👟 What is RTFKT and why did Nike buy them?

AND: The Matrix, the year of the Tiger & Balenciaga

Jan 7

Welcome to issue #052. Happy New Year Soirée gang! Let’s start with a bang.

In the first issue of the year, we’re giving you the lowdown on why Nike bought digital fashion studio RTFKT. And with all the talk about metaverses, I figured you should know about the acquisition to give you a birds-eye view of how big digital fashion will be over the next few years.

contents:

brand of the week
what is RTFKT?
what’s in my closet
threads
what’s on the coffee table
aesthetically pleasing
upcoming product drops

interested in advertising? click here

This installment of Soirée is free for everyone. I send this email every Friday. If you were forwarded this email and would like to receive it every Friday morning you can join the hundreds of other fashion enthusiasts by hitting the button below.

SWIMS

Founded in 2006, SWIMS reached fame with its reinvention of the classic rubber galosh and has since expanded its range to include footwear, apparel, and accessories for the modern man. SWIMS reinvents classics that are smart, elegant, weather-friendly, and infused with utility.

SWIMS is currently stocked in 30 markets globally, including high-end department stores Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Printemps, and KaDeWe. They also offer lifestyle essentials through their website, their Oslo-based concept store, nine licensed SWIMS-branded stores, and two company-owned outlet stores.

Check em' out →

WHAT IS RTFKT?

Nike recently acquired a London-based studio for NFT’s called RTFKT (pronounced artifact). Founded in 2020, it’s caught fire in the digital goods space.

Formed by Benoit Pagotto, Chris Le, and Steven Vasilev, their passion for playing Minecraft, watching Star Wars, and collecting Pokémon cards lead them to design luxury stores... and develop esports products, and even make logos for hip hop artists. It’s what led them to create RTFKT, born specifically for the metaverse. It’s an eclectic brand, that’s focused on being creator-led. They used the latest in-game engines, NFT, and blockchain technology... but also incorporating manufacturing expertise to create one-of-a-kind sneakers and digital artifacts.

Where they really shine is creating viral sneaker designs, memes, and collectible exclusives. They’ve been able to maintain an incredible reputation in a short amount of time. Some virtual sneakers have sold for up to $10,000 a pair. A recent collaboration with artist Fewocious sold more than $3 million worth of digital sneakers in under seven minutes.

They’re also known for their wildly successful CloneX avatar project. It was a foundational project for RTFKT, consisting of 20,000 3D-generated NFTs. They collaborated with the famous artist Takashi Murakami, who designed the cover artwork of Kanye West’s “Graduation” album along with Supreme, Billie Eilish, and Virgil Abloh.

WHY DID NIKE BUY THEM?

Nike over the last few months has applied for several trademarks for “downloadable virtual goods,” and was one of the first brands to create a virtual world on Roblox. The brand has established a goal to have owned digital reach 40 percent of sales by 2025.

The fashion industry has notably been against tech trends. But the industry is leaning in, and ready to take on the metaverse as a serious revenue channel by taking digital style seriously. And with the deal, Nike grabs native talent to expand and tackle their huge digital revenue goal. If Nike is able to connect digital and physical successfully and bring their most collectible and rare sneakers to NFTs, we would see immense growth from the company.

Theirs’s a continued strong interest in NFTs within fashion for 2022. Just like art, fashion apparel and sneakers would give you the ability to personalize your style in the metaverse. And this could be the beginning where brands marry digital and physical sales of the same goods and would give consumers unique ownership qualities.

🏂 Sweatshirt → Maison Kitsuné was created in 2002 by creative duo Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, influenced by Paris and Tokyo, the French contemporary fashion brand and music label that combines classic Parisian minimalism with vibrant Japanese graphic prints in its collections.

👕 Vest → Billionaire Boys Club, founded by Pharrell Williams, is a globally recognized clothing and accessories brand whose blend of streetwear and luxury has influenced countless pockets of fashion, music, design, and culture.

👔 Button up → Founded in 2001, LA-based Fucking Awesome first introduced limited streetwear collections before turning towards producing skateboard decks.

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Artbook → The Almighty Book includes 43 original works of Greek ephemera, iconic characters, and more.

Trivia game → This fun party game comes with over 400 hilarious trivia questions that will keep everyone guessing whether statements are fact or fiction.

Tom Ford candle → A decadent, oriental leather candle with a name that can only be described in one way.