Verdy on his Shiseido Ultimune collaboration, working with Blackpink’s Lisa and creating his first female character

What happens when beauty and art collide? For Shiseido, the answer is a playful collaboration with celebrated Osaka-born graphic artist Verdy, who brings his distinctive visual language to the brand’s iconic skin-fortifying Ultimune franchise for its Fall/Winter 2026 campaign.

The collaboration follows Shiseido’s appointment of Blackpink’s Lisa as the global ambassador for Ultimune earlier this year. For Verdy, the timing was a serendipitous coincidence. “It didn’t directly influence my work, but I was thrilled to be involved with Shiseido at the exact same time as Lisa by coincidence,” he tells Her World in an email interview.

It is not the first time the artist has worked with the K-pop megastar. Verdy previously served as the official artistic director for Blackpink’s Born Pink World Tour.

One of the most prominent names in the contemporary creative scene, Verdy’s work spans fashion, music, nightlife and art. He is known for creating instantly recognisable characters and building a visual code that feels distinctly his own. It is this individuality that he sees reflected in Ultimune’s philosophy of inner strength and beauty from within.

“Ultimune’s core concept is about ‘bringing out your inner strength and beauty.’ I interpreted this ‘inner strength’ as the unique individuality that each person possesses. Creative work that is true to oneself carries a unique strength and character,” he says.

The artist has previously collaborated with names including Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, as well as built cult fashion labels such as Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth. But his collaboration with Shiseido marks a new creative foray into the beauty world.

At the heart of the campaign is Verdy’s much-loved panda-rabbit character, Vick, alongside exclusive new artwork created especially for the collaboration. The artist has also reinterpreted Shiseido’s signature camellia motif and introduced a brand-new female character, Girl.

For Verdy, creating Girl was particularly meaningful as it marked his first time designing a female character.

“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,” he explains. 

“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.”

Despite his growing profile and long list of collaborations, Verdy remains refreshingly humble about the partnership.

“Even people who don’t know who I am definitely know Shiseido,” he says. “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.”

The partnership also gave him a renewed sense of confidence. “Working alongside such a historic Japanese enterprise really gave me a renewed sense of confidence,” he adds.

To mark the collaboration, a series of limited-edition gifts featuring Verdy’s artwork will be available with selected Ultimune purchases, while stocks last.

The gifts include a hairband, hair pins and a vinyl pouch, with the designs featuring Verdy’s signature characters. Shiseido’s official campaign materials also highlight exclusive co-developed gifts as part of the collaboration.

As for what Verdy hopes people take away from the collaboration, his answer is simple: joy.

“Vick and the characters turned out with very joyful expressions, so I hope everyone who views the artwork feels a sense of happiness.”