Swifties gush over iconic love story
On Tuesday, Aug. 26, the inevitable happened: mega popstar Taylor Swift and football player boyfriend Travis Kelce announced their engagement via social media: “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married” the caption stated on Instagram. The moment felt as if the Easter egg–laced vinyl variants and the overall hype surrounding Swift’s new album, The Last Showgirl—set to debut Oct. 4—were not enough. Now, a new countdown is upon us.
It’s been said that in America, we don’t have royalty—we have celebrity. This news of the “engagement era” solidifies that point. Whether you are a Swiftie or not, the magnitude of this news is hard to escape. So much so, the news of the engagement even solicited a positive message from President Trump, no doubt a rarity considering his notorious opinion about Swift. “I think he’s a great player, I think he’s a great guy. I think that she’s a terrific person, so I wish them a lot of luck,” Trump told a reporter in a White House press meeting.
In an interview by Kelce’s father, it was revealed the proposal took place two weeks prior to the announcement. “Travis actually did the proposal, oh, maybe two weeks, not quite two weeks ago,” Ed Kelce told News 5 Cleveland
It’s a public relations dream on the eve of Swift’s new album and the start of football season. Publicity surrounding the fairytale love story is nothing short of timely genius.
Not since the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Princess Diana and Prince Charles, or Lisa Marie Presley and Michael Jackson has an engagement story shaken the pop culture stratosphere.
Swift and Kelce shared a joint post announcing their engagement in a lavish garden. The post featured Swift wearing an alleged 8-10 carat yellow-gold old-mine cut diamond ring, with some sources stating the cost between $1-5 million, a custom design Kelce commissioned by designer Kindred Lubeck. Breaking from the trend of white-gold or platinum settings popularized by Tiffany & Co., the ring reflects Swift’s poetic nature and overall “love story” aesthetic. Another touchdown by Kelce. Both styled in Ralph Lauren, speculation is already surrounding who will make the dress, could this be a Style easter-egg?
“I’d love to see her and her stylist, Joseph Cassell Falconer, go with one of the up-and-coming designers she loves, especially the bridal designer Nicole + Felicia Couture,” Stylist Liz Tiech of The New York Stylist told The Daily Mail.
“’I can see them designing something even more epic than the gown with over 200,000 hand-sewn crystals and sequins that they made for her tour,’” Tiech continued.
As anticipation builds around the impending nuptials, the hunt for a dress has ignited a “war of the roses” among celebrity stylists worldwide. The ring alone sets the bar high. Questions also arise about who the bridesmaids will be, as Swift has long held close friendships with stars including the Haim sisters, Lorde and Ice Spice—a bridal party fans can get behind.