The BrownMill Story

The Beginning
BrownMill was built by three partners from completely different backgrounds, cultures, and religions who came together with one shared vision: to create something bigger than clothing.
What started in my partner Justis' grandmother’s living room began with handmade bowties, patchwork t-shirts, and a small table at local events. In the early stages, we spent years vending anywhere we could, community festivals, markets, pop-ups, and cultural events, building the brand one conversation and one supporter at a time.
Those experiences shaped BrownMill into more than a fashion label. They helped us build real relationships with people and taught us how powerful community centered creativity could be.

Building Through Community
As BrownMill continued to grow, so did the support around us. What began as small vending setups evolved into hundreds of events, curated pop-up experiences, and independent product releases that allowed us to slowly build a recognizable identity within New Jersey and beyond.
Through consistent storytelling, design, and community engagement, the brand organically gained celebrity placement from artists, athletes, and entertainers including personalities like DC Young Fly & NBA Legend Andre Igoudala. Those moments helped amplify the visibility of the brand while still keeping our foundation rooted in authenticity and local connection.
Rather than chasing trends, BrownMill focused on creating experiences and products that felt personal, nostalgic, and culturally connected.

Partnerships & Growth
Years of grassroots growth eventually opened the door for larger opportunities and partnerships, including collaborative work with Amazon during Black History Month initiatives.
Those partnerships helped create the financial momentum needed to take the next major step for the brand: opening our first physical retail and creative space, The Atelier.
The opening of the store became a turning point for BrownMill. It transformed the brand from simply an apparel company into a true community hub centered around fashion, art, music, and culture.

The Atelier & Community Impact
The Atelier became more than a storefront. It became a gathering place for creatives, families, artists, entrepreneurs, and young people throughout the city.
Through product launches, cultural programming, and our annual BrownMill Block Party, we helped create events that brought thousands of people into Newark and directly impacted surrounding local businesses.
During our anniversary block party celebrations on Halsey Street, the increase in foot traffic and sales generated significant economic activity for neighboring stores, restaurants, and employees throughout the area. What started as a small independent brand evolved into something that contributed real value back into the local community.
That impact remains one of the most important parts of the BrownMill story.

Creative Direction
BrownMill’s visual identity has always been rooted in storytelling. The brand blends influences from vintage sportswear, music culture, global fashion, nostalgia, streetwear, and community experiences to create products and campaigns that feel emotionally connected to people.
From graphic-heavy apparel and campaign design to pop-up experiences, event branding, and collaborative projects, the goal has always been to build a world around the brand rather than simply create clothing.
Every collection, event, and collaboration is approached with the intention of creating connection, conversation, and representation.

My Role
As a co-founder and creative lead of BrownMill, my role spans multiple areas across the brand including:
* Creative Direction
* Art Direction
* Graphic Design
* Apparel Design
* Brand Strategy
* Campaign Development
* Event Branding
* Product Development
* Community Activations
* Pop-Up Production
* Marketing & Visual Storytelling
* Partnership Creative
* Experiential Design
Through BrownMill, I’ve been able to combine design, storytelling, and community-building into a brand experience that continues to grow beyond fashion.