How Brittany Mahomes’ unexpected jacket connection helped Kristin Juszczyk turn a memorable Chiefs moment into an NFL licensing deal(Getty Images)Kristin Juszczyk had spent years making custom sportswear before one message from Brittany Mahomes helped set up a moment she never expected. The designer had already made pieces for NFL stars and other athletes, but her Chiefs jacket reached a much bigger audience on Jan. 13, 2024. That night, Taylor Swift and Brittany wore Kristin’s custom designs during Kansas City’s playoff game against the Miami Dolphins.The connection started with Brittany, but the impact went much further. Swift wearing Kristin’s jacket created huge attention around her work, while the NFL soon gave the designer another major opportunity. Within weeks, Kristin had secured a licensing deal that allowed her to use official NFL logos on her designs.How Brittany Mahomes helped get Kristin Juszczyk’s jacket to Taylor SwiftKristin had already built a name for herself through handmade game-day clothing. Before the Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game, she made a custom Chiefs design for Brittany Mahomes and asked if Brittany could pass another jacket to Taylor Swift.Brittany agreed. Then came the message that Kristin did not expect.During a Feb. 8, 2024, interview, Kristin explained that Brittany contacted her the day before she planned to send the jacket. Brittany asked for a video of Taylor’s jacket, which immediately made Kristin wonder if Swift and Brittany might wear them together.“Brittany texted me and she said, 'Hey, can you send me a video of Taylor’s jacket?' And I was like, 'Wait, is there a possibility the guys both wearing this?' And she said, 'Yeah, we’re wearing it,'" Kristin Juszczyk recalled. "It was just such a pinch me moment. I mean, it just was incredible.”The answer became reality on Jan. 13. Swift and Brittany arrived at the Chiefs’ playoff game in matching red puffer jackets. Swift’s jacket carried Travis Kelce’s name and No. 87, while Brittany’s featured Patrick Mahomes’ No. 15.The images quickly spread across social media. Kristin’s husband, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, also stepped in to make sure people knew who designed the jackets. He replied to several posts on X and identified Kristin as the creator.That exposure gave Kristin a career boost she could immediately feel.“She’s single-handedly catapulted my career,” Kristin said about Swift during the Feb. 8 interview. “I’ve been at this for years. When I saw her walk out in that jacket, it just like, brought me to tears.”Kristin said there is another person who she feels she had a hand in her success."I lost my mom when I was 18," she said. "But so much of this just feels like divine. My mom, I just feel like has just made this fate for me." Why the viral Chiefs jacket helped lead Kristin to an NFL licensing dealThe Swift moment did not come out of nowhere. Kristin had spent years creating custom pieces, including designs worn by Simone Biles, Olivia Culpo and Taylor Lautner. Still, the Chiefs jackets put her work in front of an audience far beyond the NFL fashion circle.By Feb. 2024, Kristin had reached a licensing agreement with the NFL that allowed her to use official league logos on her designs. The deal gave her a chance to turn the attention around her custom jackets into officially licensed NFL fashion.Kristin also used the sudden spotlight to give back. In Feb. 2024, she created NFL team-neutral Super Bowl puffer vests for auction and said she planned to donate the proceeds to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.So, while Taylor Swift became the face of the viral fashion moment, Brittany Mahomes played an important role in getting the jacket to her in the first place. One message from Brittany helped bring Kristin’s work to Swift, and that January night helped turn years of sewing and designing into a much bigger NFL business opportunity.