Introduction to RTFKT and Tommy
＊＊中文內容請參考另一篇文章＊＊
RTFKT’s First Attention
In February 2020, a photo circulated from the “fashion industry’s Oscars,” the Met Gala, featuring Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, wearing a pair of shoes resembling the Tesla CyberTruck. This piqued the curiosity of netizens, and Musk himself asked his fans about their preference for these “CyberSneakers” after the event.
However, these shoes were not real; they were virtual shoes designed by RTFKT. Soon after, the CyberSneaker appeared on the NFT trading platform SuperRare and sold for 65 ETH. The combination of Musk’s promotion and the high-priced auction successfully drew attention to the CyberSneaker, leading to widespread media coverage and marking RTFKT’s debut.
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Founded in January 2020, RTFKT was established by three founders, Benoit, Chris Le, and Zaptio, who formed RTFKT Studios, a virtual fashion studio that connects NFTs from the virtual world with physical products. As the “pioneers of virtual sneakers,” RTFKT garnered significant attention by creatively promoting virtual footwear.
Collaborations with Artists and Designers
Starting in 2021, RTFKT began collaborating with NFT artists and top NFT projects to release various virtual shoe designs and replicate them in the real world. One of their most notable collaborations was with artist FEWOCiOUS. Their joint venture of virtual sneakers as NFTs sold over 600 pairs within 7 minutes, generating sales of over $3.1 million.
Following this success, RTFKT partnered with renowned streetwear artist Jeff Staple to create NFT game equipment and NFT sneakers in the shape of pigeons. Users who purchased the NFTs were able to receive physical pairs of the same design. Additionally, RTFKT collaborated with NFT blue-chip CryptoPunk to design virtual shoe and interactive avatar NFTs for the holders, which could be used in the metaverse, along with the release of physical sneakers. Leveraging game engine technology and augmented reality (AR), RTFKT allowed users to showcase virtual fashion in the virtual world.
These collaborations have positioned RTFKT at the forefront of using virtual shoes as their core product, reshaping the design and manufacturing of fashion products through blockchain and AR technology, blurring the boundaries between virtual and physical realms.
The Birth of CloneX
RTFKT collaborated with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to launch the “CloneX” series, a collection of 3D avatar NFTs on the Ethereum blockchain. This original avatar series features extraterrestrial designs and consists of 20,000 NFT avatars. RTFKT positioned CloneX as specifically designed for interaction in the metaverse, utilizing 3D modeling techniques and planning to integrate with AR devices.
To enhance the character development, RTFKT also developed “Clone X Forging,” which includes items such as T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and sneakers. Each apparel item has both an NFT version and a physical version, allowing users to use and exchange them in both the virtual and real worlds. The physical apparel is equipped with dedicated NFC identification tags, giving them digital attributes. By scanning the NFC tags, users can connect them to their corresponding NFTs. This combination enables users to understand the boundaries between digital virtual characters and physical identities in the metaverse, bridging the gap between online and offline, virtual and real realms.
Who is Tommy
Tommy is the founder of a custom sneaker brand called “The Remade.” His company is well-known in the streetwear design industry in Asia and the United States, with over 80,000 followers on Instagram from around the world. The Remade’s design shoes span across the B2B and B2C sectors, collaborating with numerous international brands to release limited edition designed sneakers. Although Tommy had a period of uncertainty and anxiety about the future during his student years, even studying a non-design-related major in college, he was always interested in playing basketball and studying sneakers. Later, Tommy made the decision to pursue sneaker design and founded The Remade in 2014. Despite having no background in art, he overcame challenges and learned sneaker design from scratch. Shortly after its establishment, The Remade achieved success, attracting many clients and collaboration opportunities, becoming a well-known brand in the streetwear design industry. Artists such as Chris Brown, Nelly, and the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks have all been past collaborators.
RTFKT’s Encounter with Tommy
In 2019, Tommy met Steven Vasilev (Zaptio). Their interaction began when Steven expressed his admiration for The Remade’s custom “Chinese Koi” shoes. At that time, Steven was planning a project to incorporate the 3D printing technology used in The Remade’s “Chinese Koi” custom shoes into future sneaker releases. He invited Tommy to join the project team, even though the project didn’t have a name at that time.
Later on, Steven learned that Tommy owned his own sneaker factory in China. He asked Tommy for assistance in manufacturing physical shoes for collaborations with other artists and NFT projects, such as the collaborations with FEWOCiOUS and Cyberpunk.
However, due to Tommy’s busy schedule and commitments in China, he initially declined the invitation. It was only later that he realized he had missed out on a fantastic opportunity with RTFKT.
Tommy’s Interaction with RTFKT
After inviting one of RTFKT’s co-founders, Zaptio, to join The Remade Discord community, Tommy’s interaction and communication with RTFKT began to deepen. Later on, Tommy created a shoe featuring the CloneX character, and the artwork received a repost from RTFKT’s official account, further strengthening his connection with RTFKT. He made efforts to assist in promoting RTFKT, raising its visibility and popularity in the Asian region. Additionally, he collaborated with other artists to incorporate the CloneX character into different projects, such as virtual personas with FitzOn and DMKTZ.
Further interactions included his participation in the “An Arrow Through History” exhibition organized by RTFKT and Takashi Murakami in New York in June 2022. Following this, Tommy attended an important meeting with RTFKT and Nike’s virtual department team, deepening his relationship with both RTFKT and Nike and showcasing his influence within the industry. He also created videos featuring the CloneX character and participated in the Designer Con exhibition alongside REVO, RE:DREAMER, and CloneX LA. In December of the same year, he joined other CloneX owners at the NFT Taipei exhibition, showcasing collaborative works between CloneX and other artists. He also attended offline meetings with CloneX holders in Japan, further strengthening his connections within the Japanese community.
In April 2023, Tommy participated in Takashi Murakami’s GEISAI art festival in Tokyo, where RTFKT held a special offline event simultaneously. In mid-June, it was officially announced that Tommy would become the community manager for RTFKT, further assisting in the project’s development. This period was filled with close interaction and collaboration between Tommy and RTFKT, as they worked together to create many exciting moments and establish a significant presence in the NFT field.
