San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk probably isn’t the only person in his San Jose home avidly prepping for his team’s Super Bowl battle against the Kansas City Chiefs.
His burgeoning fashion designer wife, Kristin Juszczyk, has to be pretty busy too, navigating the implications of a new NFL licensing deal while making something unique, stylish and 49ers-red to wear to the game, which falls on her 30th birthday.
As her engaging social media videos suggest, she may have already unleashed her scissors and sewing skills on one of her husband’s No. 44 jerseys to repurpose it into an eye-catching outfit that won’t just show her love for the 49ers, but confirm that she’s the team’s other breakout star this season — besides Brock Purdy.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 13: Taylor Swift celebrates with fans during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs between the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on January 13, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
The New York native, who met her NFL player husband 10 years ago, has become the talk of the fashion and sports worlds, ever since Taylor Swift strode into Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Jan. 13, wearing a red puffer jacket that Juszczyk made for her.
“Kristin is certainly on people’s radar. I’m sure there will be all eyes on what she’s wearing at the Super Bowl and if she’s designed anything for the other celebrities attending the game,” said Krista Corrigan, an analyst for Edited. “In a way, it almost feels like her Super Bowl as well — a Super Bowl for her business. It’s a very cool story.”
Some 200 million U.S. adults are expected to watch the Super Bowl at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium, and millions more are likely to catch up with Juszczyk on social media before, during and after the big game. She gained more than 450,000 new Instagram followers after Swift donned her puffer coat. Kyle Juszczyk told The Athletic that his wife had been inundated with interview requests from a range of outlets, including Vogue, which was thrilling for her, and ESPN, which pleased him.
Specific terms aren’t known, but Juszczyk’s new NFL licensing deal basically allows the rookie designer’s Designs by Kristin label to sell clothing that uses NFL branding, Forbes reported. It may remain a mystery until game day whether Juszczyk is in fact creating outfits for other high-profile attendees this time around. Swift is expected at the game but it seems unlikely she would wear one of Juszczyk’s outfits when she’s rooting for the opposing team.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 14: Actor Taylor Lautner reacts on the sideline prior to a game between the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs at Ford Field on January 14, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Still, Juszczyk’s personal story is appealing because she comes off as a regular person who started her business as a hobby, piecing together her creations on her dining room table, explained Catharine Weiss, a professor of fashion and media at Lasell University in Massachusetts..
As Juszczyk said on her website, she learned to sew as a child, but never considered turning this hobby into a career, until she had an ah-ha moment while making Halloween costumes for her and her husband.
“I got a feeling like I’ve never felt before,” she said. “A feeling like this is what I should have been doing my whole life,” she said.
Juszczyk began creating game-day outfits, cutting up her husband’s old T-shirts, No. 44 jerseys and other 49ers merchandise and fashioning these items into stylish garments that go beyond the usual T-shirts, jerseys, hoodies and jackets that are sold in stadium stores. On her Instagram this season, Juszczyk has modeled 49ers-themed corset and bustier tops; a sassy, red-and-black, pleated mini-skirt; a glamorous denim duster coat festooned with a 49ers logo; and a formal Christmas party gown, featuring a slender maxi skirt made from a red-plaid blanket and bedecked with NFL patches.
Juszczyk’s efforts to transform her homemade designs into a business got a boost in the fall when she began sharing them with NFL-affiliated celebrities, The Athletic said. In November, she sent a pair of white, Patrick Mahomes-themed pants to Brittany Mahomes, who isn’t just the wife of the Chiefs quarterback but Swift’s reported new BFF. Brittany Mahomes apparently passed along the puffer coat to Swift.
Before that, gymnast Simone Biles wore a green vest that Juszczyk refashioned from the jersey of Biles’ husband, Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens. On New Year’s Eve, 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel wore one of Juszczyk’s vests, decorated with Purdy’s No. 13, while marching through the tunnel ahead of his team’s winning game against the Washington Commanders. And the same weekend Swift wore Juszczyk’s puffer jacket, “Twilight” actor Taylor Lautner wore a custom Detroit Lions jacket that she gifted him for that team’s winning game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Juszczyk often debuts her designs with accompanying “behind-the-scenes” Instagram and TikTok videos. The videos show her getting out her scissors to slice into some NFL merch, followed by quick imagery of her working out a design on a sketch pad or pushing fabric through a sewing machine. The short videos usually end with her either with modeling the completed garment or a photo of it being worn by a celebrity recipient. Her video about making Swift’s puffer coat was captioned, “An honor of a lifetime!!!!!”
With Sportico reporting that the NFL has increasingly begun working with influencers in non-traditional categories to grow its fan base, Weiss said the league was smart to partner with Juszczyk.
“It’s a great move for the NFL, catching this wave,” she said. “Any time there’s a trend, you’ve got to catch it.”