Meet Brooks Luby | Slow Fashion Designer/Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brooks Luby and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brooks, how do you think about risk?
Currently I am taking a risk by totally changing my focus of my art, my aesthetic stays the same: elegant, playful and always with a touch of whimsy. After 45+ years of creating garments for very specific occasions, I have broadened my fundamental principle to follow my heart first and make lifestyle clothes where the client chooses how and where to wear them. My pieces have become much more creative, interesting and what I like to think is artful and playful.

The balance and my belief in my creative endeavors is that the clothing you wear says a lot about who you are, where you’re from, what you do and how you feel about yourself and others. We help define those boundaries, mixing both modern and vintage textiles to create an artful wearable. Hand stitched elements, mixing vintage fabrics with modern fabrics and surface design are all detailed elements of my garments.

We are very concerned about the landfill and hope that the pieces one chooses will last a lifetime as they are that special. It gives me great joy to know that many of my clients still have pieces in their wardrobe that were created over 30 years ago. Timeless, quality and details prevail.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Working directly with textiles I love touching, feeling and draping possibilities that each individual textile enables me to pursue. The fabric speaks to me when I study the draping of a design which is done totally on the dress form. I could create a quick sketch of the concept but when the fabric becomes dimensional it changes that sketch. The sketch is just a jumping off point. I have always been a purveyor that the inside of a garment should be as beautiful as the outside. Therefore, technique is important as well as design. Sometimes the design becomes complicated, and it is hard to attain that inside perfection. I would say the first iteration is like an original artist’s study, and as that evolves, I am able to clean up the inside of a garment to have it appear as beautiful as the outside. It takes a lot of practice and patience. I’ve learned over all the years of experience that patience and attention to details must prevail. Luckily, I have had the initial training through schooling and working directly with clients. All of those experiences have kept my product interesting and unique. It’s never easy because as an artist I keep challenging myself to do better than the last piece created, which benefits my continued growth and exploration.

My brand has always been as a slow fashion maker. I’ve gone through times when I’ve had many trials and errors which is part of the creative process. The errors become a new idea that is exciting and original. The trials (or tests) help me to redefine directions I take. Currently my direction is first from my heart and when your heart speaks you must listen. I am lucky that I can do it that way. I believe that since I have a base clientele, I can investigate creativity in a new way and educate about functional fashion both as design and as art.

I am very concerned about the landfill and hope that the pieces one chooses will last a lifetime. Our designs not only stand out for their asymmetry and attention to detail but also strive to make a positive impact on the environment. Each piece is eco consciously crafted with care and individuality, ensuring that it not only lasts a lifetime but also tells a story of its own. Embracing the art of sustainable fashion where craftsmanship and customization take center stage and brings a touch of individual creativity to every creation has always been our goal.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Rent an e-bike and travel around town on the bike paths to various neighborhoods and city parks, grab a to go lunch and picnic in one of our glorious parks (City Park, Washington Park, Sloans Lake, and/or Confluence Park). This is a great way to get an overview for the city life. We have an array of Art Museums with ongoing exhibits, The Denver Art Museum, Museum of Outdoor Arts, Contemporary Art Museum, Kirkland Museum, Clifford Still Museum, Colorado History Museum, and Meow Wolf. Some of my favorite independent art galleries are KContemporary, Robischon Gallery, David Cook Galleries, Walker Fine Art, the entire art district on Santa Fe, Rino has great art, shops and dining opportunities. Travel west to 40 West Art District, while there experience Casa Bonita in a kitchy environment where divers are plunging into a pool to entertain you while you eat Mexican food. Take a day trip drive to the foothills, Evergreen has a beautiful lake to walk around, a main street with various shops to visit.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Christine Mayer, Kundalini Yoga•Transformation• Creativity• Upcycling&Draping •Book Author. A mastermind upcycle and draping mentor. Christine opened my eyes into an entire new way of rethinking design, concepts and originality. I have been using her teachings ever since we met during Covid in a yearlong online mastermind class. Zoom has allowed learning from a distance. I highly recommend zoom to help futher your education in any field.

Website: https://www.brooksltd.net

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brooksltd/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooksltd/

Twitter: @brooksluby

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrooksLTD.ColoradoClothingDesigner/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brooksluby4265

Image Credits
Hardy Klahold