Words by Christal Jordan (Editor at Large)
McDonald Ferguson affectionately known as Ferg, is a trailblazer connecting the world of high-performance athletic wear with today’s billion-dollar fashion industry. The former pro football player launched FERGO Sports with nothing but a dream and passion for creating excellence in sports performance wear in 1993.
McDonald credits humble beginnings in Free Grand, Bahamas with sparking his entrepreneurial mindset and planting the seeds for his love of fashion. A seamstress by trade, his mother taught him from an early age that looking good was essential to playing good, and that mantra became his personal belief system. “We see franchise players like Deion Sanders preaching this same belief system that looking good equates to playing good, and that’s the foundation FERGO Sports was built upon.”
After a freak accident ended his professional football career prematurely, McDonald returned to his roots. Pulling from a childhood memory, McDonald decided to attempt to create football jerseys that would be stylish yet high performance. A former star player, he was all too familiar with the shortcomings of athletic wear and set out to create something different. He approached his high school coach and asked for an opportunity to create the team’s jerseys. It took some convincing, but the coach agreed and FERGO Sports was birthed. That first season was riddled with lessons but never one to run from adversity, McDonald applied every bit of his passion for sports into his fashion business. He studied the retail business and looked for ways to separate his brand from the competition.
McDonald defines FERGO Sports as a brand created for athletes by athletes, with garments that are fashion forward while allowing for top performance on both the field and the court. Aiming to compete and conquer household names like Nike, Under Armour, Puma etc. McDonald’s vision is for the brand to be represented in every household, field and court across the country. His nickname provided the perfect acronym for the company, FERGO, a brand For Every Race and Generation Organization. ”The global apparel industry market size was projected to reach 1.7 trillion in 2022,” McDonald shares. “FERGO Sports is a global company that services all races, cultural backgrounds and even generations. Sports is a unified global community, and our goal is to one day be able to accommodate the entire scope of this community.”
The flagship product, the FERGO Sports authentic jersey dress was recently granted continuing licensure with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC) for use with over 110 colleges and universities. McDonald decided to go with the athleisure style dress featuring each school’s official logo, mascot and name as its premiere piece because he felt it was important to celebrate women’s contribution to sports. “We wanted to offer an opportunity for women to be fashionable and yet authentically support their favorite sports teams,” McDonald explained. “You don’t see many pieces celebrate femininity in athleisure wear, so this was the perfect collaboration to launch.”
FERGO Sports has received licensing for several additional products; including yoga mats and workout gear. As the brand enters its 21st year the collective goal is to expand into official uniforms and performance wear for both collegiate and professional athletes. The mission remains to create performance apparel and equipment with sleek, modern design that is not only fully functional, but also fashionable, comfortable, and fully sustainable. The company is forecasted to be a multimillion-dollar venture over the next two years.
As the visionary behind the brand, McDonald wants employees, mentees, and anyone the brand touches to grasp the message behind his testimony. “You are the one that determines your future. Don’t let others define it.” Aside from hard-work and following one’s passion, McDonald says the secret to success is as simple as dreaming without limitations. “Never stop dreaming, because when you stop dreaming, you stop living,” he shares.
