Kristin Juszczyk teams up with Emma Grede to launch apparel brand

Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who went viral by reworking NFL-branded fan gear into game-day fashion, has partnered with British businesswoman Emma Grede, co-founder and CEO of Good American and founding partner of Skims, to launch a luxury fashion brand to offer a new era of fan apparel.

Off Season will launch today, January 7, and has been designed to offer elevated team apparel, intersecting football, sports and fashion by “merging the energy of game day with unparalleled quality and design” centred around Juszczyk’s signature spliced custom style.

The brand’s first collection is in partnership with Fanatics, the leading designer, manufacturer, and seller of licensed fan gear, and the NFL, and will feature officially licensed signature puffer vests, jackets and long coats for five NFL teams - the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills.

As well as team puffers, Off Season has also been granted the official use of NFL players’ names and numbers through a license with the NFL Players Association and will develop products highlighting numerous NFL stars, such as her own husband and teammates George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey, as well as Chiefs players Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jared Goff.

The unisex outerwear collection has been crafted to suit all genders and will be available in sizes XS to XXXL. Prices are tiered and start at 295 US dollars for vests, 375 US dollars for jackets and 495 US dollars for long coats.

Off Season partners with NFL and Fanatics to launch elevated apparel for fans

Commenting on the launch, Juszczyk said in a statement: “Off Season was born out of my passion for high design and the desire to elevate NFL fan apparel into something truly unique. “For years, I’ve been reimagining what team pride can look like, but seeing the incredible response from other players’ wives, celebrity fans and everyday supporters showed me this could be something bigger.”

Juszczyk is a self-taught designer who has honed her craft through YouTube tutorials and experimentation and has become known for her high-fashion game day ensembles, such as transforming NFL-branded jerseys and T-shirts into corsets and bomber jackets emblazoned with her husband’s 44 number. Her DIY fashion has also been worn by celebrities, including Taylor Swift, who wore a custom red puffer jacket emblazoned with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s number, 87 last year, and Gwen Stefani and Simone Biles.

On her social media, Juszczyk said she knew she wanted a partner to realise her fashion vision and reached out to Emma Grede, a serial entrepreneur behind denim brand Good American with Khloé Kardashian and shapewear and clothing brand Skims with Kim Kardashian, as well as being chairwoman of the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a non-profit organisation that encourages retailers to dedicate at least 15 percent of their shelf-space to Black-owned businesses.

Grede, co-founder of Off Season, said: "With Off Season, we’re offering fans a unique opportunity to merge fashion and fandom seamlessly. Off Season represents a new vision for sports-inspired style, we know fans want to wear and support their teams outside game day and ‘Off Season’ promises a collection for exactly that.

“Partnering with Kristin and the NFL and Fanatics to bring Off Season to life has been an incredible journey. This debut collection is just the beginning, and we’re thrilled to share our vision for redefining fan apparel with the world. We can’t wait to reveal what’s next as we continue to expand and innovate this category.”

Xaimara Coss, director of licensing at the NFL, added: “Fashion has increasingly become an integral part of gameday culture, allowing us to collaborate with a roster of brands to deliver stylish and distinctive apparel to fans.

“Off Season marks a significant evolution in our licensed merchandise, transforming one individual’s fandom-inspired designs into one of the NFL’s most sought-after collaborations.”

Off Season's debut collection will be available directly from its own website OffSeasonBrand.com, as well as at NFLShop.com and Fanatics.com.