Ain’t Nobody Got Time For RTFKT

Less than three years after the Nike acquisition, the "Supreme of digital fashion" is set to close.

The digital streetwear brand RTFKT (pronounced artifact) announced on X—formally Twitter—that it was shutting down. This didn’t surprise observers from the sneaker and crypto communities, particularly Nick O’Neill, who speculated on the outcome on the same platform in March. “Two years ago, Nike acquired RTFKT for a reported one billion dollar sum. Choosing to make RTFKT founders [Benoit Pagotto, Steven ‘Zaptio’ Vasilev, and Chris Le] incredibly rich,” said O’Neill. “Now, according to our sources, Nike’s shutting down RTFKT this year. Will that be a poor choice? I’ll leave you to decide.” Zaptio's weak attempt to refute closure rumours while ignoring the supposed "undisclosed sum" is interesting. Strangely, O'Neill's tweet remained largely unnoticed until it was too late (this is kinda odd; the American University alum isn't some rando on the ‘net). With the sportswear brand’s dip in revenue, we’d imagine Nike’s board chatted it up with its former CEO, John Donahoe, well before his departure, which he announced mid-September.

In theory, RTFKT is doable. The founders aimed to establish RTFKT as the "Supreme of digital fashion.” (Eyeroll.) Sure, Supreme pioneered the concept of streetwear coolness that many emerging brands sought to emulate. But clearly, these puppies were so caught up in their own hype that they forgot the assignment.

RTFKT’s MO was providing sneakerheads with digital assets known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). For instance, a digital cloud known as blockchain houses ultra-exclusive Nike Dunks. The buyer who owns the Dunks gets a unique code stored on a ledger. Only certain blockchains, primarily Ethereum, can trade these NFTs at outrageous prices, hence the ephemeral hype. Fashion NFTs aim to encourage an innovative approach to self-expression in the digital realm. The thing is, if you can’t get a physical drop, or if you have to go through all these hoops to nab a pair, especially if you’re paying beyond top dollar, does anybody got time for that? 

It’s difficult to know whether RTFKT—founded in 2020 and acquired by Nike shortly afterwards—was a ‘real’ streetwear brand or simply a cash grab. According to Vogue Business, it raked in $185.3 million in NFT revenue in less than three years. Contributing to the bag were collabs, first with then-teen digital artist FEWOCiOUS, followed by bigger names like Takashi Murakami, beauty brand Shu Uemura, luggage brand Rimowa, and crypto hardware wallet maker Ledger. Inevitably, as with most fads, the NFT hype went into overkill until the novelty wore off. Early on, The Information reported that sneakerheads weren’t that hyped on the streetwear/sneaker NFT trend, and even Nike decided to cool off on its .SWOOSH virtual platform.

Had RTFKT kept things underground, which is the point of streetwear, it probably would’ve survived. However, after securing their initial $8 million investment, they probably felt the pressure to scale up. By the looks of things, though, it appears RTFKT and Nike were out to make it rain… right into the gutter.

Trendspotting: The Korean Streetwear Craze is Just Around the Corner

Everyone’s jumping on the Korean streetwear trend lately. But will it last?

Cult brand Polyteru has completely sold out. But not integrity, just in stock.

While fashion insiders mourn streetwear’s death in the West, a new market is emerging in the Far East. "Similar to many other popular Korean culture exports, Korean streetwear is not reinventing the wheel or creating anything groundbreaking – it just takes current clothing/fashion trends to the next level." Wrote San Francisco-based tech consultant Noah Chung in an article for Best of Korea. "And while the actual clothing has helped Korean streetwear to achieve a quick rise in popularity, the combination of visual aesthetics, customer service, and amenities in the shopping experience is what sets Seoul apart from the rest." Chung added that the stores he visited weren't your average; the spaces were like art exhibits, with the staff there to meet you at almost every corner. It's no wonder Palace founder Lev Tanju opened a flagship store in Seoul.

Sure, the appeal of this new wave of streetwear is creating a buzz—that's understandable. Streetwear has been dull, so it's plausible that consumers—and fashion insiders—are thirsting for a refreshing take on what has now become a predictable offering. However, if you're looking for wearable staples, look elsewhere. Korean streetwear is extra, literally. Some brands have absurd names, such as Thug Club (inspired by 50 Cent?) and GRAFFITIONMIND (let's go do some tagging! But not in South Korea). The silhouettes are about three to four times larger than average. They remind us of when our parents grasped at our oversized jeans in the nineties; maybe they'd praise our bold sense of style if we wore Ader Error now?

We won't be jumping on the trend here, but we'll watch closely from the sidelines to see how it plays out. Though we might pull up in some Ader Error, that brand’s kinda ill, still.

Shout out to Best of Korea for the lead.

Ciao Edie!

No, Streetwear's Still Not Dead. It Won't Die Anytime Soon.

Since people, especially in the fashion industry, constantly discuss the death or end of streetwear, I thought I'd put things into perspective. 

Married To The Mob Bitch Tee

No. Streetwear is not dead, nor has it lost popularity. Despite the watering down of the rebellious ethos, depending on which brand we're talking about, the overall aesthetic, from Supreme to Uniqlo, lives on. When browsing the aisles at Marshalls for my son, the first item that catches my eye is a hoodie adorned with the Spidey mask. The average shopper may think, "Oh, great.” But I recognize a clear influence from streetwear brands that blew up during the aughts. Then, reality sets in: my child is, well, a kid. That could be the crux of the issue: commercializing an underground industry that spoke for the “yout.”

I remember when Married To The Mob did an ad in '08, and a friend expressed concerns. When I asked Leah McSweeney about it (yes, I used to chat briefly with the streetwear designer turned reality TV star), she didn’t see what the speculation was about. Her clothes were about to be seen by millions of people all over the world. Years later, the brand's still hot. If anything, her foray into reality TV may have tarnished MTTM—if that's even a concern.

Streetwear is about youth. I'll assume those talking about it being “time for streetwear to die” are past their glory days. So, if you're going to lament about streetwear's slow, gruesome death, perhaps it's time to pass the torch to a fresh set of eyes who know what’s up.

No Bad Promo: Drake Masters the Power of Beef While Announcing Tour and Secretly Launching NOCTA in Italy

Drake took to a live streamer's platform to shade fellow musicians. However, closer inspection reveals a brilliant marketing savant.

On Friday, Kendrick Lamar, a former Drake collaborator turned foe, launched his sixth studio album, GNX. The surprise 12-track drop, released on his label, PGLang, features a stellar cast, including Roddy Ricch and labelmate SZA. Except for SZA, who grew up in New Jersey, GNX is an ode to the West. However, based on the sea of positive reviews pouring in, it's clear that K. Dot’s popularity spans the globe. His gritty storytelling, hard beats, and theme-bending cultural references are bound to make the LP a staple in everyone’s playlist except Drake’s.

Following GNX hitting the airwaves, YouTube, the Internet, and everything else, Drake hopped on a livestream with fellow Canadian Félix Lengyel. For those who don't know, Lengyel goes by xQc. He's a popular Twitch streamer with over 12 million followers (it's important to mention Lengyel took to Kick for the stream with Drake. After signing a $100 million deal with the Twitch rival, he should). This was a brilliant move; aside from the world's most annoying third wheel, Kevin Hamdan, who we've learned is a magician, talking about nothing specific, the rapper kept it calm. He lauded the streamer while smoking shisha. Drake was so relaxed that he pulled some wisdom from his wellness bag. "I'm here, as you can see, fully intact. Mind, body and soul, in case you were wondering," Drake said during the live. "You need facts to take me out. Fairytales won't do it."

Unbothered is the approach; as you can imagine, the rapper's nonchalance has set the internet on fire. Drake is an entertainer, playing the game by throwing shots at K. Dot, former friend The Weeknd, and Steve Lacy! “This guy’s like a fragile opp,” Drake said as Lengyel lip-synched Lacy's Bad Habit. “But this is a good song, though.” When Lengyel asked for clarity, Drake responded, "Chat knows what I'm talking about. Fragility" Sure, Lacy fired back, and Kendrick has not responded since this post. But we did find it fascinating that while all the shenanigans were going on, Drake's line with Nike, NOCTA, previewed the latest Cardinal Stock capsule on IG.

The capsule isn't new—Cardinal Stock originally came out in 2021. Based on the campaign, which was shot in Naples, Italy, the latest drop includes pink tees, hoodies, and sweat sets; black tracksuits; speckled grey sweatsuits; and silver puffers. The capsule will be available on NOCTA's website at midnight on November 26th.

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Then we get another shocker: Drake announced on Lengyel's livestream that his Anita Max Wynn tour kicks off exclusively in Australia on February 9, the exact day Super Bowl 2025 kicks off (excuse the pun). However, this revelation won’t affect K. Dot’s half-time performance. Sources say Anita Max Wynn is the alter ego he uses while gambling, though, quite frankly, Anita Max Wynn Tour sounds like he's positioning himself to become the Anna Wintour of music.

Just sayin'.

Shout out to Il Mattino for the lead.

Ciao Edie!

Zalando is still reaching for cultural panache. Cool kids, beware.

I had a brief stint at Zalando. I left my cushy job at Gap for a lead social role at the Berlin-based retailer. The multi-brand e-commerce platform seemed on the hunt for something, hence my interview. What it was? I'll never know. 

Once in, I joined a bubbly team of young millennials headed by the department lead, who resembled a character from Hackers (true story!) and constantly talked about vision. Yet, my team lacked a clear focus and vision, except when it came to numbers. In fact, the company aggressively crunched numbers around the clock. 

I came to Zalando because I thought it was cool. At the time, the retailer, who trades B2C and B2B, had just bought the Bread & Butter trade show and rebranded it as B&&B. I was part of the team responsible for pushing its exclusive Ivy Park collaboration in Europe. Surely, there were colourful times ahead.

Hope morphed into frustration, and I eventually gave up. I felt blue. That's when the big revelation came; my line manager admitted, "Zalando is not cool." This probably explains why alignment was so difficult. It's unlikely this individual harboured animosity toward me; she wore pink-rimmed glasses, was a long-time DJ, and attended Skepta's show at Berghain—she seemed cool. She wasn't involved in hiring but grappled with our department head's decision once I arrived. Some people thrive under pressure, but I struggled because they only seemed to focus on numbers. Zalando is not a space for "cool" creatives.

Although my time at Zalando was a dud, I formed amazing relationships with individuals who accomplished some cool things. One of my friends booked A$AP Rocky for the B&&B launch; another was closely involved in the Queen of Cool supermodel Adwoa Aboah headlining the event. Soon after, the higher-ups axed Bread and Butter.

Zalando boasts revenue of 10.1 billion euros (10.6 billion USD). It’s a tech company far more aligned with Amazon than ASOS.

The company acquired a majority stake in Highsnobiety, and I can already see the cracks in the magazine's edgy appeal. No, that's not growth or maturity. Regardless of who owned it, Supreme's swag was clutch.

So, I know Zalando's "Cultural Ties" campaign is a reach. The retailer's attempt to tap "inside streetwear communities" is a shameless plea. And while I appreciate O32c's beautiful dedicated feature (translation for paid advertorial), I know better.

Rumour Mill: The Streetwear is Dead Anthology—Volume One

We invite you to read a series of critical essays and interviews we found while searching the web. Streetwear is my beat; however, the death of streetwear is a lament-over-lattes I don't think about.

While the reads are insightful, there is some fluff. If the market weren't booming, I'd report on cats or glycolic acid toner instead.

Without streetwear, publications like Hypebeast and i-D wouldn't be as influential.

Not every black designer falls into the streetwear category. However, most black streetwear designers who align with streetwear are eager to distance themselves from it. If these designers were to embrace streetwear's ethos with the same conviction as Karl Kani, Too Black Guys, or, yes, FUBU, they could stand alongside the best in fashion.

I doubt an editor at XXL or Thrasher would see an issue; these conversations are usually reserved for fashion’s upper echelons. It’s generally left to streetwear’s OGs to steer the narrative properly.

Game recognizes game, folks.

Either way, these think pieces go way back.

How far back, you ask?

Let's find out.

Streetwear Is Going Back to Its Roots, According to Industry Experts [WWD]

“I always say streetwear is dead because it’s then born again the next morning.” Bobby Hundreds tells WWD. “It just keeps turning over and over and responding back to itself.”

Read Bobby’s 2017 essay, The Truth About Streetwear.

What’s Next for Hip-Hop and Fashion [The Business of Fashion]

“[Brands] know that they have to tap into the culture.” Steven Victor tells BoF. Quote of the year.

How to define streetwear in 2024 [Vogue Business]

“They were like, ‘There’s a new consumer.’ What people call streetwear — founded in hip-hop, music, style, culture made by Black people, Hispanic people — was consumed 80 per cent by white and Asian kids, ” Tremaine Emory told Vogue Business. “So they’re like, ‘Oh, we can get these aesthetics into our thing. We can get those people who have the money to buy it.’” <- This is the truth.

Virgil Abloh: Streetwear? It’s Definitely Gonna Die [Dazed]

“I would definitely say [streetwear] is gonna die, you know? Like, its time will be up. In my mind, how many more t-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many sneakers?” Virgil told Dazed.

Virgil Abloh Shares Pics of His LV² Collaboration With Nigo and Clarifies That “Streetwear Is Dead” Comment [Vogue]

“I didn’t say it to be polarizing,” Virgil told Vogue. “I think that in the context of this conversation with Nigo—if you speak to anyone that’s been in streetwear for the last 15 years, it’s always had this sort of nine lives, dying and coming back, and dying and coming back. There’s so many first-generation streetwear brands, stores, and retailers.”

Streetwear is Dead [New York Times]

“I never really identified with [the term “streetwear”] or wanted to use it.” Heron Preston told NYT. “I was forced to because in some ways it’s an instant invitation into a culture. There are all sorts of associations that come up when you say that word.”

Relax, Streetwear is Only Dead Because Fashion Has Engulfed It [Culted]

“What were once staples of ‘streetwear’ silhouettes (oversized, dropped shoulders etc) soon just became immersed into most collections debuting in fashion month – from emerging to established brands.” Said Stella Huges. “There was no need to enforce a rigid binary between the two – they became one and the same.”