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Kristin Juszczyk is in a league of her own creating NFL merchandise women actually wear
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- Kristin Juszczyk is in a league of her own creating NFL merchandise women actually wear
After the San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to Super Bowl 58 , Kristin Juszczyk, the wife of All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk , rolled up the sleeves of the custom puffer coat she created for herself to reveal, "Super Bowl Bound."
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"Always have something up my sleeve!" Kristin Juszczyk wrote on Instagram.
What started as a passion project has evolved into a business venture that has helped forge a lane in women's merchandise, which has long been dominated by the old-fashioned "shrink-it and pink-it" marketing method.
"(Kristin) just didn't really like the options that were out there for women's apparel on game day," Kyle Juszczyk said on Wednesday. "She quite literally took it into her own hands and said, 'I think I could make something better.'"
Kristin Juszczyk wears a custom-made jacket to show her support for her husband San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk before the NFC championship game against the Detroit Lions.
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Kristin Juszczyk's designs went viral after Taylor Swift donned a custom, Travis Kelce-themed puffer jacket to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs tight end in a playoff matchup last month. She parlayed the exposure (thanks Swifties) into a licensing deal with the NFL , allowing her to use team logos on her future designs.
"(Swift) singlehandedly catapulted my career," Kristin Juszczyk told Today.
Kyle Juszczyk, however, jokingly added , "We're big supporters of Taylor, but not this week," referring to the 49ers' Super Bowl 58 matchup against the Chiefs in Las Vegas on Sunday, Kristin Juszczyk's 30th birthday.
Kristin Juszczyk is in a league of her own
Kristin Juszczyk has not only created custom gear for Swift, she also has designed for Brittany Mahomes , the wife of Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes , Olympic gymnast Simone Biles , wife of Green Bay Packers safety Jonathan Owens , Olivia Culpo, fiancée of 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey , Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson, actor Taylor Lautner and 49ers receiver Deebo Samuel , who wore a custom "MVP" puffer vest in honor of 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.
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But before she was making custom creations for some of the biggest names on the planet, Kryzczyk first made clothes for herself. She had no formal training, but taught herself how to sew on YouTube. Her passion for creating started after she noticed a shortage in stylish team merchandise that appealed to women.
"I was sick of wearing the same old t-shirt and jersey to every game," she told GQ. "But I couldn't find what I was looking for, clothing-wise. So I said, 'I'm going to create it on my own.'"
Kristin Juszczyk's signature designs include upcycled NFL jerseys that she transforms into puffer vests, puffer jackets (like Swifts) and even corsets. "I've probably gone through like 30 of Kyle's jerseys this year," she said.
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Her designs have started dominating headlines, but Kristin Juszczyk's licensing deal with the NFL has been in the works for several years, she said. She released her first officially licensed piece this week – a Super Bowl 58-themed puffer vest that she's auctioning off to raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation. As of Saturday afternoon, the current bid is up to $52,500.
What's Kyle Juszczyk wearing to Super Bowl 58?
Kyle Juszczyk doesn't mind sharing the spotlight with his wife, who he married in 2019. In fact, he said "she's better built for the spotlight."
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"I've been so proud," he told NFL Network . "For her, she's obviously so excited. She's been very stressed. She's had a lot to do. But it's all good stuff. And so happy that so many different people have reached out to her. So many different companies. So many different celebrities. Everyone has been trying to get their hands on her, and it's been so cool to see her get that recognition for something that she's truly talented at."
The Juszczyks have another ace up their sleeve for Super Bowl 58, but neither Kristin nor Kyle Juszczyk are tipping their hand when it comes to their game-day attire in Las Vegas on Sunday.
"There may be something made by Kristin Juszczyk worn by Kyle Juszczyk at the Super Bowl," Kyle Juszczyk said .
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Kristin Juszczyk added : "Kyle will be wearing something for the Super Bowl. This will be the first time he's worn one of my creations. We've had this idea for him for a long time, and we've been wanting to save it for a big moment. We can't think of a bigger moment than this Sunday."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kristin Juszczyk creates NFL merchandise for women with licensing deal
