Verdy, a humble Japanese graphic designer, exploded into relative stardom this year, with his designs gracing everything from UNDEFEATED T-shirts to the cover of *HYPEBEAST Magazine*. Though he had already created graphics for BAPE and UNDERCOVER alike, it was Verdy’s original artwork for his brands Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry that took the streetwear world by storm this year. Friends like Hiroshi Fujiwara and Chris Gibbs aided in bolstering Verdy’s brands, ushering in collaborations with Careering and Union Tokyo, respectively. Rare Panther, NUBIAN, UNDERCOVER and afterbase shortly followed suit.