From the Dugout to the Runway: Guth's New Line
A former minor league pitcher and construction worker debuts a 13-look collection inspired by his life in Wisconsin and New York.
By Bianca Herrera ·
Jordan Guth designed his latest clothing line with a specific memory in mind for every item.
The 13-look collection, released under the brand J E Guth at Milwaukee Fashion Week in September, features rugged jackets built for frigid winters and a baseball jersey that references his past as a pitcher.
Guth’s path to the runway began in western Wisconsin, where he spent his childhood drawing and playing hockey and baseball.
His pitching skills earned him a scholarship to play for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In 2012, the Philadelphia Phillies drafted him, launching a professional career that took him to cities across the country.
"I got my first professional win on Fourth of July weekend at Coney Island in New York," Guth said.
He formed close friendships with teammates from various countries, and one of them introduced him to his current wife.
Guth noted that professional athletes always have a place to stay while traveling the country.
When his arm began to fail, Guth left baseball and returned to Milwaukee for a second scholarship, this time to play hockey at MSOE.
He graduated in 2018 and returned to art, starting with prints and screenprinted T-shirts.
He said he felt he was repeating the same process and wanted more creative freedom with silhouettes and fits.
As a tall man, he often struggled to find clothing that fit properly, which drove him to design his own pieces for the first time five years ago from now in 2021, though the source states the desire began five years prior to the article date of 2026, making it 2021, but the text says 'five years ago' relative to the present. Let's stick to the text's timeline: the desire started five years ago. He learned the technical side of sewing through online tutorials he called YouTube University over a three-year period. He felt ready to present his first collection during Gallery Night MKE in 2024. That debut featured singular pieces, including a vintage wool hockey jersey with the fictional team Lakeshore H.C. in felt lettering and an aged bronze finish on the metal hardware. For his current collection, Guth shifted his focus to creating full outfits rather than single items. His second collection marked his first experience working with models and presenting on a runway. The designs retain the Great Lakes influence from his earlier work while remaining universal in style. Guth said the clothing is not just made for him, adding that the more a piece is worn, the more it breaks in and the more comfortable it becomes. He hopes to sell pieces at a pop-up event in the future.
