Tyler Oelrich, a 22-year-old artist and entrepreneur, is the designer behind a recent merchandise collaboration between a vintage store and both the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club.
Oelrich launched an upcycled clothing brand in 2020, transforming used clothes into new creations.
A few months ago, he joined the team at Thrifthood, a vintage store in Provo that has previously partnered with the Utah Jazz to create merchandise.
Oelrich’s boss had been coordinating a possible upcoming collaboration with the Jazz and Utah Hockey Club’s merchandise company, he said. They finalized a deal only after Oelrich joined the team.
“My boss, Albee, had been talking to them for a while about doing something,” Oelrich said. “So when I was brought on, he was like, ‘It’s the perfect time. We have an artist.’”
He created the designs using nothing more than a colored pencil to bring his vision to life, Oelrich said.
“We wanted to bring that vintage look to a new drab with a brand-new hockey team,” he said.
Thrifthood released the vintage merchandise at the end of January. Fans and players loved the designs, Oelrich said. Even a fan of the opposing team bought a hoodie.
“He was like, ‘I had to, I had to. I might be a Utah fan now,’ — but he totally was not,” Oelrich said.
The merchandise sold well. Oelrich believes Thrifthood made a lasting impact on the Utah sports fanbase.
“We were able to do something really cool and very different, which is what we set out to do at the beginning,” he said.
Oelrich looks forward to the day he can share this surreal experience with his children.
“I just want my kids to be able to brag about how cool their dad is,” he said.