Donald Brooks(1928-2005)

Donald Brooks, born in New Haven, Conn. in 1929, attended Parson's School Of Design. After graduating he made a name for himself by replacing the late legendary Clare McCardle at Townley Manufacturing and their business with him at the helm grew sevenfold. He became one of the first of the new "name" designers when he opened his own business in 1963. Though he was considered one of the top fashion designers in America, Mr.Brooks' first love was theatrical design and in 1963 he accomplished a feat all in the same year no designer before or since has rivaled. On Broadway he designed Richard Rodgers NO STRINGS!, winning a Tony Nomination, for motion pictures he designed Otto Preminger's THE CARDINAL, winning an Oscar Nomination and the same year Mr. Brooks won the first of his three Coty Awards.(The fashion industry's highest recognition.) His fashion clients would include Jacqueline Kennedy, Babe Paley, Princess Grace, Pamela Harriman, Barbra Striesand, Liza Minnelli, Lady Bird Johnson, Faye Dunaway and Diahann Carroll. In his free tme away from seventh avenue Brooks would design the costume for some 40 Broadway shows as well as numberous television and feature film projects. In 1974, he was awarded the Parson"s Gold Medal, the only other reciepients being Adrian and Norell. His work is in the perment collections of both the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institute.