My brand stems from my childhood home and all my life experiences leading up to present day. A house on “Northbrook Dr.” in Detroit, MI was where my initial passion for art came to life. I was constantly inspired by various art forms in school, my city, street art and my household. My mom is a hairstylist and my dad an engineer & dj - both creative beings in their own ways which allowed me to see different forms of artistic expression simultaneously.

As a kid, I often acted as the “token black girl” - the one selected to be the black educator amongst peers, was pretty for a black girl, had nice hair for a black girl, talked proper, one of the good ones... y’all know, the list goes on. Because I grew up going to predominantly white schools, I felt like I couldn’t express myself to the extent that I desired because of fear that no one would take what came naturally to me, seriously. All in all, this tainted how I viewed myself resulting in a disconnect from who I was as a black girl and the woman I hoped to become.

After continuous years of re-discovering myself and my roots, I realized the impact of wholeheartedly being me, for me. I'm also learning how others surrounding me share similar experiences. So to sum it up, House of Northbrook is a vessel - a reminder - to connect with the “home” in you. Home looks different for all of us and at times can be uncomfortable to exist in or go back to. Finding who we are and being proud of that realization doesn’t come easy and definitely isn’t always easy to communicate vocally, which is why creating statement pieces became more fulfilling for me.

My design focus is primarily in re-purposed materials, often referencing nostalgic couture design and afro-futurism/surrealism. Most of my garments are intentionally made 1:1 to accessorize the pride in our stories that make us unique.

So with that said, make yourself at home - unapologetically.

With love,

Iman