Benoit Pagotto
Co-founder of RTFKT, the digital sneaker studio acquired by Nike
Benoit Pagotto was a co-founder of RTFKT, the studio that turned virtual sneakers and NFT collectibles into one of the most talked about digital fashion brands before Nike acquired it in December 2021. He continued as a creative leader under Nike until the brand was wound down from late 2024, and his death at 41 was announced in October 2025.
| Role | Co-founder and creative director of RTFKT |
|---|---|
| Co-founders | Chris Le, Steven Vasilev |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Acquired by | Nike, December 2021 |
| Died | 2025 (announced October 2025) |
Who was Benoit Pagotto?
Benoit Pagotto was a French entrepreneur and creative director who co-founded RTFKT in 2020 with Chris Le and Steven Vasilev. The studio designed custom sneakers for gaming and online culture, sold limited-edition virtual versions that owners could try on and use with special effects, and became a reference point for the idea that digital goods could carry the same cultural value as physical streetwear. He was based in London.
Career
RTFKT grew quickly during the boom in non-fungible tokens. Its best known project was CloneX, a collection of avatar NFTs created with the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, which connected digital fashion, collectible art and community membership. In December 2021 Nike acquired RTFKT, one of the clearest signals at the time that major sportswear companies took virtual products seriously.
After the acquisition Pagotto stayed on as a creative director, overseeing digital drops and NFTs linked to physical products, and remained a public spokesperson for the brand. Nike began winding down RTFKT's operations in late 2024. In October 2025 the crypto and digital fashion community reported his death at the age of 41; tributes described him as creative, discreet and humble.
Influence on the fashion business
RTFKT showed several ideas that the wider industry went on to test:
- Selling a digital twin alongside, or instead of, a physical product
- Using NFTs to give holders access to future drops and physical items
- Building a brand around a community of collectors rather than wholesale distribution
- Collaborating with artists to give digital products cultural credibility
The studio's trajectory, from independent start-up to part of the world's largest sportswear company, made it one of the most closely watched case studies in digital fashion.
Benoit Pagotto and technology
Pagotto's work sat at the junction of 3D design, gaming culture and blockchain. RTFKT combined virtual try-on, avatar systems and tokens that linked digital ownership to physical goods, an approach later described as phygital. The decision to close the studio also illustrates how quickly corporate priorities shifted once the NFT market cooled.
Why it matters
Pagotto's career captures both the ambition and the volatility of digital fashion. RTFKT demonstrated that a small studio could create real demand for virtual products and attract a global brand, and its story remains a reference for how fashion companies evaluate digital ownership, avatars and AI-generated goods today.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Benoit Pagotto?
Benoit Pagotto was a French co-founder of RTFKT, the digital sneaker and NFT studio founded in 2020 and acquired by Nike in December 2021. He remained a creative director under Nike, and his death at 41 was announced in October 2025.
What happened to RTFKT?
Nike acquired RTFKT in December 2021 and continued its digital drops and phygital products for several years. Nike began winding down RTFKT's operations in late 2024.