This yr’s Tremendous Bowl was many issues to Kristin Juszczyk.
It was a crushing loss for her husband’s group, the San Francisco 49ers. Nevertheless it was additionally the end result of weeks of frenzied curiosity within the garments she made by hand and wore to N.F.L. video games. (The Tremendous Bowl occurred to happen on her thirtieth birthday, too.)
“This actually all began as a interest for me,” mentioned Ms. Juszczyk, whose interest — repurposing classic group gear into one-off items — ultimately made world headlines.
From early January to mid-February (or the N.F.L. playoff season, roughly), her Instagram following grew by a million folks. Taylor Swift and Simone Biles wore puffer jackets designed by Ms. Juszczyk whereas supporting their football-playing companions. (Her husband is Kyle Juszczyk, a 49ers fullback.) She signed a licensing cope with the N.F.L., which allowed her to make use of the league’s logos on her clothes.
Ms. Juszczyk has spent the following months determining how one can scale her enterprise in order that she’s not simply taking commissions from fellow WAGs and well-known followers — her “bread and butter,” she mentioned — but additionally making issues that any fan should purchase and put on.
She has additionally expanded into different sports activities; she designed a vest for the basketball participant Caitlin Clark, for instance. This weekend, the winner of the Indy 500 can be given one in all Ms. Juszczyk’s jackets. So will the Indy 500’s nationwide anthem singer, Jordin Sparks.
Ms. Juszczyk designed the Indy 500 jackets utilizing classic sweatshirts, T-shirts and checkered racing flags.
“After I consider Indy 500, I consider a really loud design,” mentioned Ms. Juszczyk, who isn’t capable of attend this yr’s race — one of many largest sporting occasions on the planet.
Right here, in an interview edited and condensed for readability, Ms. Juszczyk presents an replace on her design profession.
Speak to me about the way you see your self proper now as a small-business proprietor. How do you are feeling increasing into a unique sporting world?
My aim has at all times been to provide my designs to followers of all totally different occasions. I by no means needed to pigeonhole myself to simply the N.F.L., as a result of I feel there are followers in all sporting worlds and leagues and golf equipment which are searching for extra contemporary, fashion-forward designs.
I simply have my head down, attempting to get this enterprise off the bottom and get designs into followers’ fingers. That is the primary time I’m getting into a licensed world, and I’m studying new issues on daily basis.
What do you suppose it’s about your work that resonates with folks?
As a designer, in the event you’re not carrying your personal designs, then who’s carrying them? I’m a fan by and thru. I’m going to each one in all my husband’s video games, and I spotted about 5 years into his profession that I didn’t need to put on the identical 4 issues in rotation. I needed to push the needle and put on designs you couldn’t discover anyplace else.
When did you make your first jacket?
I began stitching solely about 5 years in the past. One Halloween, I needed us to be Justin and Britney from the AMAs — the total denim outfits. I couldn’t discover them on-line, so I purchased a bunch of previous denim pants and began reducing them up. I purchased a stitching machine and went on YouTube and discovered how one can use it. It got here naturally to me.
Later, I made a decision to make a pair of sweatpants to put on to one in all Kyle’s video games, and it snowballed from there. I stored difficult myself to learn to make shirts and skirts and blazers. This entire factor went loopy once I made the puffer vest and the puffer jackets — that’s what obtained the world’s consideration. However it began with a Halloween costume.
In your posts on-line, you make a degree of exhibiting the work that goes into these items.
I feel it’s cool for folks to see that I don’t have a flowery studio. I’m stitching on my Ping-Pong desk. That’s one more reason this resonates with folks: It’s very relatable. Folks do tasks at house on a regular basis.
How did you strategy designing this Indy 500 jacket?
I’m at all times attempting to broaden my ability set. I’ve by no means made a bomber design this fashion, however I needed it to really feel extra “racecar.” I sort of obtained right into a rut making puffers.
I threw in slightly Easter egg: There was a really well-known second in 1985, with Danny Sullivan, known as the “spin and win.” For those who have a look at the jacket, you’ll be able to see that the flag is spun.
I’m excited to see who the winner is. There’s a feminine racer this yr, Katherine Legge. We’re rooting for everybody, however it could be actually cool to see her win that jacket.
