During the 1960's, Mr. Brooks went on to become one of the American designers such as Bill Blass and Geoffrey Beene who owned their business. They and others became known as the designers of the American look. He was among the first designers to establish himself as a creative force and founding member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

In 1965, with help from a financial patron, Brooks opened and operated his own ready-to-wear Seventh Avenue business from 1965 to 1973. He also designed swimwear, lingerie, rainwear, furs, wigs, home furnishings and menswear.

Oscar De La Renta said, "I remember back in 1966, when I was summoned together with Bill Blass, Donald Brooks, Geoffrey Beene and Pauline Trigere to Alan Gimbel's office at Saks 5th Avenue. He wanted to announce very important news. The store was no longer going to remove our label, and would carry the label of the designers. That was a big breakthrough." (Women's Wear Daily, 2001)

In 1961, he won the first of two National Cotton Fashion Awards for his fabric designs and the following year he was awarded 1962's top Coty award, the "Winnie', recognizing him as the "practitioner par excellence of quietly wearable clothes" and citing his "broad scope of designing talent".

Some of the women wearing clothes from his collections were Jackie Kennedy, Babe Paley, Pat Nixon, Pamela Harriman, Barbara Walters, Slim Keith and Nancy Friday. President Lyndon Johnson personally selected clothes for Lady Bird and their daughters Lucie and Linda.

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