Kristin Juszczyk Launches Her Own Brand with Emma Grede, Nearly a Year After Going Viral for Her DIY Puffer Jacket (Exclusive)

When Kristin Juszczyk met Emma Grede for the first time, she brought a suitcase filled with every single one of her products. Of course, that suitcase included game-day puffers, which have been spotted on everyone from Taylor Swift to Brittany Mahomes to Simone Biles. She also brought along outfits she’d designed for herself, ranging from halter tops to jean shorts.

The wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk had never pitched anything in her life, but there she was, meeting with Grede, 42 — a British businesswoman, entrepreneur, fashion designer, co-founder of the denim company Good American, and founding partner of Skims — ready to pitch her idea: starting her own clothing brand.

"I tried to bring as much as I could to show her," Juszczyk, 30, tells PEOPLE exclusively. "This is something I really believe in. I said, 'Let me know what tech packs you need, let me know what I think the marketing could be, and let me show you where I can expand this.'"

Related: Kristin Juszczyk Scored with Her Custom Jackets. Now She's Creating Pieces for Football Fans (Exclusive)

Leading up to their in-person meeting, Juszczyk — whose jackets first went viral after Taylor Swift wore one at a Kansas City Chiefs game last year — did everything she could to get in touch with Grede. She DMed her, called everyone she trusted, and reached out to anyone who might have a contact with her — an assistant, anyone. Finally, she managed to get on the phone.

"The two of us were supposed to have a 15-minute call, but we ended up talking for 45 minutes," Juszczyk recalls. "Truthfully, when we first spoke, I just wanted to pick her brain and get her advice. Of course, having her as a business partner was a dream, but I didn’t even think it was truly possible. So it was just amazing to be on the phone with her, hearing her advice, and asking, 'How would you handle this? What would you do?'"

For Grede, collaborating with Juszczyk was a "no-brainer."

"It's like, why would I not support Kristin? It makes total sense with everything I stand for," Grede tells PEOPLE, looking over at Juszczyk, giving her a wink, adding that the young designer is "truly talented and has that much intensity, tenacity, and sheer talent — and she's doing something that feels really differentiated."

Related: Designer Kristin Juszczyk Guessed Taylor Swift's Measurements for Her Viral Jacket: 'I Googled Her Height' (Exclusive)

After months of persistence, Juszczyk and Grede became official partners, teaming up to launch what would eventually become Off Season — a sports apparel brand designed for fans who want both quality and style.

For their initial drop, the duo chose to launch unisex puffers for five NFL teams: the San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills — which Juszczyk says have become her "bread and butter."

Right off the bat, the launch exceeded their expectations, with several designs selling out in minutes.

"Kyle has always said the locker room and sports are a melting pot that brings people together, and I think the fashion side of things is doing the same," Juszczyk says. "It's so fun when I'm at away games and, instead of booing me, the opposing fans come up and say, 'I love your clothes.' It’s such a cool feeling, even though it’s kind of annoying! But it’s really special to be able to bring fans together, not just from different teams, but from different states, all over the place."

"It’s a testament to what Kristin has built with this community that she can attract that type of audience in just one day," Grede continues. "Building a brand takes years. Building authenticity takes years. For people to want to come and choose to spend hundreds of dollars with you — that’s a big deal. And it’s not something we take lightly."

Looking toward the future, the two women are excited to expand into a variety of new silhouettes. "We’re thinking about corsets for the girls, fun little tops, and also cool silhouettes for the guys," Juszczyk says. "We have so many products in development, whether for women or men."

"There are 32 teams, so we’ve got so much opportunity just to continue working with these incredible partners who are so excited for what we’re doing," Grede says. "Like Kristin says, the sky's the limit. But you’ve got to start slow and test the waters."

As for the name Off Season, Juszczyk says they spent a lot of time picking it. Grede remembers the back-and-forth text chain as being a bit chaotic.

"I used to just have maps of circles and lines and scribbles," Juszczyk says, laughing. "We wanted a name that reflected the idea that this brand isn’t just meant for game days. It’s not just for football season, from September to February. We wanted a brand that’s for 365 days of the year. And honestly, champions are built in the off-season. The off-season is just as important as the actual season."

"What’s so amazing about sportswear is the pride you have in your team," she adds. "You don’t just wear your team’s gear when they’re playing; you wear it in the off-season too. You have pride in your team even when players aren’t on the field anymore. It’s a culture, a way of life."

Looking back on the past year, Juszczyk says she never could have imagined where she’d be today — and she hopes this is just the beginning.

Her inspiration and passion she says only continue to grow, fueled by the sweet messages she receives from fans on social media (to which she personally responds) and the motivational neon signs that fill her home.

"People are always so funny when they walk into my house," she laughs. "They say, 'Your house is just yelling at me all the time.' I love that. There’s this one neon sign that says, 'Make it happen.' Every day, I turn it on. And then I have another sign that says, 'Everything seems impossible until it’s done.' That one always resonates with me. You can dream of things, but once they’re done, you realize it was doable. You can do it."

Read the original article on People