As Kristin Juszczyk sat with her husband, 49ers quarterback Kyle Juszczyk, watching the Kansas City Chiefs game on Jan. 13 from their couch, she had one thing on her mind: Would the red puffer jacket she made for Taylor Swift fit?
“No one will believe this, but it’s true. I didn’t have anyone’s measurements,” the designer told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview about her partnership with FedEx.
Looking back on the moment (which she says single-handedly launched her career), Kristin, who became the NFL designer of the season, explains how the 14-time Grammy Award winner came up with the jacket in the first place.
She explains how, while working with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany, on a game-day jacket, she decided to fire her shot and make one for Swift, 34.
Kristin Juszczyk and Taylor Swift in red puffer jackets.
Kristin Juszczyk/Instagram; Ed Zurga/AP
“I asked Brittany, ‘Hey, I’d be honored to make something for Taylor. Could you pass it along? Like no pressure at all. I don’t expect her to wear it. It would just be an honor to give it to her.’ And she said, ‘Yeah, sure,'” says Kristin, who just landed an NFL licensing deal.
“So I Googled Taylor Swift’s height and I just figured it out,” she continues, giggling.
Kristin Juszczyk, who made Taylor Swift’s Viral Chiefs jacket, shows off her injured fingers from sewing ahead of the Super Bowl
Kristin adds that she only had a week to deliver the materials, make the design and send it back to Brittany. So working with FedEx helped ensure the jackets arrived on time.
A few days before the game, after sending the jackets, Kristin says she got confirmation from Brittany that she and Swift would be wearing them. However, she didn’t tell anyone that this was happening.
“I was so excited. But then again, I thought, who knows? Maybe she’ll get it and it wouldn’t fit her right. So I didn’t want to tell anyone but Kyle, but I did,” she adds.
When the day actually came, Kristin says she cleaned the entire house under stress waiting to see Swift.
“Seeing her in it at first was such a moment that she actually put it on, but to me it was like, ‘Oh my God, it fits her so well. I can’t believe it fits her.’
“I’m so thankful for her. I feel like she single-handedly catapulted my career. So I’m extremely thankful for her. And just the amount of support she gives to women and small businesses. I mean, how could you not love Taylor?” she says.
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Kristin Juszczyk wears a handmade red puffer jacket.
Kristin Juszczyk/Instagram
Designer Kristin Juszczyk lands NFL licensing deal after her custom Chiefs coat for Taylor Swift goes viral
Since then, Kristin says she’s been overwhelmed by the amount of love and support she’s received online. She is also excited to now have an NFL licensing deal, which gives her permission to use the NFL logo on her apparel, including men’s and women’s apparel.
“I’ve been in this for a couple of years and it’s always been my goal to be able to get an NFL licensing deal so I can dress the fans in my clothes,” she says. “I realized that it’s not enough to just dress myself.”
She adds, “So my goal this year was to create a unique design for myself for every single game and then try to dress someone else, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be able to dress whoever I wanted to dress myself.”
“But as honored as I am to be able to dress these celebrities and never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to do it, my real goal has always been to dress only the fans,” Kristin continues. “All I’ve ever wanted to do is walk into a stadium at one of Kyle’s games or any game and just see a fan wearing my design. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
And thanks to Fedex, she’s been able to keep her business booming and make sure all her custom looks get to celebrity and athlete fans on time.
“FedEx went above and beyond for me when I was shipping Taylor Lautner, his jacket,” she tells PEOPLE of the custom look she made for Lautner at the Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams game last month. “I feel like I owe my life to FedEx at this point. I make these jackets. I put so much time and energy into it. It’s so important to me to know they’re in good hands.”
Just this week, FedEx and Juszczyk surprised running back Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey with a special delivery of puffer vests to celebrate the Niners duo winning FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Year awards.
We can’t wait to see more of her designs as the 49ers face the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl this Sunday!
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education