What Is Wasted Youth?
VERDY’s Wasted Youth began as a skate team in 2016 and now sells through HUMAN MADE, Swatch and, since October 24, a four-piece capsule with GUESS JEANS. Here is the history, what each release costs and where to buy it.
If WTAPS is Tokyo in olive drab, Wasted Youth is Tokyo in neon green and a stained skate tee. The label belongs to VERDY, the graphic artist whose tulip-can artwork and message-driven punk graphics have turned release days into queues, and whose recent partners range from HUMAN MADE to Swatch to an American denim giant.
The story
Complex dates Wasted Youth to 2016, when VERDY launched it as a brand and a skate team, with his sister label Girls Don’t Cry arriving a year later. StockX, a less authoritative source, flips the order and puts Girls Don’t Cry first, so the safe reading is that both appeared within a year of each other in the mid-2010s. StockX adds that VERDY had been part of Tokyo’s underground scene since 2012, mixing skate, punk and Harajuku influences.
Hypebeast describes the imprint as built on the idea that “nothing is useless,” drawing on the punk, hardcore and skate scenes of Japan. That is the clearest statement of intent I could find. It also explains the clothes: graphic tees, knitwear, chinos, cargo pants and work shorts that look like they were made for people who actually skate.
- 2016Wasted Youth launches as a brand and skate team (Complex).
- About 2017Girls Don’t Cry follows as the sister label (Complex).
- January 2023“Season 1,” the first full collection, sells on the HUMAN MADE online store from ¥2,200 to ¥59,400 (Hypebeast).
- 2025VERDY becomes a creative partner of GUESS JEANS.
- September 12, 2026Collection #1 releases on OTSUMO PLAZA at 11:00 a.m. Japan time, seven pieces in all.
- October 24, 2026The GUESS JEANS x Wasted Youth capsule launches in four cities.
VERDY’s Tokyo network
Wasted Youth is sold through HUMAN MADE, the label designed by NIGO, which runs its releases on the HUMAN MADE online store and the OTSUMO PLAZA online store. Complex describes VERDY working with figures such as NIGO and having collections sold exclusively through that store, which is why a Wasted Youth drop reads as a Tokyo-scene event rather than a normal product launch. For comparison, our guides to WTAPS and WACKO MARIA show how other Tokyo labels build communities around a shop, a scene and a founder.
The GUESS link is newer. According to GUESS Japan’s press release, the capsule grew out of a relationship between GUESS JEANS lead Nicolai Marciano and VERDY, built between Los Angeles and Japan through a skater event at Henry’s PIZZA in Osaka, VERDY’s appointment as a creative partner in 2025 and pop-ups at GUESS JEANS Tokyo.
The 2026 drops
Collection #1 (September 12). HUMAN MADE announced a seven-piece Wasted Youth 2026 Collection #1, on sale at 11:00 a.m. Japan time through OTSUMO PLAZA. The page points to signature T-shirts, a knit polo and work shorts. I could not see official prices on the page, so I do not quote any.
The GUESS JEANS capsule (October 24). GUESS Japan announced it on October 22, 2026. The campaign images were shot on the Wasted Youth skate team’s recent U.S. tour, with the Los Angeles skyline in the distance, per Magmoe.
The GUESS JEANS capsule
Stripe Tee
Inspired by GUESS’s iconic stripe pattern. Sizes S to XL. ¥10,450.
Graphic Tee
The Wasted Youth tulip-can graphic arranged with flowers. Sizes S to XL. ¥9,350.
Denim Loose
Washed black denim with the GUESS eagle reworked as a Wasted Youth-style patch. Waists 28 to 36. ¥22,000.
2-Pack Boxer Briefs
White and black, with the label’s signature fluorescent green on the waistband. Sizes S to XL. ¥6,050.
Prices are in yen and include tax, per GUESS Japan’s release. The capsule is sold at GUESS JEANS flagships in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin and Amsterdam, at RAGGAWS (spelled REGGAWS by some outlets) and BLACKDOTS in Japan, and at TUNE in South Korea. A French retailer also lists a pop-up at GUESS JEANS Tokyo from October 24 and an exhibition called 81 Below running October 24 to November 1. Items and stock differ by store, so do not assume every shop has all four pieces.
Price chart: the GUESS capsule, in yen
Official prices including tax, October 22, 2026. Full bar equals ¥25,000.
Source: GUESS JAPAN press release via PR TIMES, October 22, 2026.
Price chart: the 2023 Season 1 range
The first full collection spread from entry-level to statement pieces. Full bar equals ¥60,000.
Source: Hypebeast, January 2023, HUMAN MADE online store prices.
Price chart: what you pay outside Japan, in US dollars
One official watch and two marked-up reseller T-shirts, checked October 24, 2026. Full bar equals $150.
Sources: Swatch US and WEAR43WAY. The reseller prices include import markup and I could not verify the seller’s authentication process.
Where to buy
| Channel | What you get | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HUMAN MADE online store and OTSUMO PLAZA | Main collections: Season 1, Collection #1 | Timed drops; Collection #1 went live at 11:00 a.m. JST on September 12 |
| GUESS JEANS flagships (Los Angeles, Tokyo, Berlin, Amsterdam) | The four-piece capsule | Stock varies by store |
| RAGGAWS and BLACKDOTS (Japan), TUNE (South Korea) | The capsule | Item range varies by store |
| Swatch | Wasted Youth by VERDY watch, $120 at Swatch US | One of four VERDY watches |
| Overseas resellers | Tees and accessories from past drops | Higher prices; verify the seller |
I did not find an official Wasted Youth website in the sources I used, so start with the HUMAN MADE news page for Japan drops and the GUESS Japan release for the capsule.
Copies and authenticity
Resale
I did not collect resale data for Wasted Youth specifically. For context on VERDY’s wider market, StockX lists a Verdy x PSG Tokyo exclusive Girls Don’t Cry hoodie at a lowest ask of $493, and Complex reports the Girls Don’t Cry x Nike SB sneaker reaching $5,000 against a retail price of about $98. Both are Girls Don’t Cry products and are included only to show how VERDY’s name moves on the secondary market.
How it compares
| Label | Creative lead | Signature | Where it sells | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasted Youth | VERDY | Punk and skate graphics, tulip can, neon green | HUMAN MADE online, GUESS JEANS capsule, Swatch | This guide |
| Girls Don’t Cry | VERDY | Romantic graphics; Nike SB, Carrots, Undercover, HUMAN MADE collaborations | Collaboration and exclusive releases | Not yet covered |
| WTAPS | Tetsu Nishiyama | Military and workwear | GIP Store in Shibuya and stockists | WTAPS guide |
| WACKO MARIA | Atsuhiko Mori and Keiji Ishizuka | Music-led, Hawaiian shirts | Paradise Tokyo and stockists | WACKO MARIA guide |
What the numbers say
There are no published company figures for Wasted Youth. I could not identify an operating company or any investors, and I have not estimated revenue from drop sizes, prices or followers. What is documented is the scale of the moment: Complex says VERDY’s release days draw hundreds and sometimes thousands of people, and GUESS has put the label in four flagship cities at once.
Questions
What is Wasted Youth?
A Tokyo streetwear label and skate team created by graphic artist VERDY in 2016.
Who owns Wasted Youth?
Ownership is not published. VERDY is the creative lead, and HUMAN MADE is its main Japanese retail partner.
What is the difference between Wasted Youth and Girls Don’t Cry?
Both belong to VERDY. Wasted Youth is the punk and skate imprint; Girls Don’t Cry is the sister label known for romantic graphics and the Nike SB sneaker.
How much is the GUESS JEANS x Wasted Youth collection?
¥6,050 for the boxer briefs, ¥9,350 for the graphic tee, ¥10,450 for the stripe tee and ¥22,000 for the denim, all including tax in Japan.
Where can I buy it?
HUMAN MADE and OTSUMO PLAZA for Japan drops, and GUESS JEANS flagships, RAGGAWS, BLACKDOTS and TUNE for the capsule.
Is there financial data?
No. The label publishes no figures.
Janet Arklis
Janet Arklis is a fashion writer at Street Iconic. She covers streetwear brands, designer collaborations, sneaker culture and Japanese fashion, with a focus on how a label’s history, ownership and design choices shape what ends up on the rack. Her guides trace where a brand came from, what it sells and what it costs, and she flags anything she could not verify.
Research support: AI tools working from public sources. Sources are listed at the end of every guide.
Keep reading
WTAPS
Tokyo’s military-minded streetwear, from the same back-street scene.
WACKO MARIA
Music, aloha shirts and a bar that became a brand.
Who Decides War
Hand-distressed designer denim from New York.
All brand guides
Browse every Street Iconic brand explainer.
Sources
- GUESS JAPAN press release: GUESS JEANS x Wasted Youth (PR TIMES, October 22, 2026)
- FASHIONSNAP: GUESS JEANS x Wasted Youth (Japanese)
- MAGMOE: capsule announcement (Japanese)
- Culted: GUESS JEANS and VERDY’s Wasted Youth
- Selecta Bisso: capsule details (French)
- HUMAN MADE: Wasted Youth 2026 Collection #1
- Hypebeast: Wasted Youth Season 1
- Complex: Verdy on Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth
- Swatch: VERDY collection
- StockX: Verdy
Street Iconic is independent and not affiliated with Wasted Youth, VERDY, HUMAN MADE or GUESS. Prices change; GUESS prices come from the official October 22, 2026 release and other figures were checked on October 24, 2026. See our Disclaimer and Affiliate Disclosure.
