Digital Fashion Pioneer Benoît Pagotto of RTFKT Dies at 41, Leaving Legacy at Intersection of Luxury and Web3

Industry Mourns Visionary Who Bridged Physical and Digital Creative Worlds

The digital fashion and cryptocurrency communities are reeling following the unexpected death of Benoît Pagotto, the influential co-founder of digital fashion studio RTFKT, who has passed away at the age of 41. Known for his visionary approach to merging luxury aesthetics with blockchain technology, Pagotto’s death was confirmed by colleagues and associates on Sunday, sending ripples of grief through the Web3 and fashion technology sectors.

Philippe Rodriguez, a prominent French technology executive and longtime associate, was among the first to share news of Pagotto’s sudden passing early Sunday in Paris. In an emotional tribute posted on LinkedIn, Rodriguez described Pagotto as “super creative, discreet and humble,” while being “passionate but always reasonable” in his approach to business and creativity. Perhaps most poignantly, Rodriguez noted that Pagotto fundamentally “believed that beauty could change the world” – a philosophy that guided his revolutionary work in digital fashion and collectibles.

Within hours of the announcement, the digital asset community responded with an outpouring of tributes that highlighted Pagotto’s profound impact on both the creative and technical sides of the industry. RTFKT co-founder Steven Vasilev commemorated his partner on social media platform X, emphasizing that “the vision, mission and inspiration [Benoît] gave to the world will live on forever.” The heartfelt messages revealed not just professional respect but deep personal connections formed during Pagotto’s pioneering career. Samuel Cardillo, former Chief Technology Officer at RTFKT, offered a particularly intimate remembrance, describing Pagotto as “a grumpy Parisian cliché, an asshole and genius” who spoke without filters – qualities that endeared him to many in an industry that values authenticity. Cardillo’s wish that his friend might “respawn as a badass mean crow” reflected the gaming culture that permeated much of Pagotto’s professional life and creative vision.

The Visionary Behind RTFKT’s Meteoric Rise

Pagotto’s professional legacy stands as a testament to his unique ability to anticipate cultural convergence points before they became mainstream. As one of three co-founders of RTFKT (pronounced “artifact”) alongside Chris Le and Steven Vasilev in 2020, Pagotto helped create what would quickly become one of the defining digital asset brands of the cryptocurrency bull market that followed. The studio gained prominence through its virtual sneakers and digital collectibles, particularly the widely acclaimed Clone X × Takashi Murakami NFT collection, which represented a groundbreaking collaboration between digital art and established contemporary artists.

What distinguished RTFKT under Pagotto’s creative direction was its seamless fusion of luxury design sensibilities, gaming culture, and blockchain technology – three worlds Pagotto navigated with remarkable fluency. This distinctive approach caught the attention of global sportswear giant Nike, which acquired RTFKT in December 2021 at the height of mainstream NFT enthusiasm. Following the acquisition, Pagotto continued to pioneer innovations at the intersection of physical and digital assets, developing concepts like physically-linked NFTs and digital drops that connected traditional sneaker culture with on-chain digital identity.

The Nike acquisition represented both validation of Pagotto’s vision and provided substantial resources to pursue increasingly ambitious projects. Though Nike began scaling back RTFKT operations in late 2023, Pagotto remained a vocal advocate and public face for the brand he helped build, continuing to articulate its vision and defend its position in the rapidly evolving digital asset landscape. Greg Solano, co-founder of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (one of the most successful NFT projects in history), shared that Pagotto was “one of the kindest, funniest people I met in crypto,” noting how Pagotto had offered assistance “when we were nobodies” and maintained his authenticity even after achieving substantial success. Solano’s mention of missing Pagotto’s “big, boisterous laugh you could hear from across a restaurant” painted a vivid picture of a creative force whose personality matched his professional ambition.

Navigating Challenges in the Evolving NFT Landscape

Pagotto’s final months at RTFKT were not without significant challenges, as the studio faced technical issues that exposed some of the infrastructure vulnerabilities in the NFT space. In April 2024, images for several of RTFKT’s Ethereum-based collections temporarily disappeared following a cloud-hosting failure that disrupted off-chain storage links. The incident, described by then-CTO Samuel Cardillo as a “temporary infrastructure problem,” nevertheless highlighted how centralized dependencies could undermine the permanence that RTFKT and other NFT projects had promised to collectors.

That same month brought legal complications when RTFKT and Nike faced a $5 million class-action lawsuit from dissatisfied NFT holders. The federal complaint alleged that Nike had marketed RTFKT’s NFTs as premium investments, only to later abandon them by reducing support for the studio and its digital assets – actions the plaintiffs characterized as a “soft rug pull.” These challenges reflected broader growing pains in the NFT market, which had retreated significantly from its 2021-2022 peaks, forcing many projects to reassess their value propositions and sustainability models.

Despite these setbacks, Pagotto maintained his reputation as a forward-thinking creative force who continued to believe in the transformative potential of digital fashion and blockchain technology. His ability to navigate both the artistic and technical aspects of digital creation made him a unique figure in an industry often divided between creative and technical specialists. While the cause of Pagotto’s death has not been disclosed at the time of reporting, and no official obituary or civil registry notice has yet appeared in the French press, the impact of his loss has been felt immediately throughout the global Web3 community.

A Legacy of Innovation at the Intersection of Fashion and Technology

The significance of Pagotto’s contributions to digital fashion and collectibles extends beyond RTFKT’s commercial success. He was among the first to recognize and capitalize on the potential for blockchain technology to transform how consumers relate to fashion, luxury goods, and digital identity. By creating desirable digital items that carried both cultural cachet and technical innovation, Pagotto helped legitimize NFTs as more than speculative assets – positioning them as the building blocks of digital fashion and self-expression in virtual environments.

Pagotto’s background, which blended luxury fashion expertise with gaming industry experience, gave him a unique perspective that few in either industry possessed. This cross-disciplinary approach allowed him to identify opportunities where others saw only disconnected markets. His work demonstrated that digital assets could carry the same emotional weight and cultural significance as physical luxury goods – a concept that continues to influence how brands approach digital engagement strategies and virtual product development.

As the digital fashion landscape continues to evolve, Pagotto’s influence will undoubtedly remain evident in how creators and brands approach the merging of physical and digital realms. His fundamental belief that beauty could change the world – as remembered by his colleague Philippe Rodriguez – stands as a fitting epitaph for a career dedicated to bringing artistic vision to emerging technologies. While RTFKT’s future remains uncertain following Nike’s operational changes and Pagotto’s passing, the blueprint he created for digital fashion has permanently altered how the industry conceives of creativity, ownership, and identity in an increasingly digitized world.

The loss of Benoît Pagotto at just 41 years of age represents not only a personal tragedy for his family, friends, and colleagues but also leaves a significant void in the creative leadership of the digital fashion movement he helped pioneer. As tributes continue to pour in from across the technology, fashion, and art worlds, one thing remains clear: though his life was cut short, Pagotto’s impact on digital culture will continue through the innovations he championed and the creative vision he instilled in an emerging industry at the crucial moment of its formation.