From her talent with a sewing machine to her passion for refashioning, Kristin Juszczyk has captured the internet’s attention with her NFL merchandise clothing line becoming a pop culture staple of the 2024 Super Bowl that is unlike any other. Small businesses often call for long hours and tireless competition with household names. However, “Designs by Kristin” is a testament to the success stories that can come from immense effort and the proper strategic networking.

Growing up in New York, Kristin spent many nights beside her grandmother crocheting while watching Wheel of Fortune. Through these cherished memories, her childhood talent remained frozen in time as a bonding experience with her grandmother. Flash forward two decades, while designing Halloween costumes for her husband and herself, Kristin felt her passion for sewing reignite and knew that this was the career path she wanted to pursue.

Kristin’s introduction to the NFL came through her now husband, Kyle Juszczyk. Their love story began in Maryland, where she was attending college and he was playing for the Baltimore Ravens. Kristin soon obtained WAG status and found herself immersed in the world of football as she gave her unwavering support to Kyle as he devoted grueling hours to his professional football career. Today, the pair reside in the Bay Area, with Kyle serving as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers.

With endless football games on her calendar and a fresh passion for sewing, Kristin got to work. She began to flip old jerseys and t-shirts into unique looks that made her undeniably stand out amongst the thousands in the stands. Kristin broke down fashion barriers by transforming a football into a fully functioning corset. Her creativity knows no bounds as she matches this innovative quality with a mind for business strategy. Since adopting the “you miss 100% of the shots you never take” mindset, Kristin has created custom designs for several celebrities. Her customers include well-known names such as Simone Biles, Taylor Lautner, Olivia Culpo, Brittany Mahomes, of course, her husband, and the focal point of the 2024 Super Bowl: the world-dominating pop star, Taylor Swift.

In preparation for the freezing Missouri game, the wife of Chiefs Quarterback Brittany Mahomes collaborated with Kristin on a custom puffer jacket. The designer then took a leap of faith in offering a similar design to Swift. To Kristin’s utter shock, the singer sported the handmade puffer jacket, which reflected Travis Kelce’s jersey. This spurred the couple-obsessed public into a justified frenzy over the design and confidence in which Swift wore it. In typical fashion, Twitter users obsessed, reposted and raved about the jacket design. To the internet's ceremonious ‘aw,’ Kristin’s support for Kyle’s career ventures was overtly reciprocated as Kyle loudly and proudly responded to these tweets. He set out to ensure that the media knew full and well that his wife was the brilliant mastermind behind this NFL fashion revolution.

While this story could be closed with a ‘happily ever after’ sentiment, this is just the beginning for Kristin Juszczyk’s reworked merchandise designs: The buzz surrounding her homemade works secured her a legitimate licensing deal with the NFL. From childhood curiosity with a needle and thread to becoming self-taught through YouTube to utilizing the connections surrounding her WAG lifestyle, Kristin Juzyck built her small business from the ground up. The fashion industry is anticipating the impact she is assured of making with the lane of style she has paved.

Written by Logan Hansen, Design: Megan Rush, Social Media: Bella Hanson

From the Sewing Machine to the Big Leagues