Benoit Pagotto, Visionary Co-Founder of RTFKT, Dies at 41

The cryptocurrency and digital fashion community is in mourning following the reported death of Benoît Pagotto, a co-founder of the influential digital fashion studio RTFKT. Pagotto, aged 41, was remembered by colleagues and friends for his immense creativity, passion, and unique vision that helped shape the landscape of digital assets and luxury design.

Key Takeaways

Benoît Pagotto, co-founder of RTFKT, has reportedly passed away at 41.
He was widely praised for his creativity, humility, and passion for merging fashion, gaming, and crypto.
Pagotto was instrumental in RTFKT's rise to prominence, leading to its acquisition by Nike.
Tributes highlight his significant impact on the digital fashion and NFT space.

A Creative Force in Digital Fashion

Benoît Pagotto, alongside co-founders Chris Le and Steven Vasilev, established RTFKT in 2020. The studio quickly gained recognition for its innovative approach to virtual sneakers and digital collectibles, most notably the Clone X × Takashi Murakami series. Pagotto's vision was central to RTFKT's success, blending luxury design with the burgeoning crypto culture.

Impact and Legacy

Pagotto's contributions were pivotal in making RTFKT a leading brand in the digital asset space during the last bull run. His creative direction was key when Nike acquired RTFKT in December 2021. Under his guidance, the studio explored groundbreaking concepts like physical-linked NFTs and digital drops that connected sneaker culture with on-chain identity. Even as Nike began to scale back RTFKT operations, Pagotto remained a public voice for the brand.

Tributes from the Community

News of Pagotto's passing, first shared by French tech executive Philippe Rodriguez on LinkedIn, was met with widespread tributes across social media. Steven Vasilev, RTFKT co-founder, stated that Pagotto's

Sources

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