Indianapolis fashion designer Joshua Brooks is headed to Santa Monica for LA Fashion Week this month. Brooks, 26, CEO and designer of BLACC, said he started designing clothing about three years ago before he eventually launched his clothing line and company in April of 2020. What started as “comfortable wear” pop-up shop around Indianapolis quickly grew into a national brand, exceeding Brooks’ expectations and aspirations.
“When it first launched, it was something small. I didn’t have bigger aspirations than what it was,” Brooks said. “(But) it was flourishing, and I couldn’t keep up with BLACC product and how fast it was going.”
Though Brooks took a break with the brand, he decided to relaunch the collection in November of 2022. The outcome of which was overwhelming, and Brooks said he ended up doing a professional photoshoot and commercial for the brand.
Brooks’ friends and colleagues kept suggesting he apply to go to LA Fashion Week to gain more exposure. Eventually, he said he gave in and applied. Brooks received an acceptance email two weeks later from The Model Experience — a modeling agency that connects designers and models to fashion weeks all over the country.
From there, Brooks launched a GoFundMe to help take care of the expenses and met with a consultant to handle the bookings and promotional end of things. “I had no aspirations of even going out to LA Fashion Week,” Brooks said. “All this happened after the photoshoot and the commercial video, everything was coming together.”
Currently BLACC includes just about everything from leisure wear to everyday clothing pieces, Brooks said, such as two-piece sets, leather jackets, dresses, tracksuits and hoodies. But Brooks said he plans to premier pants during LA Fashion Week.
