The Heisman Trophy is a prestigious award given each year to the top collegiate football player. At the end of last year, one App State alum was entrusted with designing the official blazer for the award recipients.
Mitch Purgason is a clothing designer and founder of his business, named after himself. During his time at App State, he was involved in multiple organizations, but said the most influential organization he was a part of was App State’s Center for Entrepreneurship.
Through the organization and the classes he took, Purgason said he learned a variety of skills, including grit, patience, adaptability and how to fail.
“I think so many people are so afraid of failing, and they’re so calculated, and they over analyze that they never end up really doing anything,” he said.
Purgason said he learned to focus on building and expanding a business rather than focusing on the negative viewpoints, such as the fact that only 10% of startups ultimately succeed, a statistic which can be found in a Forbes entrepreneurship article.
Purgason’s business, which he started during his time at App State, brought in an estimated $20,000 to $30,000 during the first semester when it was launched, he said.
The designer produces luxury custom clothing for men and women, including suits, overcoats, tuxedos, shirts, jeans and casual wear. He said lately, he has enjoyed working on custom casual wear projects.
“I get excited when people come to me with random things,” he said. “I like to be inconvenienced with creative ideas and that makes my job fun.”
As his business expanded, Purgason started collaborating with more professional athletes. When the agent of one of his clients put him in touch with the chairperson of the Heisman Trust, he was able to connect with the organization and found out they were searching for a designer for the official Heisman blazer.
Purgason created a design for the blazer and was later selected as the designer for the project. To him, he said being selected was a special moment for him, calling the Heisman the “pinnacle of American sports awards.”
Soon, Purgason was off to New York to measure and fit the Heisman recipients. He designed a blazer from a custom fabric, and each player’s blazer matched their team colors.
The lining of the blazer is made from 100% silk, and the buttons are also custom and are made out of 18 karat gold.
A detail Purgason added to the garment is the tri-button holes on the sleeves, which he said must be made by hand and is a detail that is rarely added in tailoring. He said he enjoys implementing old-school techniques and adding extra details to his project, setting his creations apart from others.
Additionally, each recipient’s team color is located on the last leaf button hole, as well as their jersey number and year they won the award, which is embroidered on the back collar.
Purgason found a way to include a microchip that is safe to be dry cleaned in each blazer, and when somebody scans their phone over it, the player’s Heisman profile and stats appear. He said he hopes to add additional details and features over the next few years as he creates more blazers for more players.
The designer said he takes pride in knowing his pieces are produced in the U.S. as compared to most designs, which are produced elsewhere. He said he learned many skills from his mother, who was a Broadway costume and set designer, and values attention to detail over taking short cuts.
