‘This is our era’: How one local streetwear brand got the ball rolling for an exclusive KC Comets collab 

Soccer fans can kick off their weekend with a one-day-only sale of a limited-edition apparel collaboration between Kansas City’s premier indoor soccer team and its top streetwear brand, said Vu Radley.

“We found this really cool, creative space with the KC Comets where we could pay homage to their vintage jerseys and mix it with our branding, style and aesthetic to come up with something crazy,” said Radley, who co-founded the Kansas City-based apparel brand, MADE MOBB, alongside Mark Launiu.

KC Comets players: Rian Marques, Christian Anderaos, and Nicolau Neto

The KC Comets are popping up at MADE MOBB’s shop in the Crossroads Arts District for the launch of their capsule collection 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4. The line features a hoodie, crewneck and T-shirt, with the tagline “This is our Era.” 

Each piece in the collection only has 75 units in stock, Radley noted. KC Comets players, staff and dance team will also be present to promote the collection and meet fans. 

“Once the line is sold out, it’s gone,” Radley said. “We’re hoping for a potential ongoing partnership with the Comets, but we really encourage fans to come through on Friday and grab their merchandise. Friday will also be the only day we sell the collection at MADE MOBB.”

If there are any extra items of clothing left after Friday’s sale, it will be sold at Cable Dahmer Arena, in Independence, Missouri, on Saturday, Nov. 26 for the KC Comets’ home opener game. 

Friday’s launch is part of MADE MOBB’s ongoing First Friday event series on the first Friday of every month and features food trucks, performers, artists and vendors. Along with the capsule collection with the KC Comets, MADE MOBB will be dropping a “Reap What You Sow” capsule, as well as a fleece line at Friday’s event. 

“We always release our new stuff to the locals first,” Launiu said, noting that MADE MOBB plans to host First Fridays throughout the entire year, rather than just the summer season. 

“We’re really hyped that the crowd and energy has come back to the Crossroads,” Vu added. “It was really dope to see that, so why not continue it throughout the winter? There’s so many people we met during First Fridays, as well as collaborations and projects that come from it.”

 

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MADE MOBB’s collaboration with the KC Comets follows its exclusive partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs earlier this year. Through that partnership, the MADE MOBB team was able to gain the knowledge and experience of managing royalties and contracts, Radley said.

“There’s so much that goes into a partnership like that with the Chiefs and [National Football League],” Radley said. “The Chiefs really prepped us, and now we have a lot of training on how to execute these partnerships.”

Along with the Chiefs, MADE MOBB has also collaborated with the KC Wolf, the Chiefs’ official mascot, and Kansas City Ambassadors, a group of former Chiefs players. 

Click here to read more about MADE MOBB’s partnership with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Ken Stanley, KC Comets

Timing is everything, Radley continued. When he originally reached out to the KC Comets nearly five years ago, the timing just wasn’t quite right.

But when MADE MOBB and the KC Comets reconnected years later, the partnership felt organic, said Ken Stanley, who serves as the creative director for the KC Comets.

“It wasn’t like [the KC Comets] were choosing from 20 different clothing companies,” Stanley recalled. “I was just out Christmas shopping at MADE MOBB and talking to the guys. They are super kind and welcoming, so it just came together naturally.”

The capsule collection designs are a piece of KC Comets history now, Stanley said, noting that he is excited to share their partnership with MADE MOBB with Kansas City’s soccer community and beyond.

KC Comets players: Rian Marques, Christian Anderaos, and Nicolau Neto

“In terms of streetwear, I don’t know if you can name another brand in the city that has done more in terms of branding and really getting their name out there,” Stanley said. “… We wanted to collaborate with them as a way to engage with Kansas City’s creative community and to offer our fans the chance to represent the Comets with some amazing gear.”

MADE MOBB doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon, Radley teased. 

“That’s the thing — we are so Kansas City,” Radley shared. “We want to be collaborating with the KC Current. We’d love to do that with Sporting KC and the Royals. There’s a local soccer school called Ryogoku where a partnership could be more of a nonprofit effort. At MADE MOBB, we just want to collaborate with all the locals.”

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This story is possible thanks to support from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create uncommon solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

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