Being true to what you like and not letting it fade away even after 10 or even decades.
VERDY, who is the creator of two brands, Wasted Youth and Girls Don't Cry, is pioneering new horizons in graphic design. "Good taste means that the individuality of the person is apparent at a glance in their work or product."
The list includes a number of famous creators, including NIGO®, Tyler, the Creator, Tom Sachs, Coco Capitan, Natsuko Shoji, Oral Schmidt, and POST ARCHIVE FACTION designer Dongjun Lim. However, expressing their "uniqueness," or originality, is no easy task. What do they all have in common?
"I'm very particular about what I love. That's all there is to it. Of course, it's not that I don't care about society or trends. But because I always put what I love first, the things I create don't waver."
Things that have influenced him, things that he continues to love. These are also the foundation of VERDY's own creations. The 1980s American hardcore that he encountered in high school still lives on in him. And there is one artist he absolutely loves: Raymond Pettibon. The 67-year-old legendary artist is known for his artwork for the rock band Black Flag, and for VERDY, this may be a wall he will never be able to overcome.
"We live in an age where money can buy anything. Good taste is easy to come by. But money can't buy the ability to create taste. It comes from years of experience, chance encounters, and luck. That's why I respect people who have that kind of attitude. I feel the same way when I talk to Coco Capitan and Dongjun Lim, who are younger than me. We don't speak the same language, so we can't have very deep conversations, but our likes are similar and overlap, so we have a lot of fun to talk about, and I get the strong impression that this is the foundation of what we create."
What VERDY aims to do with his brand is to create clothes that, even when you look at them 10 years from now, you will think, "I had good taste when I wore that." Items that you can affirm yourself as having worn, even if you don't wear them now.
The works of creators he respects are also filled with VERDY's own current sensibilities. However, even when he looks back on them later, he will surely think, "That was good after all," and he finds a sense in the way creators live their lives that makes him think that way.
[FASHION] LOUIS VUITTON x Tyler, the Creator bags
A Louis Vuitton bag designed by Tyler, the Creator. "Similarly, the Globe-Trotter trunk, made at a completely different time, is a creation that you can recognize as Tyler's when you see it. There's no logo, and it's not tampered with, but the way it incorporates his personality is well-balanced."
[ART] Coco Capitan
The artist is known for his collaborations with Gucci and Dior. This collection of works is a compilation of excerpts from text pieces he hand-wrote in his notebooks over the course of 10 years. "I always have a notebook and pen with me, jotting down ideas and illustrations. I even use napkins as notebooks while eating. It's natural and I think it has great taste."
[ART] Oral Schmidt
The artist, whose work is also included in the permanent collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art in the US, gave VERDY a piece of art in New York for Christmas 2024. "She has a unique sensibility, using cigarettes and trash as materials. She might be my favorite at the moment. In 2024, she gave me a star-shaped piece of art made from cigarettes."
[FASHION] Air Force 3 Low x NIGO®
This collaborative sneaker between NIGO® and Nike was released in December 2024. "Not only is the shoe itself an adaptation of the Air Force 3, but everything from the promotional video to the gift box has a unified look. It's cool because they've paid so much attention to detail."
[FASHION] POST ARCHIVE FACTION down jacket
A fashion brand from Seoul, Korea, founded in 2018. "I found out about it through a collaboration with Virgil Abloh's Off-White in 2022. After I met Dongjun, I was given a down jacket when I visited the store. I had never worn a down jacket before, but I find myself wearing this one every day."
[FURNITURE] Chairs by TOM SACHS FURNITURE
A chair by a leading artist known for his sculptures and installations. "I first bought the famous NASA chair, but the more I use it, the more I like the shop chair. It's amazing how even small items like ballpoint pens and socks are recognizable as Tom Sachs, not just the interior design."
[TOY] Musican by NIGO®
This sensor toy, which dances in time with the sound, was once sold as merchandise. "When I think of people with great taste, I think of NIGO®. Gifts really show great taste, and NIGO® is an entertainer who goes to the trouble of reupholstering vintage toys with designs of his own."
[FOOD] été cake
The cakes are made by Natsuko Shoji, the first Japanese woman to win Asia's Best Pastry Chef and the first Japanese female chef to be ranked in Asia's Best Restaurants. "She is exploring and embodying what it means to be a high-end brand in cakes. Of course, the quality of the packaging is important, but she also has a great deal of passion for the ingredients."
