College grads who have absolutely no idea what to do with their lives seem to only have four options: join corporate America, get their master’s to put off joining corporate America, take up running as a hobby, or travel around the world. Kristin Juszcyzk went for option number five: design kickass, custom NFL merch for women, WAGs, and world-record-shattering Olympians like Simone Biles.
In December 2023, Biles rocked a custom puffer jacket with her husband’s (former Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens) number on it, handmade and shipped by Juszcyzk herself. It’s still a pinch-me moment for the fashion designer. “I’m pretty sure Simone was the first person to ever wear any of my designs. I DM’ed her and was like, ‘Please, let me make you something!’” Juszczyk says in an exclusive interview with Brit + Co. “She is so incredible and so sweet, and she was so great in the process. She trusted me with a ton of creative freedom.”
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
Like her husband, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Kristin crushed the 2023 football season. Niners fans have been familiar with her style game for years, but when Taylor Swift sported a custom 87 jacket to Travis Kelce’s game on Jan. 13, Juszczyk’s fashion career skyrocketed into a brand new era.
Juszcyzk’s lifelong love of fashion first manifested itself in 2018. The budding designer founded an online clothing boutique called Origin, which sold everything from knitted sets to hoop earrings to studded jeans. (If 2018 were a brand, it’d be Origin.) “That was where I got my feet wet. I really enjoyed every second of it, but it got to a point where I felt like I lacked the ability to be creative,” Juszczyk reflects. The brand’s Instagram account and website went quiet in late 2021.
But just because Origin shut down doesn’t mean that Juszcyzk’s drive to design did. As she searched for her next venture, she started DIY-ing her own NFL merch to wear to her husband’s games. We’re not talking about screen-printed tees here. Juszcyzk’s rocked up to Levi’s Stadium in custom leather jackets, a jersey reworked into a cropped corset, and a red-hot blazer/skirt combo. Her unique designs caught Biles’s and Swift’s attention, as well as that of Brittany Mahomes, Taylor Lautner, and Olivia Culpo, just to name a few of Juszcyzk’s celebrity clients.
Every piece Juszcyzk designs is completely personalized to its owner. “I always take a look at the person’s Instagram and what they like to wear. I want to make sure I follow their vibe so that they feel confident in my design,” she reveals.
She also considers the weather the piece will be worn in — a lesson she learned the hard way. “When I made that puffer vest for Simone, I didn’t even put two and two together that it was gonna be 30 degrees and snowing. I should have put sleeves on it! I’m still learning,” she says. (Not that Simone minded. On the day of Super Bowl LVIII, the gold medalist tweeted, “I want the 49ers to win just because it’s Kristin Juszczyk’s birthday.”)
Juszcyzk is now an official licensee of the NFL, which means that she’s one step closer to working with her dream clients: the fans. She says, “One-off pieces are obviously not accessible to people, and making them is very time-consuming and labor-intensive. I want my designs to be more accessible to everybody, you know? There’s a huge demand for fresh designs, especially for girls, and I want the fans to have them.”
Before football starts back up in September, Kristin and Kyle have been making the most of the off-season at home with their adorable Samoyeds, Mozzarella and Pierogi. In between competing for Purina treats, Mozzie and Rogi are keeping their mom company as she gathers inspiration for her Fall ‘24 designs. She shares, “I’m so excited to show people some new silhouettes and also to push my boundaries and come up with something new every week.”
As for whether we’re going to see another Simone Biles and KJD collab soon? “Her husband’s on a different team now, so I’ll have to make her something new!” Juszczyk says.
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Header image via Designs by Kristin
