Crafted goods are having a moment. Or perhaps it’s simply that people are finally responding to what we’ve always known—that there’s something deeply meaningful about items made by human hands, especially in these chaotic times.

I’ve been working with my hands, creating one-of-a-kind garments since I first fell in love with sewing. Through every season, every trend, every shift in the fashion landscape, handcrafted pieces have always stood as beacons of enduring quality. These garments have long been recognized for their superior craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail—qualities that seem almost revolutionary in today’s marketplace.

In a world drowning in waste and fast fashion, it soothes my soul to see that we artisans are finally getting the recognition we deserve. There’s a growing hunger for authenticity, for pieces that tell a story, for items that will last not just through this season but through decades of wear and love.  Click here to see my attic gem collection.

Crafting

Crafting is the art of making something tangible through the unique vision of the artist. It’s the antithesis of mass production—each stitch carries intention, each choice of fabric reflects personal aesthetic, each finished piece emerges as a small act of rebellion against a culture of disposability.

When I create a garment, I’m not just assembling fabric and thread. I’m weaving together tradition and innovation, patience and passion, skill and soul. In an age of algorithms and automation, the slight imperfections that mark human hands—the subtle variations in seam width, the gentle curves where a machine might create sharp angles—these become precious signatures of authenticity.

Perhaps this crafted renaissance isn’t just a trend, but a return to what we’ve always known: that beautiful things take time, that quality outlasts quantity, and that there’s something irreplaceable about owning something made with love and intention.

Connections, stories and lasting beauty

In this moment of recognition, we artisans don’t just create clothing—we create connections, stories, and lasting beauty in a world that desperately needs all three.  From our ancestors to our current lifestyle it’s important to recognize where we come from and how we got to where we are.   From sketches to the final product working with me is an experience you will never forget, in fact it might become your new way of dressing!

Interested in working with me?  Reach out here

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The Art and Ethics of Clothing Repair

This photo shows my husband’s hoodie of Character in Worn threads. Teaching myself how to embroider a heart, titled “Be Still My Heart,” with my dog looking on curiously.

Memories last a lifetime; clothing needs repair. Each stitch tells a story of preservation—not just of the fabric, but of the moments woven into it.

In an era of fast fashion and disposable clothing, a countermovement is gaining momentum that celebrates the authentic beauty of worn garments. The New York Times recently highlighted this trend, noting that “the stains and the rips add character and help them stand out from the bland flatness of new clothes.”

The Distressed Clothing Paradox

This growing appreciation for worn clothing is creating an interesting paradox in the fashion world. While some embrace the sustainability of extending a garment’s life through repair, others have commercialized the aesthetic. Boutiques in New York are now renting distressed clothing for hundreds of dollars per weekend—commodifying an appearance that traditionally came from authentic use and wear.

The irony isn’t lost on those who’ve been practicing clothing repair out of necessity or environmental consciousness. What was once considered a sign of poverty or neglect is transformed into a high-end fashion statement, with manufactured distress commanding premium prices.

This was once a torn hole in the sleeve, I stitched it together and then added decoration to highlight it.

 The Psychology of Worn Clothing

Our relationship with worn clothing is complex. Research in consumer psychology shows that visible wear can trigger multiple reactions:

– Nostalgia and attachment to garments that have accompanied us through significant life experiences

– Anxiety about social perception and the cultural messaging around “newness”

– Pride in sustainability choices and rejecting consumer culture

– Identity expression through the unique character of personally modified clothing

The resurgence of appreciation for worn and repaired clothing represents a shift in these psychological patterns—moving from shame about wear to celebration of a garment’s journey.

This is what began as an exploration but then continued into a much deeper dive into decoration, see the photo below

*What shifts might we see in the fashion industry if repair and reuse became the norm rather than the exception?*

Hand stitching to cover up tattered and torn fabric.

I will continue to add to this piece probably until it is totally covered in stitches which gives the textile strength.

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Enjoy go-to unique pieces when you open your closet doors.

Collaborating

Collaborating wearable art is inspiring, eye-opening, and fun. Lately, fun has taken the top spot on my list. Let me introduce you to Madeleine from Madeleine O’Connell Art.  Madeleine is a creative and talented painter and illustrator.  A mutual friend thought we would make a great team. Collaborating for a May 2024 pop-up at my Denver atelier and continung with another seasonal pop-up.

Hand painted on eco-friendly textiles

We enliven eco-fabrics with art and fashion, creating wearable masterpieces that are sustainable wearable art.  The result is a collection of whimsical, one-of-a-kind pieces that not only stand out for their distinctive designs but also for their commitment to environmental responsibility.

Collections

Our collaborative efforts have yielded a captivating autumn/winter collection that embraces the essence of cooler seasons, blending comfort with style in a harmonious array of pieces. These Artisanal hand painted designs range from delicate brushstrokes to bold splashes of color. Wearable art qualities  that captures the imagination and elevates the entire collection.

The collections are thoughtfully designed oversized silhouettes that embrace and flatter a diverse range of body types, creating a truly inclusive line. Generous cuts and strategically placed drapes offer comfortable ease without sacrificing style, allowing wearers to adjust the fit to their liking. Relaxed shoulders and armholes provide freedom of movement, while adjustable waistlines allow for personalized shaping.

Our creative synergy as kindred spirits ignites a boundless exploration of imagination and style. As a result, this collaborative journey not only pushes the boundaries of our artistic vision but results in pieces that radiate an infectious joy. Each garment we create is infused with the excitement of our shared creative process.  The  designs spark that same sense of delight and wonder in those who wear them.

In addition, we don’t want to show up wearing cookie-cutter clothing.  We are ageless beauties showing up in our own purposeful style.

We have unique voices that need to be heard, and expressing ourselves through how we dress is a perfect way to make an impression.

Madeleine and I showing off our second collaborative designs.  She creates her art on fabrics and I design and make the garment.

Reach out if interested in the collection currently not on the web site, DM is best.

Brooks Luby/BrooksLTD

Madeleine O’Connell/MadeleineO’ConnellArt

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I never really thought much about the Barbie craze until I saw the movie. The New York TImes describes the movie Barbie and is well titled On the Road and Out of the Box.

My vintage Barbie

Below you will see my real vintage Barbie dressed in a taffeta gown with a fur wrap. Yes, I had to dig her out of storage after I saw the movie.  I added the sunglasses to give her a more casual vibe.  From gowns to sunglasses I began to relate to how she affected my life and how Barbie shapes imagination.

Dreams do come true as Barbie shapes imagination

One thing Barbie has tried to show girls is that dreams do come true. And making those dreams a reality requires persistence, drive and the will to experiment.

Some of my childhood dreams was to create pieces for the red carpet and for high profile stars.  My most recent ‘red carpet’ moment -I was honored to create a bodice for the Grammy’s Red Carpet one year ago, read about that HERE

In addition,  I also had the honor to create a custom jacket for Shania Twain, it was intended for her to wear as a lifestyle piece and I did see her on Instagram wearing it.  What a thrill!

Now Shania is being recognized as a Barbie role model @shaniatwain  said,  “All I’ve wanted to do my whole life is tell stories of empowerment, independence and self-expression through my songwriting. Getting to do that and inspire women and girls along the way is the dream. It means a lot to expand my responsibility as a role model into the Barbie world, thank you @barbie and Mattel for creating this reflection of me.”

I feel the same about the pieces I create. The garments I’ve made for my clients are all pieces from my heart. My hope is that they will always give my clients a feeling of empowerment, self-expression and independence every time they wear them.

So thank you, Barbie, for inspiring us all to reimagine the many ways our lives can be well lived.

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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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By working with your hands, the process of mending also calms the mind and allows you to think deeply about things that are personal to you. It’s about the journey and not the destination although, in this case, the destination can have a beautiful visual effect. I shared my personal mending techniques with clients and friends at my private atelier last month and found that there is great interest in the age-old practice of mending.

There are a few reasons why the art of mending matters has such appeal. By repairing a garment you gain a better understanding of it from a construction standpoint and connect yourself in a way to the original maker.

“When we spend time patching, stitching, darning, or otherwise fixing torn fabrics, we ultimately deepen our understanding of quality, composition, and craftsmanship.”  —Excerpt from Mending Matters

Repairing a favorite garment

There’s also the environmental aspect. Mending can be a counterpoint to the dark side of consumption in the fashion industry. Lily Fulop, author of Wear, Repair, Repurpose: A Maker’s Guide to Mending and Upcycling Clothes, writes that “mending is an act of resistance — a rejection of the sort of capitalism that puts profit before the planet.” She even coined the term ‘Craftivism’ noting that the act of mending clothes is a form of activism that sends a message about reducing waste and minimizing environmental damage.

Mending can also improve your mental well-being. Taking time to do something with your hands, like the simple act of stitching, can create feelings of awareness and joyfulness. Mending is proof of the possibility of renewal. It also helps to reduce ‘eco-anxiety’ because it’s a concrete way to take action against the unsustainable practices in the fashion industry.

Working with your hands

Teaching Mending Textiles in 2023

I will be teaching Mending Textiles Matters classes at The Art Student’s League in Denver. (If these links don’t work for you, scroll to the search box and select Fall Adult 2023, Brooks Luby, from the dropdown menu.) Dates are Oct 6, 2023 and Nov 17, 2023. Hope to see you there!

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Photo: Hardy Klahold

Custom Jean Jacket

When Ball Arena approached me to design a super custom piece for a super-secret client, I could hardly believe it. After all, the custom piece was for THE Shania Twain. As in, the country crossover star who transcended genres to dominate the pop music charts, too. As in, the Canadian singer-songwriter whose tunes were the soundtrack of the 90s and early 2000s. THAT Shania Twain.

Needless to say, I wanted to impress her much.

Creating a custom jean jacket especially for Shania Twain meant designing a personalized piece both inspired by her and featuring my signature Brooks LTD elements. I watched her interviews and pulled out specific words and phrases Shania used. It is my sincere hope these words resonate with her and that she enjoys the personalization as much as the jacket itself.

Design Details Matter

Using a Japanese technique called Sashiko stitching, I created hand-stitched details. Sashiko, a traditional way of mending and decorating textiles to further their life span to prevent them from going into the landfill, has captivated my spirit as it is relaxing and therapeutic to slow down and stitch where the thread takes me. Sashiko is also in my current collection, with rivers of thread stitched on easy to wear garments.

Shania’s custom jean jacket is made from recycled denim, including functional pockets on the frayed-edge stylized sleeves. Even the former belt loops were upcycled to hold sunglasses! The jacket includes a custom printed silk charmeuse lining and backside fringe created from tasteful sequins on cotton chainette thread for some Western flair. I wanted the front to be classic, chic and tailored, so that Shania could accessorize as needed. As you turn, she shows off a playful vibe from the color changing sequins.

Jacket Spotted on Instagram

I noticed she recently wore the jean jacket on an Instagram video with Billy Ray Cyrus announcing a reissue of one of her iconic albums. It’s thrilling to see Shania Twain as a walking piece of art in a Brooks LTD custom made jean jacket!

Proud of Pieces: Custom or Not

As a Colorado-based clothing designer, I love getting to design and create custom pieces for women across the globe. After 45+ years of making unique fashions, my designs are typically worn by women right here in the West. It is a joy whenever women happily wear Brooks LTD fashions — both custom pieces and from my ready-to-wear collections!

Brooks Luby wearing her own upcycled jacket showing off Shania Twain’s custom denim jacket

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Everything “From the Vault ” is inspired by red carpet looks, bridal, social occasion dressing and guest list dressing.  Opening the vault is ready for you.

The Joy Dress

The Joy dress  is so springy and full of, well, joy. This dress features a bright, embroidered tulle overlay with an under slip and the rare full-length sleeve. The unique detail of a horsehair hemline also means the dress falls away from the body without creating a lot of movement or requiring an excess of fabric. The multi-color embroidery inspired this layered look, especially the decision to put the contrasting color underneath so the details on the overlay pop.

Moreover, the fabric inspired me to make this piece right away, but the dress found its name once model Joy Curtis , pictured here, put it on for a photo shoot. Joy, a talented actress, first modeled for me in the 1980s. Though we lost contact over the years, we reconnected thanks to social media. Seeing her in this dress was inspirational; how can you look at this and not feel JOY?!

This dress could be many things, even a wedding dress for a non-traditional bride, and was created for a fashion show. Those in the know see fashion show pieces for the special treasures that they are—truly unique and one-of-a-kind. In this case, the fashion show itself adds an extra touch to the story of this piece because it was created for a nonprofit event near and dear to my heart.

Breast Cancer Models pieces from opening the vault

For five years, I was the exclusive designer for a fundraiser where breast cancer survivors were the models. As a survivor myself, seeing the empowered models strut down that runway in my original designs made my year.

The Joy dress  is not the only thing on sale. See what else we’ve pulled From the Vault  and remember: Once these lonely onlys are gone, they’re gone forever.

Dress: Joy by Brooks LTD

Model: Joy Curtis

Photographer: Tom Lupton

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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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