We see this with the MNLTH airdrop, a sort of virtual care-package for Clone X holders that through a quest series was later unlocked and revealed to contain ‘RTFKT x Nike Dunk Genesis CryptoKicks’, a Skin Vial (to customize the CryptoKicks), and a second MNLTH vault. On the contrary, it appears to have been a symbiotic buyout it gave Nike a chance to spread their wings into web3 and it gave RTFKT a massive push into mainstream markets. Fortunately, this doesn't seem to be the case with Nike’s buyout of RTFKT. Sometimes a large company buying out a smaller niche company can mean the death of the smaller company’s ingenuity. This was affirmed in December 2021, shortly after releasing Clone X when RTFKT was bought out by Nike. The artwork was implicitly flipping the finger at minimalist, 2D pixel art, everything from shape to color to clothing strongly suggested that they’d be competitive in the fashion landscape. Of course, Clone X wasn’t without its hiccups (specifically, the mint/auction) - but, on an aesthetic level it didn’t take long for them to click with a broader audience. Perhaps, on the surface, Clone X might not appear all that different from the rest - an identity-based avatar play with bells and whistles - however, the fact that Clone X avatars are 3D compatible is noteworthy - by giving you access to the 3D files behind the Clone X art, they’re encouraging holders to explore other strands of the metaverse, all the while garnering self-promotion for their community.
In hindsight, Murakami was the perfect guy for the job, a world-class artist who’s worked with various mediums everything from painting to sculpture to animation - plus, he’s known for bridging high-art and low-art subcultures - a complementary fit to RTFKT’s acute interest in the areas in between. Not long after their earlier sneaker releases, RTFKT managed to link up with Takashi Murakami for their next world-straddling project, except this time it was going to be digital avatars. Undoubtedly, RTFKT knew they were on to something with this straddling of two worlds. Not only did the FEWOCiOUS shoes sell out within ten minutes, but also, at their peak in October, they were going for ~16 Eth minimum.
Balance is one of the keywords there - they don’t want to merely be a fashion brand, nor do they want to be just another ‘metaverse brand’.Īn encapsulating example of RTFKT’s balancing act came with their early FEWOCiOUS Collaboration where they dropped custom sneakers both physically and virtually as NFTs. The simplest way we can conceptualize RTFKT is: they’re trying to bridge/balance the world of art and fashion with the world of crypto and gaming. RTFKT uses the latest in game engines, NFT, blockchain authentication and augmented reality, combined with manufacturing expertise to create one of a kind sneakers and digital artifacts” - but, imagine reading that to your parents and trying to convince them this is the next big thing. Founded in 2020, their self-summary reads: “We are a creator led organisation. What RTFKT is trying to accomplish could easily be misunderstood by folks outside of crypto. However, we believe, in order to truly appreciate what Clone X has achieved (aside from just the numbers,) one has to comprehensively unpack the actors behind the scenes: what’s RTFKT’s deal? Who’s Murakami? How’s Nike involved? And, what does it means for their holders? RTFKT They are a giant within this industry, and their 12.5 Eth floor price (which has, on occasion, scraped multiples above that) is a symbolic testament to the space they take up. Lore aside - with 205k Eth volume traded, Clone X ranks #7 in terms of the most volume traded out of any collection on OpenSea. This is, effectively (with some embellishment,) the lore behind Clone X, a 20,000 item NFT collection that boasts avatars designed in collaboration with Takashi Murakami.
#Clone x series download#
You wake up one day and three aliens are standing before your bed - according to them, they've come to help you evolve past organic form, noetically download your consciousness onto the cloud, and explore space embodied as a digital, free-form avatar.
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