BALDWINSVILLE — For the last several years, the lines between workout wear and everyday fashion have been blurring.
“The idea that we would need to change from our sports gear into everyday clothing has changed. Our everyday uniform has evolved, and we have seen activewear integrate seamlessly with fashion pieces in our wardrobe,” Chelsea Power, a senior buyer at MATCHESFASHION, told fashion blog The Zoe Report in December.
Even here in Baldwinsville, sixth-grader Julian Lorenzo noticed that his friends were into the athleisure trend.
“I saw a lot of people wearing all of the big brands, and I noticed that none of them really supported the community,” said Julian, who turned 12 in February.
Julian wanted to merge his sporty style with his love for his hometown, so he founded REKT Sports, an athletic apparel brand that pledges to return 10% of its profits to the local community. The company’s tagline is “If you play against us you’re going to get REKT,” (pronounced “wrecked”).
The first beneficiary of REKT Sports’ profits is Clary’s Closet, a Baldwinsville-based nonprofit that provides free clothing to schoolchildren in Onondaga, Cayuga and Madison counties.
“We donated $2 of every item sold [in February],” Julian said.
Julian’s father, Joel Lorenzo, said the family’s next project is to raise money for a new TV screen at Baldwinsville Little League’s snack shack. The Lorenzos are looking into other ways to support youth sports locally.
With the pandemic sidelining many of the sports and social activities Julian loves — he’s currently playing baseball and has also played soccer, flag football and basketball — he found himself with more time on his hands.
“It’s given me a lot of time because you don’t really have anything else to do,” Julian said. “I thought maybe I should start something fun that will help support other people in a way.”
Julian sketched out the REKT logo himself, and Joel passed it on to Apparel Brothers, a custom sports outfitter in Baldwinsville.
“Without them we wouldn’t be able to make this business. They’re the ones that make the clothing designs and put the logo on the clothing,” Julian said. “We wanted to start off in Baldwinsville and then work our way up.”
Julian said he draws inspiration from his own closet. The cold-weather offerings include hoodies and long-sleeved tees, and summer staples include shorts and polos.
“It’s really based off what I wore,” Julian said.
One item that Baldwinsville Bees fanatics might enjoy is the limited edition FlexFit hat emblazoned with “13027” inside the REKT logo.
“It’s kind of an exclusive for Baldwinsville. It only comes in red because red and black are B’ville’s colors,” Julian said.
Joel said REKT Sports has become a family business — Julian’s brother, Oliver, created a pug-themed design for an upcoming fundraiser for the ASPCA, and both boys model their designs for promotional photos — but Julian has taken the lead in building his brand. Joel said he helped his son network with Apparel Brothers and create the REKT Sports website.
“As an 11-year-old, it’s hard to figure out the dynamics of building a website and all that,” Joel said. “It’s really his business, not mine — I consider myself an assistant.”
So far, Julian’s designs are only available online. Visit shopREKT.com or facebook.com/REKTsports to check out his products.
