The Japanese artist opens up about his first beauty collaboration, working with Shiseido and the creative thinking behind his iconic characters.

Osaka-born graphic artist VERDY is no stranger to collaboration. From fashion and music to pop culture and art, his creative world has expanded far beyond his solo work, with an impressive portfolio that includes projects with global brands, artists and cultural icons.
Known for projects such as Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, as well as his instantly recognisable characters VICK and VISTY, VERDY has developed a distinctive visual language that continues to find new spaces to exist in. His work has appeared across fashion, sports and entertainment, from Swatch collaborations to exclusive Knicks NBA Championship T-shirts. He has also served as the Artistic Director behind BLACKPINK’s ‘Born Pink’ Tour and, in July this year, presented his first solo museum exhibition.
There’s seemingly no telling where VERDY’s creativity will take him next. Now, he’s entering a new territory: beauty.
VERDY has teamed up with <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/win-metawin-first-friend-shiseido-new-ultimune-serum-slow-aging-beauty-news-pop-up-singapore-skincare" title="Win Metawin Celebrates SHISEIDO’s Brand New ULTIMUNE Serum for Slow-Aging" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SHISEIDO</a> to bring a fresh sense of character and playfulness to the Japanese beauty brand’s iconic <a href="https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/beauty/thai-actor-win-metawin-exclusive-shiseido-interview-skincare-beauty" title="Exclusive: Chats with Thai Actor Win at Shiseido's 'Journey of Potential' Event" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SHISEIDO ULTIMUNE</a> serum. The collaboration features a series of limited-edition gifts with purchase, designed by VERDY and featuring his beloved VICK character, a reinterpretation of SHISEIDO’s signature camellia motif, and a newly illustrated female character named ‘GIRL’.
For VERDY, the project offered an opportunity to step into unfamiliar territory while remaining rooted in the creative instincts that have shaped his work throughout his career.
We spoke to VERDY about his first collaboration in the beauty space, how he approaches creative partnerships, what makes a project worth pursuing, the inspiration behind his new character ‘GIRL’ and his own relationship with skincare.

You’ve collaborated with so many artists, designers and iconic brands over the years. How did this collaboration with Shiseido come to be?
It started when SHISEIDO reached out to me directly during a time when I was actively looking to work with Japanese companies. SHISEIDO is indisputably a flagship Japanese enterprise, and I accepted the project because I thought it would be wonderful to build something exciting together.
Working alongside such a historic Japanese enterprise really gave me a renewed sense of confidence. Even people who don't know who I am definitely know SHISEIDO. The fact that a major company that has been a part of people’s everyday lives for so long collaborated with an individual graphic artist like myself feels unique and genuinely interesting. In a way, bringing together two entities that might never have crossed paths through creativity holds great meaning.
As your first foray into the beauty space, how has this experience been for you and can you pull back the curtain on the collaborative process between you and Shiseido?
For most projects I accept, I already have a clear mental image of what I want to make as soon as the offer comes in. For this project as well, the moment I received the initial brief and requests from SHISEIDO, I already knew what I wanted to draw. From there, it was simply a matter of bringing those ideas to life.
SHISEIDO approached me with a deep understanding of my creative work, so we were able to move the project forward in a great atmosphere right from the first meeting. They gave clear requests, and we continuously discussed how we could bring an exciting project to life, which naturally led to the final designs.

As an artist, what factors do you consider when choosing a project to join?
My criteria include whether I can work in a way that feels true to myself, whether the project sounds exciting, and whether the client truly understands my creativity before making the offer. Ultimately, these days, whether a project personally excites me is extremely important.
With this collaboration, you’ve created a reinterpretation of Shiseido’s signature camellia motif. How did you land on this design and what were your intentions behind it?
When I received the offer, SHISEIDO requested a character or motif based on the camellia. I created a camellia character in response, and I feel the final result suited the project perfectly.

Could you tell us more about the newly illustrated female character, ‘GIRL’? How did she come about and how did you decide on her name?
Around the time this project was underway, I was simultaneously working on numerous pieces for my solo exhibition in Seoul, “I Believe in Me”. Being in that mindset made me want to create a brand-new character, and considering the theme of 'beauty,' I decided to design a female character. It was my very first time creating a female character, and I feel it was a challenge I could only have taken on because of this specific collaboration.
What is your personal relationship with skincare and aging?
I don't have deep expertise in the beauty space, so there isn't much I can share on that front, but I have been using ULTIMUNE daily, which I discovered through this project.

Exclusive! VERDY on His Shiseido Collaboration, Character Creation and Creative Process

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