When the top basketball players from the Boston Public Schools hit the court Saturday for the Boston City League All-Star games, they’ll be wearing custom uniforms created by Mathmatik Athletics.
One team will wear navy blue jerseys and shorts with red and white trim, and the other will wear red uniforms with blue and white trim. White stars adorn the sides of both teams’ shorts. It’s a classic design, with a retro look.
Peter “Peda’’ Edouard, 29, the founder and CEO of Mathmatik Athletics, a sports apparel company based in Dorchester, said the design was inspired by the 2003 NBA all star uniform and the 1984 University of North Carolina uniform that Michael Jordan wore back when he was a Tar Heel.
“I’m clearly a Jordan fan,’’ he said.
Edouard started his company in 2014, but his interest in design goes way back. He was coming up with sneaker designs when he was 13 years old, and sketching designs of throwback jerseys when he was 14.
“I grew up playing basketball and football . . . and I’ve always been a designer and artist,’’ he said.
Indeed, Edouard has been a lifelong student of athletic aesthetics. After graduating from Charlestown High in 2005, he went on to work for several years as a security guard for New Balance.
“I was exposed to a sportswear company with a flashlight,’’ he recalls. Every overnight shift that he worked at New Balance, he took it all in.
After launching Mathmatik Athletics, he reached out to local high schools and sent them samples of his jersey designs. His first assignment was outfitting the basketball team at Brighton High School. Since then, Edouard has created basketball uniforms for Charlestown High, Jeremiah E. Burke High School, and New Mission High School in Hyde Park. His company also made varsity jackets and soccer uniforms for Randolph High School and custom sweatshirts for a graduating class from the University of Pennsylvania. And with the help of his cousin Phil Jean, he began working with Nauset Regional High School and Eastern High in Washington, D.C.
Designing sports uniforms can be a tricky thing. There’s a lot to consider: color combinations, the type of font used, the logo, how the team’s name is displayed, and other design elements (stars? stripes? spacing?) all contribute to the overall look.
Edouard knows what he likes (the Chicago Bulls away and classic pinstripe alternate uniforms are two prime examples) and what he doesn’t (“the Denver Nuggets has the most hideous uniform,’’ he says, “the color . . . is just horrible’’).
In January, Edouard got in touch with Scholar Athletes, the nonprofit organization that helps organize the Boston City League All-Star games. He asked if they needed new uniforms and offered his services.
Terrell Maddox, the senior athletic program manager for Scholar Athletes, was pleased with the end result.
“He worked his magic,’’ said Maddox. “He definitely has a good eye for designing uniforms.’’
Cory McCarthy, the head coach of the boys’ basketball team at New Mission High School, said his players are happy with their new gear.
“He’s provided me with high-quality customized uniforms,’’ said McCarthy, who’s also the director of operations and the athletic director for the school. “His designs are fresh, and I think he has a level of professionalism that will really take him places.’’
“I wish I was a kid again to get these custom-made uniforms,’’ said McCarthy.
Six players from the New Mission’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams will also be donning all-star uniforms this Saturday, said McCarthy.
Edouard hopes to expand Mathmatik Athletics to more schools. He also understands that the industry is a competitive one.
“We can’t compete with Nike and Adidas,’’ he said. “What sets us apart is that we don’t just focus on uniforms.’’
Edouard said he strives to create a unique experience for each team by organizing “media days’’ and photo shoots with student-athletes. When Mathmatik works with an organization to create its brand and design custom uniforms, he keeps the fans in mind, too. Case in point: For Saturday’s all-star game at Northeastern, he made bracelets for the fans.
After all, Edouard says, the ultimate goal is to provide the players, coaches, and fans “a platform to express themselves and feel happy about being a part of a team.’’
The Dr. Joseph D. Warren Memorial Basketball All-Star Classic games will take place Saturday at Northeastern University. The girls’ game will tip off at noon and the boys’ game at 2 p.m.
Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.
