Rtfkt, Ledger Dish on Bringing Fashion to Blockchain Security – WWD

While Milan stirs with fashion week and the catwalks of Paris prepare for Monday’s opening, it is easy to forget that there are other events. But they do – and can offer a different kind of lens on where fashion can go next.

It is certainly not lost on Paris. Because although next week may belong to the physical collections, the blockchain and all things digital collectibles were hot topics on Friday, thanks to NFT Paris, a technology and culture conference that has become a magnet for artists, investors, enthusiasts and brands, such as Rtfkt and Ledger.

Rtfkt, a Web 3.0 brand best known as the digital sneaker boyfriend acquired by Nike in 2021, joined the blockchain security company to announce a brand new partnership, a new limited edition capsule collection of devices and products, and a new mission to educate the Rtfkt community and others about protecting their blockchain assets.

Fashion and design, it turns out, play central roles at several stages of this effort.

“[One brand] told us that the link between NFTs and luxury was very natural, because both were about creativity, scarcity and community,” Sébastien Badault, vice president of metaverse at Ledger, told WWD. “I think that resonates with most brands. They really feel this incredible new way of interacting with the community of fans or the community of users or potential buyers.”

With outreach via social media or video platforms, there is always an intermediary, he continued. “Whereas here, I think what really resonates with the space is this idea of ​​really having a direct line in to their users and their fans. And if they’re going to do that,” he added, “if they’re going to empower those communities, they make sure they secure them. And that’s where we play a role.”

The connection between fashion and technology is also evident in the physical appearance of Ledger’s Nano, its flagship hardware product. The device is a compact device that looks like a USB memory stick. Rtfkt and Ledger recreated it with a simple minimalism in mind, casting it in white metal. Looking at it, it’s literally a clean slate.

But that belies the technical powerhouse inside. Nano can hold private keys, send and receive cryptocurrency and much more, and because it keeps the data local, it is isolated from external hacking attempts. It is only one of several layers of security. Another is that it requires a physical button press to act, which would deter malicious online actors. It even houses a processor, like a computer, that can calculate the security keys that protect the owner’s bitcoin or other assets.

While it might be tempting to think of the Nano as a key, Ledger calls it a physical or hardware blockchain wallet — though it might be more like the technological equivalent of a key, stuffed into a wallet and then placed in a high-security vault with moats and lasers surrounding it.

Today, the technology is more focused on blockchain assets. But the security framework, time-tested and hardened, will be a natural fit for personal authentication, IDs, profile data, driver’s licenses, health records and much more. When that time comes, a device can be carried around all the time, even worn as jewelry.

That day is not here yet. But it seems to be a little closer now, with this collaboration.

Ledger sees the immense visual and cultural value of fashion, beauty and retail, having worked with brands such as Fendi, OPI and Farfetch in the past. In the current collaboration, two versions of the Nano – Nano S Plus and Nano X – received the Rtfkt treatment, where both companies developed the device specifically to appeal to the Rtfkt community. Each will be available in limited quantities of 10,000.

But like a blank canvas, it also makes the unique case stand out even more. That’s not a bad thing.

The announcement describes this as a “super rare silver pendant with the Rtfkt logo on the end pieces, which comes with a Nano X. With permission lists for Clone X and Genesis Pass holders, this more exclusive drop will be available at [Ledger] Market.”

But there is a twist to the design: It takes cues from an earlier and very popular Rtfkt NFT ampoule. Owners of specific NFTs can break open, or “burn,” this digital bottle or vial to unleash new styles, colors, and designs on the Rtfkt sneaker NFTs. It’s a smart way to give those photos a fresh new look.

Now Pagotto’s community gets a chance to wear a physical vial containing a Nano inside around their neck. “It’s completely designed to be a flex,” he said. It may sound confident from someone else. But understanding what resonates with the community is his specialty, and he has a knack for proving that he knows how to create goods that people want and deliver them in a way that increases demand, even when the product doesn’t actually exist.

Pagotto landed on fashion’s radar in 2021, when his digital sneaker NFT collaboration with artist Fewocious stunned the industry by pulling in more than $3 million. Within a year, Rtfkt went from a small two-man operation to a multimillion-dollar enterprise backed by Andreessen Horowitz to a Nike company and key player in its parent company’s metaverse initiatives.

But he makes it clear that Rtfkt is still a brand with an indie spirit, and even under a major sneaker giant, it still enjoys autonomy. Its ties with Ledger are a prime example. Their relationship has evolved over time, but still leaves room for innovative approaches, without being micromanaged by the rigid rules of a large corporation.

In fact, even the way they offer these products speaks to the DNA of both, not necessarily conventional retail or e-commerce.

To purchase one of the Nanos, customers must purchase the related NFT first through the Ledger Market, and then redeem it for the physical product. The limited quantity speaks to the rarity. The Nano case will be even rarer – available to holders of Rtfkt’s Clone X and Genesis NFT. That’s just for starters. More products, experiences and opportunities will follow at a later date, the partners promised.

On the surface, the companies appear to hang at opposite ends of the blockchain, but the differences can be a strength and there is enough overlap where it matters, namely in their attention to design and fashion. Ledger, apart from being a hardware and security company, also operates a marketplace called Ledger Market, as well as other services and devices – such as the touchscreen-enabled Nano Stax, a larger device created by Tony Fadell, the renowned designer behind Apple’s legendary iPod .

Many of these elements fold into a design-centric strategy, and this powers an entire Ledger ecosystem that spans enterprise to consumer, yet manages to appeal to both pragmatists and aesthetes.

Where Ledger brings technical and security expertise, Rtfkt has an apparent talent for building communities and inherently understanding its values, needs and wants. These types of skills have never been more valuable, especially for a fashion sector that has been hyper-focused on community. Smart companies will watch how cryptonative brands and other new businesses operate among players, metaverse clans and NFT communities. Because these are important lessons, and the lessons that may come to define Web 3.0, the metaverse or whatever the virtual or online world brings.

As for consumers, if the gap in fundamental blockchains widens, a new kind of digital divide may be on the horizon. Rtfkt and Ledger seem to sense that, as they make technology education a central part of their partnership. Future collaborations, they said, will bring experiences aimed at sharing and distributing knowledge through “Rtfkt Quests.” Ledger established its own “Ledger Quests”, which reward the NFT learning process by awarding crypto. The goal through these other efforts, from basic cryptography to blockchain safety and security, is to demystify the technology. Even make the learning process fun.

It remains to be seen if they can do it. But if anyone can create something fun, fabulous and attractive, even blockchain security and education, it can only be a fashion-motivated set like Pagotto, Badault and Rogers.