Friendship bracelets may not be the one issues traded at Taylor Swift live shows sooner or later!
When talking with PEOPLE on the crimson carpet at the “Holy Grails” auction on Tuesday night time, Fanatics founder and CEO Michael Rubin revealed to PEOPLE completely a collaboration he has his sights set on with the pop celebrity.
Fanatics is the latest official supplier of buying and selling playing cards within the sports activities universe — and whereas the decks primarily characteristic athletes throughout all the main leagues, additionally they have popular culture decks that embody playing cards with the largest names in music and cinema.
“We should always have Taylor Swift playing cards,” Rubin advised PEOPLE completely on the inaugural occasion hosted in partnership with Sotheby’s on the Harlem Parish in New York Metropolis on Sept. 25. “We really requested her a 12 months in the past,” he reveals.
The timing of the ask was applicable, given Swift’s newfound presence within the soccer area since her whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce started at the start of the 2023 NFL season and Fanatics’ instant sales increase of the Chiefs player’s jersey consequently.
“Travis Kelce was one of many high 5 promoting NFL gamers and noticed an almost 400% spike in gross sales all through the Fanatics community of web sites, together with NFLShop.com,” a Fanatics spokesperson advised PEOPLE on Sept. 25, in the future after Swift was first seen cheering on Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium.
Whereas Rubin admitted they “did not push too exhausting” when the collaboration request was made on the time, he nonetheless says they’d “like to” make it occur sooner or later. “I imply a Taylor and Trav card collectively can be wonderful,” he mentioned.
The inspiration behind placing collectively the “Holy Grails” public sale — which noticed a number of the rarest playing cards in sports activities historical past auctioned off in entrance of notable celebrities, athletes and enterprise titans — was a approach to “introduce buying and selling playing cards and collectibles to new audiences,” Rubin advised PEOPLE.
Amongst a kind of new followers? Rubin’s 18-year-old daughter, Kylie Rubin, whom he says “was not ” in buying and selling playing cards till considered one of her favourite rappers was concerned. “Once we did the Travis Scott launch at Fanatics Fest, she’s like, ‘Dad, I would like these playing cards! They’re insane,'” he recalled.
Scott dropped limited-edition Cactus Jack and Topps cards that have been completely obtainable at Fanatics Fest, together with one of many rapper himself. Scott even joined Rubin on a panel to debate the collaboration on the occasion on Aug. 17 — and signed and handed out playing cards to followers, too.
Mockingly, Rubin expressed to PEOPLE his curiosity in collaborating with Swift on this sports-related endeavor exactly one year after she cheered on Kelce and the Chiefs on Sept. 24, 2023. On the time, the pair’s romance was unconfirmed.
After the sport — by which the Chiefs defeated the Bears 41-10 — Swift and Kelce were seen walking out together earlier than they left the stadium in his 1970 Chevelle 408 Stroker convertible. The singer’s continued assist of the athlete continued romance hypothesis, in the end confirming their standing on Oct. 14 after they have been seen holding hands as they left dinner in New York Metropolis.
All through the NFL season, Swift continued attending Chiefs video games (13 in complete) and ended with a Tremendous Bowl LVIII victory. Because the 2024 NFL season is underway, the celebrity has already returned to the suite to assist Kelce and the staff at two of their three games up to now.