Kristin Juszczyk Shares Story Behind Kobe Bryant Tribute Pants She Designed for Natalia Bryant

Kobe Bryant's family got a heartwarming assist from Kristin Juszczyk.

The designer—who made headlines in early 2024 after creating a Chiefs jersey for Taylor Swift—recently worked on custom pieces for the late basketball star's loved ones, including Kobe-inspired pants for his and Vannesa Bryant's eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant. In fact, the 21-year-old wore the pants, featuring the Lakers legend's 8 and 24 jersey numbers, to the Mamba League Invitational in late August.

"It meant the world to me to be able to design something for her to honor not only her dad, but her sister as well," Kristin told E! News, referencing Gianna Bryant, who passed away alongside her dad in a January 2020 helicopter crash. "I lost my mom when I was 18, and there's nothing better than when I put on a piece of her clothing, it just kind of feels like a hug."

"So that's what I wanted to create for her," she continued, "something that feels like an armor and feels like a hug."

The tribute pieces, which Kristin shared on Instagram Aug. 25, even got a stamp of approval from Vanessa, who commented with a kiss emoji, "Thank you!"

It's moments like this that keep pushing the 30-year-old forward.

"My passion for design, it definitely was a later love in life," Kristin, who tied the knot with NFL player Kyle Juszczyk in 2019, told E!, "which truly I love so much, because I feel like we should never stop learning new things and pushing ourselves to get new hobbies."

"It really was just a hobby that I dove into, that I realized I kind of have a natural talent for," she added. "Then I realized there was a gap in the market for it, and then it just was a natural progression."

And now, as football season kicks off, Kristin is teaming up with Gatorade for an exclusive drop celebrating inclusivity in the sport.

I always feel like Gatorade kind of encapsulates culture, sports and fashion, which really mimics my life," Kristin shared. "So when the opportunity presented itself, it just seemed like such a natural fit to me."

The drop—available exclusively via Gatorade iD on Gatorade.com Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. ET—features two capsules: a Bag Capsule, which includes a custom duffel bag, Gatorade sideline towel and Gx bottle, and the Bottle Capsule, which includes a custom Gx towel and Gx bottle.

"I really feel like both Gatorade and I are passionate about the growth of women in sports, whether that's athlete or fandom," Kristin added. "To be able to see my name mix with theirs is such a huge accomplishment."

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