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Mackey’s J. Zemar, which features T-shirts, Polo shirts, button-downs and jackets, was born from both ambition and frustration.
“I’m catering to the athletes’ body type. I had a hard time finding clothes that actually fit me right, that are not too big and not to small,” said Mackey, the 6-foot-4, 275-pound quarterback crusher from Fort Hill, S.C. “A lot of athletes want to look nice, but they can’t really find anything [off the rack] that fits them right. So I came up with this to keep the athletes looking nice.”
After being drafted by Houston, Mackey helped a designer friend market his clothing line by wearing the clothes on and off the football field. The response from the public piqued his interest in developing his own fashion line. After his football career concluded, Mackey returned to finish his business degree at Winston-Salem State. He also got his grind on in fashion, purchasing his own printer, printing T-shirts and eventually attending trades shows in Atlanta. Initially, Mackey printed five shirts and gave them away to friends and family. The positive feedback motivated Mackey to print 50 more and give them away at football games. Afterwards, Mackey started selling them at “For Sisters Only” in Charlotte before he decided to get into the game full blast.
For Mackey, the arduous process has been a true labor of love. “I really enjoy getting out. When you create something that people actually like, it’s almost like getting that same [emotional] rush. I never thought that I could get that same rush that I got from playing football that I now get when I put on shows,” Mackey smiles. “When you get a response, it’s almost the same feeling as I got when went out there getting a sack.” –terry shropshire
To peep out Mackey’s line, log onto www.myspace.com/jzemar.
