RSVLTS' John Tramutolo On Bringing The 'Cult' To WrestleMania

RSVLTS (The Roosevelts) has announced a new collaboration with WWE for a limited-edition apparel collection called RSVLTS Cult! Collection. The company is also well-known for their collections featuring MLB Players’ Association, The Sandlot, Bob Ross and Home Alone.

The new line features five unique designs for Macho Man Randy Savage, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair, The Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior. The new line officially launched on Tuesday and will also be featured at WrestleMania this weekend at MetLife Stadium.

I recently had the chance to speak with RSLVTS’ John Tramutolo, who explained how the deal got put together, the creative process behind picking artists and the featured wrestlers and more.

Tramutolo says the partnership was months in the making, and once they pitched the wrestlers involved in the first wave and finalized details, the project moved forward. Tramutolo explained two designers worked on the shirts, creating a caricature or action figure like style, comparing the Stone Cold Steve Austin shirt to a ‘how-to guide’ in how to connect with a Stone Cold Stunner.

“We tried to hit the mark of people who are nostalgic wrestling fans, and the ones that crossover from the 2000s into contemporary wrestling.”

Tramutolo says the team tries to have fun with their shirts, and says they hope to spark a conversation with just seeing the shirts, but also keep finding new elements in the design similar to a ‘Where’s Waldo’ image.

“We tried to do them justice. I don’t want to say critical, but we know how true wrestling fans are to their favorite wrestlers, so we wanted to get their poses, facial expressions, as accurate as possible,” Tramutolo said. “Undertaker is probably one of my favorite illustrations. Between him and Paul Bearer, any true, nostalgic old-school wrestling fan will appreciate both of those.”

In regards to feedback, Tramutolo praised the efforts of the RSVLTS Insiders Facebook group in providing a fair outside perspective in what they want to see in products.

RSVLTS’ first WWE line will also feature men’s swim apparel and short sleeve shirts, with a larger second wave arriving in stores later this spring that features women’s swim, crewneck tees and youth shirts.

A second line will follow in the spring, with shirts for The Rock, Razor Ramon and D-Generation X likely getting added to the mix.

The WWE x RSVLTS Cult! Collection is available to all fans in the U.S. this April on rsvlts.com, select retailers throughout the month and at Wrestlemania events in and around Metlife Stadium.