San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey receive Super Bowl ... [+]
San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk invited teammates Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey to join him at a meeting in a hotel room overlooking Las Vegas in the days leading up to Super Bowl LVIII. When the pair entered the room, the quarterback-running back duo were greeted with a surprise: a packaged delivery to celebrate their being awarded the 2023 FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year. Inside the box were items custom-crafted by Kristin Juszczyk, a rising name in sports-focused fashion.
The items that Juszczyk designed for the occasion were Super Bowl LVIII-inspired puffer vests featuring the number “58” across the chest. The vests also include a Super Bowl logo patch, along with embroidered lettering on the front recognizes the date and location of championship game and the annual FedEx awards. They are among the latest designs created by Juszcyk, whose business is currently booming.
“Women—and men, too—want fashion-forward clothing that allows them to be able to support their favorite teams,” she said in a recent conversation. “I had this lightbulb moment when I was at one of the colder games. I’m seeing a lot of men walk around and they’re wearing their jersey, but they had these huge winter coats over it. And I’m thinking, ‘Why have we never made a jersey jacket, so that people can wear and support their favorite players and also look good while doing it?’ It’s just snowballed from there.”
The upcycling idea struck Juszczyk while attending that game. But she had initially observed that gap in the market several years ago. It led her to begin working on clothing designs and establish a brand, Origin. Three years ago, she turned her focus toward creating custom NFL designs.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 20: Kristin Juszczyk, fashion designer and wife of Kyle Juszczyk ... [+]
At times when she became discouraged by not yet accomplishing the level of success that she was aiming for, a close friend advised that it could take one hundred “no”s to get to one “yes.” So, Juszczyk kept count, figuring that each one was bringing her one step closer to what she was hoping to achieve. “And, then, this past year, I got my ‘yes.’”
Actually, she ended up with more than one “yes”—and each one bigger than the next.
During the 2023 NFL season, Juszczyk began sending some of her designs to Brittany Mahomes, the fitness entrepreneur and wife of Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes. She also sent wears to Olivia Culpo, the model-influencer and fiancée of 49ers running back McCaffrey. Simone Biles, the Olympic gymnastics legend, was also on the receiving end of the designs. When they appeared in front of millions of followers on television broadcasts and social media posts dressed in the designs, the public took notice.
Hollywood actor Taylor Lautner did, too. He ordered a custom jacket to wear while cheering on the Detroit Lions from the sideline at Ford Field during the team’s run in the NFL Playoffs. Juszczyk finished working on it and sent it overnight via FedEx. But inclement weather and transportation issues delayed its arrival in advance of the Lions home game versus the Los Angeles Rams. Still, FedEx ensured that the package arrived on schedule, with a driver hand-delivering it to the stadium. Social media pickups of images of Lautner wearing the jacket and the story of its delivery boosted public awareness of Juszczyk’s designs.
But Juszczyk’s own Instagram, TikTok, and other social media following, along with wider public attention, went to new heights with what happened next.
Juszczyk picked up on the pop culture explosion over music icon Taylor Swift attending Chiefs games to cheer on tight end Travis Kelce. So, the designer took it upon herself to create a custom-made coat for Swift. She then asked Mahomes for a favor in helping get the item to her gameday VIP suite-mate Swift. Days later, Mahomes and Swift were wearing the Juszczyk-designed jackets at the Chiefs matchup versus the Miami Dolphins.
An audience that averaged 23 million viewers watched the livestream broadcast of the game. Between that and both the NFL’s and Swift’s followings across traditional and social media networks alone, hundreds of millions of people were viewing images and videos of the pair wearing the jackets.
Juszczyk appreciates the celebrity attention, viral images and videos, and social media influencer attraction around her work. She is enjoying it to an extent—and that it is also happening in a moment coinciding with her spouse’s work as a member of the 49ers receiving its share of the limelight. But while “dressing these celebrities is incredible and I’m so fortunate and blessed to be able to do that, it was never my main goal. My main goal is to see everyday fans wearing my designs,” she said.
In the days following the mid-January game when Mahomes and Swift wore the coats, Juszczyk signed a licensing deal with the NFL that permits her to use official NFL logos in her designs. The Super Bowl “58” vests that she created for the FedEx Air and Ground Players of the Year are her first officially licensed NFL design. She is also planning to partner more with FedEx in ways that use the multinational package shipping and business services company’s resources to transport finished pieces to their customers. Meanwhile, Juszczyk is auctioning a version of the vests for charity, with all proceeds from the auction benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation—a tribute to her mother, who championed Juszczyk’s interests from early on but died from the disease more than ten years ago.
Juszczyk’s designs have more going for them than simply converting a jersey into a coat and gaining “eyeballs,” impressions, and social media mentions. It’s why, for example, Swift wearing Juszczyk’s designs mattered beyond surface appearances. They draw on elements of fan culture, especially community connection and sense of belonging.
Beyond the outsized attention at the moment, Juszczyk remains focused on that goal. Her partnerships, including with the NFL and FedEx, are driven in that direction. The high-visibility connections to A-list organizations, outlets, and names are providing a platform to work toward making that happen in the long-run.
