Connected to the Japanese Fashion Scene Through Friends in LA

POGGYAs a graphic designer, I imagine you initially did a lot of work for musicians. Who are some of your favorite artists, VERDY?

VERDYMy roots are in punk and hardcore. I liked bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Circle Jerks, and Gang Green. Then, about six years ago, I saw Tyler, The Creator live, and that's when I started liking hip-hop. Now, I enjoy going to shows for overseas hip-hop artists as well as Japanese hip-hop artists.


POGGYThe transition from punk to hip-hop is exactly the same for me. In the 80s, there were people who originally liked punk who got into hip-hop through artists like Run-DMC. Also, the way people vibe to current hip-hop is similar to punk or rock.

VERDYThat's true. I think the atmosphere at the shows is no different from rock concerts.

POGGYI imagine you're skilled at drawing and creating graphics, VERDY. How do you go about making clothes?

VERDYHonestly, I haven't studied clothing design at all, so when I can't make something myself, I collaborate. Recently, I made a jacket with NIGO®'s HUMAN MADE and sneakers with NIKE. I only make things like hoodies, T-shirts, caps, and tote bags myself. I used to do screen printing, but I approach it more like making merchandise than clothing.

POGGYCould you tell us the difference between Wasted Youth and Girls Don't Cry?

VERDYWasted Youth was the first project I started, and it reflects the culture that has influenced me, like punk and skate. When I was working as a graphic designer, I was constantly struggling with a lack of originality. That's when I came up with the phrase 'Wasted Youth.' I loved bands and designed for them, skated, and was living on the edge in Osaka. It felt like a long detour, but it wasn't wasted at all. So, I wanted to create graphics with the phrase 'Wasted Youth' and convey its meaning.

So, if there's a story involving my wife, I release it under Girls Don't Cry. If it's related to the cultures that influenced me, I release it under Wasted Youth. I separate them that way.

POGGYIn recent years, I feel that the trend of young designers from LA, like Virgil Normal and Brain Dead, has been accepted in Japan. I believe you have a very close relationship with the LA scene as well. Could you tell us how you met people from LA?

VERDYAfter I started going to LA, I showed my graphics to various people and met them at parties, and we naturally became friends. At that time, many small brands were emerging in LA, and whatever Tyler wore became popular. My partner, Paulo Calle, runs RARE PANTHER, which Tyler wore, and other brands like Carrots, run by Anwar Carrots, were also gaining traction. They posted about me on Instagram, and when I did pop-ups there, it, in turn, connected me with Japanese magazines and fashion people. Now, people like NIGO® and POGGY post about me on Instagram, and my old friends in LA are happy for me, saying, 'VERDY, that's great!' Everything is connected, and it's going really well.

POGGYYou collaborated with Anwar, whom you just mentioned, quite early on.

VERDYHonestly, collaborating with Anwar made a big difference for me. I learned a lot about his mindset for creating things, like 'It's better not to do things that aren't fun.' I've come to feel the same way.

POGGYIn the current global fashion landscape, Virgil Abloh is mentioned in every installment of this series. Virgil really supports young people from all over the world. In contrast, Japanese fashion still has a strong sense of 'senior culture.' However, I believe you've broken through that mold in a good way. You collaborate with OGs like Hikaru of BOUNTY HUNTER while also fostering the culture of younger generations. Since your emergence, I think things have been moving in a positive direction.


VERDYWhen I go abroad, I feel like people are more likely to say 'this is good' based on their own standards, rather than whether it's trendy. But in Japan, frankly, I feel that situation has persisted for a long time. Even within that, there were people like Hikaru who, when I first came to Tokyo, said, 'VERDY, you're great! Let's collaborate.' I'll never forget that support when nobody knew me yet. So, I want to be that kind of person for younger people too.

POGGYSpeaking of which, the other day at the TRUNK HOTEL event, you introduced me to the kids on the Wasted Youth skate team you support.

VERDYEver since I lived in Osaka, I always wished there were more interesting things happening there, like in Tokyo. Now that I'm in a position to do various interesting things in Tokyo, I want to support talented kids from Osaka who I find interesting. That's why I started supporting the Wasted Youth skate team when we decided to release skate decks. These kids skate every single day. Seeing them reminded me of how I used to think about graphic design and T-shirts every day. I don't know much about skating myself, so I can learn by doing it together. I think we're a good source of inspiration for each other.

Page02.Expressing Your Feelings Through Graphics is Originality

Expressing Your Feelings Through Graphics is Originality

POGGYYou're holding a pop-up event in collaboration with Amazon Fashion this time. What led to this project?

VERDYI remember seeing the "AT TOKYO" posters for the joint UNDERCOVER and sacai show when I was walking around Harajuku years ago. I don't think I was doing much in fashion back then, but I thought, 'Wow, something like this exists!' After I started working in fashion, I was invited to the "AT TOKYO" AMBUSH show last year. That was the first fashion show I ever attended. When I received the invitation, I was so excited, thinking, 'I got something like this?' Once I went, I was deeply impressed by the solid concepts and the show itself. That experience led me to attend Paris Fashion Week. Because "AT TOKYO" broadened my interests, I was eager to participate when I received an offer from them.

At this point, NIGO® made a surprise visit to the pop-up, temporarily pausing the conversation. The strong bond between the two, who have collaborated several times and now "see each other three days a week," was evident in their interaction. After about 20 minutes, NIGO® departed as swiftly as he had arrived.

POGGYSo, what was the initial spark that led NIGO® to support you, VERDY?



VERDYApparently, Jun (Jun Takahashi) and NIGO® were talking, and NIGO® asked, 'Are there any interesting young people out there?' Jun then said something like, 'VERDY, with whom I collaborated at UNDERCOVER, might be a good fit for you, NIGO®.' NIGO® knew about Girls Don't Cry but didn't realize it was made by a Japanese person. So, he became interested and we arranged to meet.

POGGYYou might be too modest to say it yourself, but why do you think elders like Jun and NIGO® cherish you?

VERDYI think it's probably because I really admire them. I've always respected them deeply and genuinely thought about working with them every day. I don't know for sure, but maybe my strong desire made it happen (laughs).

POGGYYou collaborate not only with the older generation like them but also with LA brands and Nike. There are many young designers and brands in Japan doing similar things and wanting to achieve the same. What makes you stand out among Japanese brands and accomplish so much?

VERDYI think it might be my proactiveness. When Nike first approached me, things didn't progress at all. If I inquired, they'd say, 'We can do it, let's do it,' but nothing moved forward. I only knew one person at Nike, and I was very anxious. So, even though I wasn't invited, I went directly to Portland, where Nike's headquarters are.



POGGYYou went on your own initiative? I didn't know that.

VERDYI went with a friend who could interpret to arrange more concrete meetings. I wasn't sure if they would actually see me, but when I got there, they said, 'Come to the office.' So, we took an Uber to Nike. I explained clearly, 'We want to release this kind of shoe,' and 'We want to do it this way.' If there's a chance to do something, I want to seize it, and I always feel that things shouldn't just fizzle out.

POGGYYou also have connections with Asian brands. How do you view the Asian scene?

VERDYIn Korea, there's a shop called WARPED., and a women's streetwear brand called MISCHIEF. In Hong Kong, there's Loading Store, and also YETI OUT. It feels like new brands are increasing. Also, music and fashion are quite closely linked. It's similar to movements like tokyovitamin in Japan, and I feel like interesting young people are emerging.

POGGYAs the entire Asian scene gains momentum, what are your thoughts on the movement in Tokyo?

VERDYFor example, in Korea, there seems to be a strong sense of camaraderie among Koreans. I think that's true for other countries too, but Japan felt a bit different before. However, the young people I meet at parties in Shibuya or Harajuku nowadays don't seem to have that. They understand that if something becomes popular in Japan, people overseas will buy it, so they're competing not just within Japan but globally. To achieve that, I think they're realizing that having good relationships makes things more interesting. Many Japanese people are content within Japan and don't venture abroad. However, I feel the number of Japanese people at Paris Fashion Week is increasing each time. Also, Japanese hip-hop and other cultural aspects are still relatively unknown overseas. I think all of this is becoming interesting, and I want it to become even more so.

POGGYFinally, VERDY, what are your future aspirations for yourself?


VERDYI want to continue what I'm doing now while also pursuing interesting things to keep myself from getting bored. I believe expressing my feelings through graphics is my originality. I created Wasted Youth and Girls Don't Cry around the same time three years ago, with a similar mindset. While some feelings remain the same since then, the circumstances have changed, leading to new perspectives. I want to convey these new messages in new forms, like this pop-up. I consider each project complete once it's created. Therefore, I want to keep creating more and more new things.