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Kristin Juszczyk and Emma Grede chat new clothing line and WNBA piece<\/p>\n
USA TODAY Sports’ Cydney Henderson chats with Kristin Juszczyk and Emma Grede about their new clothing line which includes a WNBA-inspired piece.<\/p>\n
Sports Seriously<\/p>\n
Fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk<\/a> first noticed the limited options in women\u2019s sports apparel back in 2020 when she was looking for something to wear to cheer on her All-Pro fullback husband Kyle Juszczyk<\/a> and the San Francisco 49ers<\/a>.<\/p>\n When she couldn\u2019t find a game-day look that successfully merged fashion and fandom, Juszczyk took matters into her own hands and taught herself how to sew by watching YouTube. Little did Juszczyk know her upcycled creations, like the viral <\/a>Travis Kelce-themed puffer jacket<\/a> handmade for Taylor Swift<\/a>, would redefine sports merchandise and shine a light on a massive \u201cgap in the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Juszczyk launched the sports apparel company Off Season<\/a> alongside business partner Emma Grede in January, offering elevated merchandise that could become a staple on game day and beyond. After dropping an NFL ready-to-wear collection last month, it was only a matter of time before Juszczyk and Grede set their sights on the WNBA and women\u2019s sports.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re so excited to branch out to the WNBA, because women’s sports is just the ultimate movement,\u201d Juszczyk told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cKnowing how much my husband puts into his work every single day, I know how much these girls live, breathe and eat the sport. And to see the whole world give them the recognition that they deserve has just been so amazing \u2026 For us to have a little blip in the WNBA story is just such an honor.\u201d<\/p>\n Off Season\u2019s expansion into the WNBA has been a \u201cnatural evolution\u201d for the brand, according to Juszczyk, who\u2019s the \u201cbiggest fan\u201d of the league\u2019s culture and community. She has her good friend Claire Kittle, who played basketball at the University of Iowa, to thank for that. Kittle, 49ers tight end George Kittle<\/a>‘s wife, introduced Juszczyk to Hawkeye basketball. She became a Caitlin Clark<\/a> fan and the rest, as they say, is history.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the natural progression of \u2026 seeing Caitlin<\/a> go from NCAA to WNBA and seeing how much the league as a whole has just skyrocketed has been so fun to watch,\u201d Juszczyk said. \u201cWe knew that we wanted to bring (Off Season) to more female customers.\u201d<\/p>\n USA TODAY Sports caught up with Juszczyk and Grede on their WNBA Collection, the inspiration behind their favorite pieces and how the trailblazing partnership came to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n Introducing the WNBA Collection<\/p>\n Off Season\u2019s WNBA Collection will launch with apparel for four teams \u2013 the Golden State Valkyries, Indiana Fever, Las Vegas Aces and defending champion New York\u00a0Liberty \u2013 in addition to league merch. Juszczyk and Grede said they have plans to create merchandise for all 13 WNBA teams, but want to start by \u201ctaking baby steps\u201d as they continue to scale their start-up business. \u201cWe’ve just scratched the surface,\u201d said Grede, the CEO and co-founder of Good American and founding partner of Skims.<\/p>\n The line will feature Juszczyk\u2019s signature style of graphic prints, layered fabrics, distinct embroidery and different textures, plus an added sporty flair.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat’s so important for us is to have a standard to Off Season too, that no matter what league we’re at, people know right away that’s an Off Season piece,\u201d Juszczyk said. \u201cWe also wanted to bring the sporty element into it, like the oversized sleeves, the button up, the collars, the cargo shorts \u2026 while also having the authenticity of Off Season.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked who Juszczyk would like to see in Off Season\u2019s WNBA Collection, she responded without hesitation: “I would love to dress (Dallas Wings guard) Paige (Bueckers<\/a>). She’s just amazing. She’s so fun to watch … She also has amazing style. I love seeing what she comes out for game days.\u201d<\/p>\n WNBA hoodie inspired by Kobe Bryant<\/p>\n Juszczyk said her favorite piece in the collection is a WNBA logo hoodie inspired by Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant<\/a>, who was an advocate for women\u2019s sports<\/a> as the father of four daughters.\u00a0<\/p>\n “There was such an iconic moment where Kobe wore that orange WNBA sweatshirt,” Juszczyk said, referring to Bryant and his daughter Gianna attending a Lakers game in late December 2019, the duo\u2019s last public appearance before their death in January 2020. “We took that as a reference.\u201d<\/p>\n The unisex WNBA logo hoodie showcases the silhouette surrounded with a spray painted, graffiti border on the back. \u201cWe really had a lot of fun with the WNBA graphic to give it a little twist, but at the same time keep the authenticity of the WNBA logo,\u201d she said.\u00a0The front of the sweater features an additional WNBA logo in orange.<\/p>\n Off Season started with a DM<\/p>\n The partnership between Juszczyk and Grede started like many relationships do in this day and age \u2014 social media. Juszczyk slid into Grede\u2019s Instagram messages because \u201cI had these designs in front of me, but I’ve never built a business before in my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Grede has built her career on anticipating consumer needs and was instantly sold on the idea of forging a new lane in sports apparel.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is so much merch out there, but there’s nothing that I want to wear,\u201d Grede told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cWe’re designing for ourselves, we’re designing for our friends, for our community of followers. And I think there is just such a need for fashion forward stuff in this space. \u2026 I think that everybody just wants to represent their teams and to look good and to feel good. And what we’re doing feels so fresh.\u201d<\/p>\n Juszczyk will no longer make every piece by scratch \u2014 “which my fingers are very happy for,” she joked \u2014 but she said the quality won’t be compromised. “My goal for Off Season is that it will be that vintage piece in your closet,” Juszczyk said.<\/p>\n Kristin Juszczyk\u2019s game-day videos will continue<\/p>\n Juszczyk may have her hands full running her brand, but her signature game-day videos aren\u2019t going anywhere. Juszczyk said she’ll \u201cdefinitely\u201d continue sharing her looks across her social media channels, where she boasts nearly 1.5 million followers. Grede added Juszczyk\u2019s posts are \u201cimperative for our brand.”<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s almost like we get to test the market,\u201d Juszczyk said. \u201cWe put stuff out there and whatever has the most engagement or people are like, \u2018I want this.\u2019 Great, we’ll add it to the 2026 (collection). So it’s been really fun to just play around. And also for me, I get to add all the extra details I want.\u201d<\/p>\n When asked if we\u2019ll see a game-day look at Super Bowl LX \u2014 which will be hosted at the 49ers\u2019 Levi\u2019s Stadium, where Kyle Juszczyk is set to begin his 13th season in the league \u2014 Juszczyk laughed and said, \u201cFingers crossed … that’s the wish.\u201d<\/p>\n