Relaxio Resort: Notes on the Design Process

Relaxio Resort is a collection of 3333 generative NFTs, in PFP stylization, carefully curated to evoke the spirit of a nostalgic 1980s luxury summer vacation. The ethos of Relaxio is to be unbothered to the core - spiritually, but also mentally. Unbothered, moisturized, in our lane. Always moving in a state of flow.

Milady and Remilio Neochibi Inspirations

For those unfamiliar, the term “neochibi” was both coined and popularized by Remilia Corporation, an avant-garde art collective best known for creating the Milady Maker and Redacted Remilio Babies PFP collections. Their slogan, “I long for network spirituality,” encapsulates their exploration of connection via digital personas through the lens of early internet personalization.

“Chibi” is a classic Japanese art style characterized by its distinct, exaggerated features, notably large heads and eyes, and small bodies. This stylistic choice is meant to convey a sense of endearing charm. Within the Remilia ecosystem, this juxtaposition of cuteness with complex adult themes creates a sense of satirical irony.

“Neochibi” evolves the traditional chibi art style. While maintaining exaggerated features, it incorporates modern and diverse influences, blending contemporary styles with the classic chibi aesthetic. Neochibi characters reflect current global trends in digital art and pop culture, representing more esoteric and philosophical emotions and ideas.

Relaxio Resort draws inspiration from the foundational elements of both Milady and Remilio assets, in addition to Retardio derivative parts, particularly the Remilio head, eyes, and mouths, as well as other derivatives expanded from the Remilia ecosystem. By focusing on “profile first” character creation, our aim was to produce a collection rich in personality and diverse in appearance, enabling users to find a character they identify with, and that their audience can easily recognize.

Cartoonist Scott McCloud’s technique of “amplification through simplification” underscores this approach. The more complex, detailed, and busy a character appears, the less likely we are to identify with that character. By stripping a character down to its basic forms and shapes, we begin to see ourselves in it. Humans inherently project themselves onto everything. We see smiley faces in clouds, in latte foam, in burnt toast. We assign emotions to abstract shapes. The neochibi faces of Milady and Remilio, and the foundation of Retardio derivative assets, provide an ideal canvas for building a world of characters that strike a perfect balance between simplicity and endearing charm.

The Relaxio Design Process and Asset Curation

The genesis of Relaxio came about organically; none of us had set out specifically to “launch a project.” We simply found something we all loved enough to create around with ideas abuzz and a core love of the brand foundation present at the time. With Relaxio, we aimed to convey a much-needed sentiment in the crypto space – a call to be relaxed and unbothered. Deep rooted instead of a facade-level manipulation. Relaxio to the core.

Relaxio is more than a state of mind; it is a philosophy. Relaxio is unbothered to the very center. Relaxio is egalitarian. Relaxio is an abundance for all. Relaxio is generational wealth, material and spiritual via digital ascension. Relaxio is detachment from any outcome. Relaxio is inner peace.

We knew we wanted Relaxio to feel nostalgic and “familiar.” We worked together as a team, often through nights, to curate the assets and imagery that captured this unbothered and throwback spirit: 1980s vacation advertisements, Miami art deco, margaritas, palm trees, old money, retired Florida boomers, Mar-a-Lago, golf courses and tennis courts, yacht parties, private jets, Monaco 1989, cigars, rugby polos, lobster dinners, and all of the other beloved imagery you see in the collection today. Lots of it is hidden in plain sight. Lots of it is in plain sight.

For our color scheme we mostly relied on neutrals and tropical earthy tones, but with pops of pinks and blues to represent the retro 1980s art deco Miami theme of Relaxio. Our signature pink hair, a distinctive feature that sets us apart from other Milady derivs, has become iconic and beloved by the community. You will continue to see the color pink woven throughout the Relaxio world in months to come, harking back specifically to the Miami vices of 1980.

While we mostly stayed true to the androgyny that is present in Milady and Remilio artwork, and Retardio derivation, we decided to make Relaxio more feminine leaning from a visual point of view. This was both a natural result of having a female artist, and a conscious decision to onboard women in a still-male dominated space. Still, the Relaxio PFP is androgynous and vague enough to encompass a wider audience of all genders, specifically ensuring Relaxio is an “everyone” project - guys and girls - and that the visual layer is only a single layer 20-layers-deep.

We decided on relatively lower supply of 3333 (divine guidance in numerology). When the collection was finished, we ended up with 160 unique traits and over 2 quadrillion possible combinations.

Finally, a soft grain filter was applied to all assets to create the feel of a retro film photograph. Grain helps the brain Relaxio.

Retardio Derivative

Retardio shot onto the scene as a powerhouse in the Solana ecosystem. Blazing attitudes with an untouchable, bulldozer spirit, Retardio swept Web3 by storm and caught the attention of some of the biggest players - VanEck, Phantom wallet, and more.

The token that worked as the foundation to the Relaxio collection, $RELAX, used artwork that was a derivative - yet standalone single image - of Retardio, layering a dressing gown and towel hair wrap on a Retardio. This proved the underpinning of the entire Relaxio collection - an unbothered, purely relaxed collection working almost in antithesis, but symbiosis, with Retardio on the timeline; go crazy with your Retardio main, and then unwind with your Relaxio alt. Relaxio is not Retardio-like in manner, but go hand in hand, a perfect balance of not opposing forces but different forces.

Relaxio is welcoming, easygoing, not trying to compete with Retardio but act with and offer something lighthearted, fun, safe and slower - but as passionate and vibrant - with a change of pace.

Closing Thoughts

Relaxio has both been a product of fate and a deep labor of passion, from the discovery and CTO phase, to flourishing as a standalone pfp that hundreds of people have changed their digital identity to already, and dozens more do week-by-week.

It is a collection that doesn't take itself too seriously, yet works undeniably hard to harbor and facilitate a community that reflects the assets, traits, hidden and not, that shape up Relaxio. Unbothered, moisturized, in its own lane.

Relaxio has its roots in derivatives and iterative updates, but solidifies itself as unique and beautiful in a sea of flowing derivs, the oceans expanding day by day.

Relaxio.