.  I take delight in slow fashion and creating something unique in each piece.

My jacket is one of a kind, and once it is gone it’s gone.  Act soon!  Purchase it here.

Jeweler:  Christine Marguerite

Model: Alyssa Wahr

HMU:  Amiee Elise

Venue:  Hope Held by a Horse.

A portion of the sales of these items go back to Hope Held by a Horse for breast cancer survivors.

This is my 30th year since diagnosis!

Show that you care, support local artists and look fabulous doing it! 

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Attending FIT in 1970 and graduating that summer- I never looked back.   Fashion school was a rewarding experience and I was able to continue on a fashion path ever since.  Whenver my travels take me to NY I am able to find my way to the fashion district to shop for fabric for my clients. Never in a million years would I have thought that I would be making masks for protection as well as for fashion.

Science has reported that covering your face during the pandemic of 2020 is a safe way to be in community situtations.

Mask making has enabled me to carry on most of this summer 2020. Dress fabric became the fabric of my soft but stylish cotton knit masks.  It’s keeping my hands busy and helping so many people feel safe.  I am happy to be able to help for that protection.  Here are some of the masks that were featured in the video:

Photographers in order:  EJCARR/EJCARR/STYLECRONE/CAROLYN FINERON/HARDYKLAHOLD

Preview the FIT video here

With the ongoing pandemic I will continue to make masks, one at a time because that is how we do things, one at a time as I believe in slow fashion!

See more of my masks here.

Please wear a mask when in public, I protect you, you protect me!

Stay safe out there.

A collage of my first masks made in early March 2020.

Want our free download of helpful tips for adding clothing to your already full closet?  

Click here

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I hope this finds you healthy and dealing with this pandemic as best as can be expected.

Yes, fall is upon us. I feel like the change of seasons is a good start to elevate an otherwise confused mood.  I’d like to share a beautiful virtual fall presentation of a new collection from Valentino.  It’s in compliance with social distancing and has a beautiful message.  See it here.

All summer long I’ve been quiet, isolated and wondering if I should and when I should reach out to you, my clients to come visit my atelier, as most of you are nearby. I respect your privacy and know that when you are ready you will venture out.  Until then, I’ve added a shop page to my site to help you see what I’m up to.  See it here.

The industry is reporting that retail and clothing have taken a big hit.  My atelier is somewhat different, as it always has been.  I see people by appointment only, control the environment and help women express themselves in their own magical style.

This is an overview of the current layout inside the atelier!

I keep changing it up.

To help spread my message.I am begining to reach out to the local fashion community.    I will be working with a stylist in Denver showcasing my current collection which also includes sale merchandise.  Photoshoots are always in my bag of tricks, as I love the end result and it challenges me to create new products.  The latest shoot was called Mask Up and VOTE, see it here.  I am currently working on putting together an interesting location outside of Denver with my newest ideas.  Stay tuned, all of these shoots are social distanced and with PPI.  It’s been challenging to work like this.  Everyone is wanting to create and get back to the new normal, whatever that may be.

I am grateful that you continue to show interest in my brand.  Thank you for following me. I have some interesting designs that will be featured soon.   If you have any requests please leave them in the comment section below.

Here’s to a hopeful future.

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