KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City knows a thing or two about going viral, especially when it comes to the Chiefs.
After Taylor Swift and Brittany Mahomes went viral for wearing designer Kristin Juszczyk’s Chiefs-inspired jackets, one local designer was inspired to put his own spin on the re-purposed jersey trend, something he thought was an incredible idea for the fashion world.
“My friend made a post saying, 'Oh, Sheraz can definitely make a rendition of it,' and I was like, 'Of course I can,’” said Sheraz Pompey, a Kansas City area designer.
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Pompey has been a designer for 11 years and is a co-owner of The Blueprint KC, a family-owned one-stop shop for clothing, makeup and custom designs that he and his two sisters run in Grandview.
He says he hadn’t even considered making custom puffer jackets until people online started asking about what local designers in Kansas City could make them.
So, he got to work.
“I didn't know it was going to be such a viral thing; I'm not mad about it at all,” Pompey said.
Before he knew it, he was going viral on social media and getting at least 30 requests for his custom-made coats — which was at least 20 more than he intended to make.
“I initially started off wanting to just make 10,” Pompey said. “I had to stop it at one point ‘cause I had to mark it as sold out because I only wanted to do 10.”
While 10 sounds like a small amount, there’s hours of work that goes into each jacket. Pompey says in total, each jacket takes seven hours of total.
With out of state inquiries from places like New York and Florida, his demand is growing. But a recent inquiry really proved how far his work has spread.
“He actually texted me and said, 'My wife and my mother saw the jackets, and they shot the post over to me,' and he was like, 'I gotta get them.’”
That “he” was Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who reached out for three custom jackets to wear for Sunday’s AFC Championship game.
“It was amazing, it made it worthwhile,” Pompey said. “I couldn't believe it got to him.”
For someone so intentional about his craft, he’s making the most of this seemingly random opportunity.
“I remain humble, because it's like, as quick as it happened, it can be taken away," he said.
Beyond that, having the opportunity to design custom jackets in his hometown for a team he’s been watching for years was nothing short of full-circle.
“For me to be in my 11th year, I had to do a lot of trial and error,” Pompey said.
But after all these years, one thing that’s remained consistent: his dedication to his craft. That and his mindset were all by design.
“You won't see the reward if you don't take a risk,” he said.
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