The Athletic has live coverage of Rockets vs. Thunder and Warriors vs. Lakers from 2025-26 NBA Season Tip-Off.

Kristin Juszczyk once re-created Britney Spears’ and Justin Timberlake’s all-denim look from the 2001 American Music Awards as a Halloween costume for herself and her husband, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. She now is crafting game day outfits for Taylor Swift and Simone Biles.

In 2024, Kristin was catapulted into mainstream popularity when Swift wore one of her custom puffer jackets to watch fiance Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs.

“It’s been such a ‘pinch me’ moment, but it’s definitely something that I’ve worked really hard at, and I’m really proud,” Juszczyk told The Athletic.

Now, with her sports apparel brand Off Season, Juszczyk is designing sporty fashions for NBA fans. Founded by Juszczyk (pronounced USE-chek) and entrepreneur/designer Emma Grede, Off Season was launched in January. The brand’s first-ever collaboration with the NBA debuts Tuesday, aligning with opening night of the regular season.

The NBA is Off Season’s third sports league collaboration, following the brand’s NFL collection in January and WNBA collection in August. The unisex outerwear capsule includes puffer coats in Juszczyk’s signature style, featuring the Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors, five of the most successful and recognizable franchises in league history.

“Our puffer jacket is kind of something that I have been known for,” Juszczyk said. “We wanted to start off with our signature puffer jacket, but we have so many amazing silhouettes and ready-to-wear stuff coming up for the NBA that we’re really excited about.”

Juszczyk’s design journey started when she wanted Halloween costumes she couldn’t find in stores. So, she taught herself to sew.

“It really was like a natural progression. I just am the type of person who says, ‘I’m just gonna figure it out,’ because I couldn’t buy it,” Juszczyk said. “I didn’t realize I’d love sewing, and it kind of was a natural progression from there. I started going on YouTube and teaching myself.

“It started (with) making myself a pair of sweatpants, then a top, a corset and a jacket. I just fell in love with sewing.”

Juszczyk found herself sewing while watching shows in bed as a way to “turn the world off.” Through trial and error — and there “was lots of error,” she acknowledged — Juszczyk said she developed her style of customization.

“I’m really proud of how far Off Season’s come in such a short amount of time. It feels like we’ve been around for a long time,” Juszczyk said. “We’re not even at the year mark yet, and I’m really proud of all the hard work that I’ve put into designing. The dream was always — and still is — to just dress the fans of the leagues and of the teams. To walk into a stadium and see people wearing Off Season is just a dream come true.”

Though she’s inspired by her personal style, Juszczyk finds inspiration in others’ styles, too, including other NFL wives and girlfriends.

“I was designing for myself (using) what I love wearing in my everyday life because I couldn’t find anything like that to wear to the game,” she said. “I started kind of mimicking silhouettes that I love and bringing that into sportswear. That’s when I really realized how many people were yearning for those types of silhouettes in the sports world. I go to all the games, and I’m always looking at what people are wearing — or maybe what people aren’t wearing — that I think there’s an opportunity for.

“Everyone has been so incredibly supportive. It’s like we’re our own little family; whether we’re on the same team or whether we’re on opposing teams, we can just relate to each other so well. I feel like we’re in this stage where there’s so much customization, especially for the significant others and players.”

The NBA opens the 2025-26 season Tuesday evening with the Houston Rockets visiting the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the latter of which might warrant an Off Season design soon. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder are aiming to repeat as champions, and Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, is recognized among peers as one of the league’s most fashionable players. Tuesday’s nightcap will feature the Warriors visiting the Lakers.

Though she has already designed for one of the biggest pop stars in the world, Juszczyk said there’s one NBA player in particular she hopes to work with.

“My husband’s from Ohio, and so we’re big LeBron (James) fans in this house, although we can root for the Warriors and for the Bay Area,” she said. “LeBron is one of those dream clients for me.”

With the initial success of Off Season’s first two collections, Juszczyk has her sights set on how to grow the brand that blossomed from her DIY fashions into a full-fledged sports apparel company.

“The jackets are just the beginning,” she said. “I have so many ideas outside of puffer jackets and puffer vests. I’m really excited for more to come in the design world for sports.”