LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Thursday is opening day at Kauffman Stadium for the Kansas City Royals!
For Gina Siebel, this time of year is special for more reasons than one. Not only is she a huge Royals fan, but she says she started her T-shirt design business in 2015 thanks to the team.
“I’ve always been a big Royals fan, it’s something we enjoy, me and my husband, watching games. My kids were a lot smaller then," she said. "In 2014 we went on that killer run, went to the World Series, didn’t quite get there. And then we came out in the spring of 2015, we had a little bit of swag in our step.”
The 2015 MLB season isn't only when the Royals won the World Series, but it also brought change to Siebel's life. She made a T-shirt that said "Swagger" on it, with the "W" designed like the Royals crown logo. People loved it.
“It just kind of all took off from there," she said.
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What started in 2015 in the basement of her home now lives as a full-fledged, women-owned-and-operated warehouse in Lee's Summit.
“It’s been quite the journey from there and it’s obviously all because KC loves KC," Siebel said.
Today, KC Swagger prints merchandise for local schools, club sports, and professional teams, with sizes for all ages. They've already got some Royals sweatshirts and T-shirts ready to sell, with other potential ideas on the horizon.
“We did make the big move by signing Bobby Witt Jr. So we’ll see what he’s up to," Siebel said. "And of course, we brought in some new pitchers too. So we’ll see if there’s anything that needs to me be made into a shirt.”
KC Swagger had huge success this past Chiefs season, with designs inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. It's also already designing one-of-a-kind items for the KC Current, in honor of the new CPKC Stadium. But, its team will always remember how they started.
“We will always love the Kansas City Royals and what it did for me to get the confidence to start my own business," Siebel said. "Win or lose, we will always love them."
