[Update 16 Jun 2023] Since the article was published, Verdy was just appointed as BLACKPINK’s artistic director. First on the agenda is creating an exclusive capsule collection for the group’s ongoing Born Pink world tour. Considering the cult following that Verdy has, and BLACKPINK’s ardent global fanbase, expect the partnership to be predestined for success.

Many may have seen “Verdy” alongside products from Nike, Human Made, and Levi’s; alongside names like Blackpink, Post Malone, and NIGO. Those are just some of his collaborators in recent years. They may also recognize the unique serif typeface of Girls Don’t Cry and the rugged punk, skateboarding aesthetic of Wasted Youth. Both brands tell a very different story so it’s surprising that they’re all brainchildren of one man known by the mononym: Verdy. Introducing this year’s Coachella’s artist-in-residence:

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Verdy… who?

Born in 1987, the rumor mill has it that he got his alias because he often wore the Verdy Kawasaki (Japanese football club) jersey during his years in Osaka. He got his start at the Osaka Design School and co-founded visual design collective VK Design Works with fellow artist K.I.T. in 2008. Now the sole member, he moved to Tokyo in 2012 where the trajectory of his career would be stratospheric.

He honed his craft by designing venue calendars, music festival posters, and artist flyers, but he has since metamorphosed into a multi-hyphenate. From a graphic designer, visual artist, to ultimately, a cultural tastemaker. One in the same vein as his legendary predecessors NIGO, Jun Takahashi, and the reverent godfather of streetwear himself, Hiroshi Fujiwara.

What is Verdy famous for?

Wasted Youth

Graphic design, skateboard culture, and streetwear have always been in the same solar system, and it’s the same one Verdy’s world orbits. Wasted Youth is the amalgamation of these entities through his eyes. It’s not only a streetwear brand, but a team of promising young skaters recruited by Verdy himself and his coterie.

Speaking of its 2016 origin, Verdy recalls, “Wasted Youth reflects on some frustrations I had when I was younger. When I moved from Osaka to Tokyo, I spent the first six years struggling to make money and was living day by day. I could barely make rent.

“But after looking back at those six years, I thought nothing was wasted. I had to go through that to get to this. I designed a beer bottle with a flower blooming from inside, and that kind of expresses the fact that nothing is wasted. Wasted Youth also reflects on skate culture and punk culture, the two cultures that I really liked when I was younger. With Wasted Youth, I realized I didn’t want to make super-expensive clothes. I want to make accessible clothing.”

Girls Don’t Cry

In quick succession, Verdy introduced Girls Don’t Cry a year later. If the phrase “Wasted Youth” represented his struggle to find his own originality in the nascent stages of his career, “Girls Don’t Cry” was a phrase dedicated to his wife who accounts for an important part of his life, just as much as the subcultures he’s indulged in in the past. A love letter written in the style of wearable apparel. An ode to her strength, “My wife, no matter what’s going on in life she’s always smiling… it made me think ‘girls don’t cry.'”

Its conception took place during the couple’s first trip to Los Angeles. He gifted his wife a t-shirt with the titular words which she wore to Anwar Carrots’ pop-up store. It solicited plenty of attention and curiosity with other attendees asking about its origin. The rest, as they say, is history.

Vick and Visty

Every designer has a creation that they’re most synonymous with. An inadvertent mascot of their brand. To Verdy, that will be Vick (a hybridization of a rabbit and a panda) and Visty. The general public might not always recognize the designer, but in due time they will Vick and Visty, in the same affect as Companion to KAWS. A natural extension of his design pedigree. Transcending his reputation as a “streetwear designer” (for a lack of a better word), moving into the open white spaces of the galleries.

NIGO of Human Made, Jun Takahashi of UNDERCOVER, Hikaru Iwanaga of Bouty Hunter-fame. Those are just a few of the co-signs from his contemporaries, and they all just happen to be pioneers of the Ura Harajuku culture of the ’90s. Verdy only sells his work at physical stores, many a time at pop-ups. Unabated by this stringent distribution, his clothes have found their way on the hands of celebrities like David Beckham, Kehlani, Kourtney Kardashian, et al.

What are Verdy’s best collaborations?

Celebrity associations has had an effect on the Verdy’s reputation, it’s the brand collaborations however that have had the biggest hand in the proliferation of his name.

Nike

Verdy has deservedly joined a prestigious class of designers to establish a working relationship with the Swoosh. He’s made a canvas of two highly sought-after Nike SB Dunk Lows, one with Wasted Youth, one with Girls Don’t Cry—in addition other apparel. In the “NIKE FC JERSEY LAB WITH VERDY” project, both Vick and Visty were heavily featured.

Pizza Slice

By way of his Wasted Youth imprint, Verdy released a capsule collection in 2022 with Pizza Slice, the famous Tokyo-based pizzeria. It was an offshoot of their “SUPER SLICEME!” event in 2021 where the artist designed a special commemorative box and menu. Design of said box adapted to a t-shirt in their subsequent collaboration.

On 11 March this year, Verdy would go on to open his own New York-styled pizza shop named Henry’s Pizza. If you’re ever in Osaka, drop by to check it out.

Levi’s

In 2021, Verdy summoned his two imprints in his partnership with the quintessence of Americana: Levi’s. Four items were released with half using a primary red color palette in relation to Girls Don’t Cry, another in black, typical of Wasted Youth. It’s a collection that integrates every brand’s signature, with the inclusion of Levi’s 701, a pair Mrs. Verdy loves.

Budweiser

It’s clear that Wasted Youth’s logo is derivative of Budweiser’s back in the day. Some will say it’s “theft”, others “homage”. Either way, nobody loses when it led to a collaboration in lieu of the 2022 World Cup, producing a limited-edition varsity jacket which found its way to American rapper that’s not DaBaby, Lil’ Baby.

Minions

The Minions have become one of the most recognizable IPs in the zeitgeist. Consider it a power move from Verdy’s camp, for their sophomore effort in conjunction with the release of Minions Fever in 2021, they produced an apparel sold exclusively, typically Verdy, at a pop-up at Universal Studios Japan. Co-starring with the Minions during the launch was none other than Vick himself.

ISETAN

In 2021, Verdy partnered with legacy Japanese department store ISETAN for the one-off “Verdy’s Gift Shop”. It sold his collaborations with both BlackEyePatch and thisisneverthat which, expectedly flew off the shelves. In addition, it also carried a special edition of the signature GDC cushions. Its design adopting the department store’s hallmark checkered shopping bags.

Some Verdy collaborations on the SNKRDUNK App

1. UNDERCOVER × VERDY Tee “White”

A t-shirt produced in collaboration with UNDERCOVER. It features a woman presumably from decades past, judging from her hairstyle. Her face hallowed with the Girls Don’t Cry logo composited over it.

2. VERDY × PSG S/S T-SHIRT #2 “White”

A collaboration with French football club Paris Saint-Germain, also known as PSG. A logo t-shirt with the club’s emblem serving as the backdrop for Vick showing his kick.

3. UNION OSAKA × Wasted Youth Tee “Light Blue”

Released to Commemorate the opening of Union’s Osaka store, both brands’ logos are stylized in classic animation type while it presides over and resides under Union’s Frontman mascot.

4. Budweiser × Wasted Youth WYxBW SOCCER GAME SHIRT “Red”

As mentioned earlier, the collaboration was held in line with the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Aside from the varsity jacket, a soccer jersey was also produced with the same elements of an actual team uniform. The team logo imprinted over the chest with the sponsor over the abdomen. The background is the monogram of Wasted Youth’s logo.

5. HUMAN MADE × Girls Don’t Cry Crew Neck Sweatshirt “Gray”

A highly-coveted Human Made collaboration, it’s a logo sweatshirt that sees their name taking on the form of Girls Don’t Cry’s font. Wherein the back is the reverse, Girls Don’t Cry finding home with the Human Made heart emblem.

6. Levi’s × Girls Don’t Cry Type III Trucker Jacket “Red”

One of the pieces in his Levi’s collection includes this Corduroy jacket. Its palette a strong allusion to Girls Don’t Cry’s. The inside features a special heart-shaped GDC leather patch installed next to Levi’s.

7. Wasted Youth x Nike SB Dunk Low

For his first collaboration with Nike, Verdy reimagines the SB Dunk Lows with an all-over black denim upper. With a patchwork motif and decorative stitching, it exemplifies Wasted Youth’s rugged aesthetic, finished off with their imprint on the heel collar.

8. Girls Don’t Cry x Nike SB Dunk Low

As contrarian as his two labels are, so are the shoes. This Girls Don’t Cry x Nike SB Dunk Low is engulfed in the brand’s signature red makeup, only separated by the white on the midsole. The logo in white, highlighted by its contrast to the red backdrop.

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CONCLUSION

It’s been relatively a few years since Verdy came into the level of prominence he has now. Nevertheless his two labels are getting more positive repute every year, likewise with his collaborative portfolio. His works are rare, highly priced and coveted in the secondary market. By the time he decides to retire, he’ll likely be seated in the pantheon of pop culture, next to the legends before.