The Daily: Celebrating Black History Month with Founder Desmond Brooks

A Note from our Founder, Desmond Brooks, on Celebrating Black History Month

As I take the time to reflect on black history, what it means to me, to my family, to my community, I am overwhelmed by a sense of pride.

Pride in my ancestors, who endured pain and suffering with the hope of creating a better society for the next generations.

Pride in myself, for believing I could do what I dreamed of. It's not lost on me how privileged I am as a person of color to call myself an entrepreneur, while also being able to spend my days doing something I love.

Pride in other black entrepreneurs, who are also carrying the responsibility of inspiring the next generation of black entrepreneurs.

And pride in what we have built at Shopboy.

Thank you to all of the people who have inspired us to start this business, to those who believed in our vision and to the community of clients who have helped turn it into what it is today. May we all continue to work toward a brighter future for all.

Sincerely,
Desmond

An Interview With Desmond

What black figures in your life inspired you to create Shopboy?

You often hear Pharrell Williams say, "You can do it too," and I took those words to heart growing up. The way he moves effortlessly between fashion, art, music and design resonated with me from a young age. It helped me remove those boundaries you create for yourself, often brought on by society's expectations of you. Pharrell's confidence inspired me to believe that I could start a company in the most competitive market in the world because I was staying true to myself and what I believed in.

Carl Louisville, my first manager at Prada, now runs a successful boutique in LA called Carl's Atelier. Carl inspired me by carrying himself in a way that commanded respect. He was the only black general manager on Rodeo Drive at the time, and he took tremendous pride in representing the best version of himself everyday and treating each customer as if they were the most important person in the world.

Carl gave me my first job in luxury and taught me that a luxury good is nothing without a luxury experience. Under his tutelage, I developed a great sense of pride in what I do and how I treat people, no matter if it's the client spending $100,000 or $10. It's this philosophy that we have applied with our own clients at Shopboy.