There’s no denying that many Americans follow a sports team: local, state, professional or all of the above. Even soccer is taking off for sports fans. Mariah Trujillo realized a need for blingy and fun sportswear to counter the more generic merchandise available.

So, she took her ideas and skills to launch MVPBae, an online business where Trujillo creates clothes, hats, jackets (and other merchandise) that is nontraditional, original and with lots of swag. (Bae is a millennial term for significant other, “before anyone else.”)

“My boyfriend currently plays for the Broncos, and I used to struggle to find cute, feminine outfits for myself to wear to the games,” said Trujillo. “You can find some stuff online, but I could never find anything that had his last name or number on it, so I started creating my own.”

Trujillo began reworking his old jerseys as well as vintage Broncos gear and putting her own “twist” on the productions. Her most popular orders are glam denim jackets that she can customize to order for any sports team, add a number, name, or desire of the customer. She has pivoted to customizing almost anything.

“Although sportswear is where I started, I have created so many fun pieces for family functions, weddings, bachelorette parties and more,” she exclaimed. “Anything you could ever want personally customized, I can do it.”

MVPBae, which Trujillo markets primarily on Instagram, has taken off since its launch in 2021.

“Mahomes” and Eagles stitching were popular for this Super Bowl season, and now she is accepting orders for hockey, baseball and basketball.

Trujillo was born in Las Vegas. She moved to Colorado in 2006 and stayed through high school. As a lifelong softball player, she was able to attend college on an athletic scholarship at a junior college in Arizona. But her plans changed. “After my first year of college, I fell out of love with the game and always wanted to pursue fashion, so I set my eyes on Los Angeles.”

After the move to California, Trujillo attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and finished three years later with a degree in merchandise marketing. She stayed in L.A. for the following decade but missed Colorado and moved home to Denver five years ago. Trujillo fell in love, and she and her boyfriend welcomed a baby girl last May. “MVPBae got me through postpartum and has allowed me to use my creativity,” Trujillo added. “I love making beautiful pieces and always love new projects; it keeps me young.”

With her baby and business, Trujillo doesn’t have time for much else. “I stopped calling it a small business because I work so hard and am so very invested; it’s now my ‘medium’ business,” Trujillo joked. “We’re blessed to reside here in Castle Pines!”

For more information on MVPBae, visit Instagram, @mvpbae or www.mvpbae.com.

By Hollen Wheeler; photos courtesy of Mariah Trujillo