The beginning of Brett Banks’ story reads like something out of a Black fairytale, one we nowadays only hear about from those folks who were around in the ’40s and ’50s. How so? When discussing Black ownership in the present time, we always look back to the days of Black Wall Street and the Black grocery stores, cleaners, and pharmacies that our communities owned. Lucky for Banks, he stems from Black ownership as his grandparents owned and operated a movie theater and grocery store in Pittsburgh, PA, where he grew up as an only child in a Black neighborhood. Told you! Fairytale. Life after high school took him to Virginia State University, a historically black college (HBCU) he attended until he left for Howard University, another HBCU in Washington D.C. He described his time at Howard as one of the best times in his life – though it was short-lived because he understood that he wasn’t as focused on his studies there as he needed to be. The designer returned to Virginia State, where he eventually became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. and graduated with his Bachelor’s in Business Marketing and Management —again, being able to attend two HBCUs; fairytale.

He was born in the mid-1970s and grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, a special time for, two of his first loves: Hip-hop and fashion. He aspired to be a corporate attorney until his dream of working for Ralph Lauren took precedence. After going through the May Company – Hecht’s executive training program, he landed a regional position at Tommy Hilfiger in D.C., where he oversaw visual merchandising and coordinating in wholesale and retail stores. As faith would have it, one four-hour train ride to NYC turned into a job interview at Ralph Lauren, as he found himself sitting across from a gentleman who worked at Ralph Lauren thanks in part to his laptop’s branding. Turns out this man was the hiring manager for the job he’d been eyeing. Two weeks later, he was working in corporate at Ralph; again, straight out of a fairytale. I won’t spoil it for you, but it hasn’t all been a perfect trajectory. Learn more about how the corporate executive pivoted to the somewhat scary world of being a business owner after a slight setback.

From corporate fashion at Ralph Lauren to life as an entrepreneur, how did you find the strength to step out and create your own rather than searching for another gig at another high-profile brand after losing your job?

When my chapter ended at Ralph Lauren, I was entirely at peace with it because I knew in my spirit that God closed the door to open another. It allowed me to tap into and zero in on my other gifts and talents that I was not fully utilizing and realizing. I was also at peace with it because I was secure in who I was and am as an individual. My identity was not defined and wrapped up in my role and career life there. Ralph Lauren was one of the best fashion institutions that I could have ever worked for; the knowledge, the experience, and the relationships were remarkable and irreplaceable. I will cherish those for life but I existed before … so I knew I would exist, be, and grow outside of my career there too. I possessed everything that I needed and had all the ingredients within me, and what I didn’t have, God would provide. It was God’s way of releasing me to explore the possibilities of entrepreneurship. I remember thinking of how God gave Noah a clear vision and he stayed obedient, committed, and disciplined to the vision and his craft. He continued building the ark despite the adversity and resistance he faced along the way. Noah never stopped following the vision and his faith never wavered, even while everyone doubted him. The vision was manifested and that’s what I did. I’m a spiritual person so I always seek the Source for wisdom and discernment that helps guide me to fulfill my purpose.

There’s BLBNKS, and then there’s the Brett Banks creative consultancy, two different businesses. Tell me more about them both and how you separate your time.

The consultancy BRETT BANKS was actually birthed first. It was something I was doing post-Ralph Lauren. The brand came into existence based off of my journey. My first client happened to be a friend of mine whom I had known for many years – André 3000 [Benjamin]. We knew one day down the line we would eventually work together. Still, my consulting for him happened so organically through a simple conversation we had one day about all the different ventures he was working on. After helping him “problem-solve,” it just turned into me consulting for him.

BLBNKS came about because I knew I wanted to wear clothing with a message that speaks to me: “The peace that is with me and the power within me” is one of my mantras. I wanted to wear something that reminded me of that every day. I started doing customization for people, and after realizing that I really enjoyed that, it all took off from there.

Two things! Why did you name the brand after yourself, and can you explain the brand’s ethos as if you were speaking to a nine-year-old?

The brand name is actually an acronym. Being. Love. Boldly Brave. Nimble. Kindness. & Selflessness. When you or anyone else look at the brand, I want you to see that and not necessarily me. The brand is for those who wear it. The clothing works as gentle reminders that “you’re whole, complete and lacking nothing” as well as “you’re are love and loved.” It’s armor for you to wear throughout the world. It’s like when people put on a pair of Jordan’s or a #23 jersey and they feel they can do the impossible. With the same essence I want people to feel the same way when they put on anything from the brand. It’s that kind of connection; just like Bow Wow’s character Calvin Cambridge in the 2002 movie “Like Mike.”

The offerings on your website all have a message that is being presented. From Peace Power to 07-B to Self-Care Instructions, explain the reasoning behind that and how you think they speak to your customers.

It resonates with people. It meets you where you’re at. Not too long ago I was listening to two interviews that Pharrell did with Gwyneth Paltrow and Kirk Franklin. It was like a ‘spiritual’ connection that I felt with Pharrell. It’s kind of crazy because I connected personally with everything that he spoke about in both interviews; it’s to the point that I would love to sit down and talk with him. That’s how I want people to feel when they encounter the messaging and the meaning of the brand as it meant to speak to your soul. A connection.

For example, Voter Power, that collection stemmed from all that’s happening in our country. Policing, people trying to suppress our votes during this last presidential election. It’s a relevant topic, and I can’t take credit for these ideas; they come from above. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the Poor People’s Campaign. The Poor People’s Campaign demands the protection of the right to vote, injustices of systemic racism, poverty, federal and state living-wage laws, equity in education, an end to mass incarceration, and a single-payer health-care system.

The royal colorway of the Voter Power collection was dropped in support of the Run-Off Elections in GA. To stand in solidarity with Georgians, a portion of the proceeds were donated to Common Cause Georgia. This movement is putting the power back in the hands of Georgians and protecting democracy throughout Georgia.

Most of the items on your website are available for pre-order only. Why?

I’m trying to be responsible; it keeps me from sitting on excess inventory. From a business, perspective, pre-orders are the best way to go for now until I get proper investment. Quite frankly, I’m primarily self-funded, so this is me using my business marketing background. You want to spend your money the right way.

Any plans of expansion for the brand BLBNKS?

Yes, several colorways are coming out, and then there’s some BLBNKS branding merchandise that will be released as well; one of those will be a coach’s jacket. Customization is also coming to the website soon. I wanted to be slow with the roll-out, especially in this economy.

You’ve had a couple of exhibitions already, and one was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that things are slowly coming back to life and Mayor de Blasio reopening the city in all capacities this summer, are there plans for any exhibitions later this year?

Absolutely. There’s a project I’m working on right now that I would love to incorporate an exhibit with it. It’ll be similar to the first one I had. Right now, it’s figuring out how to make it safe because I really want everyone to get a chance to enjoy it. Collaborating with other artists is something I’m looking forward to as well. I was supposed to do that last year then COVID appeared and ended everything.

I tend to ask designers what has been the most challenging part of becoming a designer. However, you’re not just designing. So as a new entrepreneur and father of a three-year-old, what runs through your mind daily as you wake up and run your businesses?

When I wake up, I’m just grateful to be alive. 2020 showed us how gentle and fragile life is. As an entrepreneur, every day is different, so I try to figure out what’s important for the day. One day, I could strictly just be focusing on my son and that’s okay. When I worked in the corporate world, that probably wouldn’t have been okay. I try to set one goal for the day and hopefully get it accomplished within those 24 hours because trying to accomplish multiple things at once causes you to miss details and such.

Once this interview goes live, what do you want people to walk away knowing about you, and what do you hope they take away from what you’ve shared with us?

First and foremost, it’s not really about me; it’s about us! Our gifts and talents are connected to other people. Sharing my gifts with the world is essential to me because that can possibly change, affect or inspire someone and help them feel good or identify themselves. That validates the work that I’m doing; it’s purposeful. I hope people read this interview and take away that it’s not just about a sweatshirt or a garment; it’s the message that’s there, and I want people to know that I’m doing this for us.

I want people to walk away knowing that it is crucial to find a balance and be intentionally careful and conscious about not losing yourself in your career when pursuing a career in any industry. Don’t lose your identity and sight of your purpose in life or dreams because you are so fixated on that moment of chasing a title, status, etc. It’s important to stay aware of that, because, when changes occur along your journey and career path [i.e., shifting lanes, downsizing, layoffs, or that season simply comes to an end], you don’t want that to steal your peace. Always remember who you are and if you find yourself having a hard time with that think of Dorothy from The Wiz – along her journey she realized that she embodied the POWER to get back home. The POWER was within her and all she had to do is believe and activate it. Activate your power and get back to yourself; to the person you were created to be and get to where you are meant to be in the first place.

Consulting Website: Brettlbanks.com | IG: @blbankster

Brand Website: Blbnks.com | IG: @blbnks