BY DESIGN : Fashion’s New...

Kenn Brooks, 43, considers his designing talent “a gift from God.” The self-taught designer makes and cuts his patterns, then sews them up in mud cloth from Mali.

“Mali is the only place that makes the real thing,” he says. “It’s the special muds there that make these prints that are found nowhere else in the world.” But that’s where the African influence ends.

Brooks’ designs are modern, like the firefighter-style coat and overalls with shell buttons and toggles made of bone. Everything is casual, comfortable and easy to wear--perfect for the young, experimental customers of the ‘90s.

Ada Moses, owner of Beno, an “international culture-wear store” in Old Town Pasadena, says: “I can’t keep Kenn Brooks’ clothes on the floor.” She sells the designer’s hats for $95, overalls for $210, and coats for $325.

When he buys the mud cloth, Brooks--who started designing in leather 10 years ago--often has a particular customer in mind. A print of tiny scissors, he says, is “perfect for a coat for a hairdresser client.”

Brooks’ one-of-a-kind designs have found their way into films and videos. Actors Avery Brooks and C.C.H. Pouncer and singer Hammer are among his clients. The designer also runs a custom business from his studio/home in Mt. Washington.