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Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Ed Hardy Clothing - A History

By Roisi Proven

What do Snoop Dogg and Sylvester Stallone have in common? Unfortunately it's not a hot new musical collaboration. It's a brand new line from a hot designer. He doesn't work for Dolce and Gabbana, Burberry or Chanel, it's Ed Hardy clothing, a brand new, original line from Christian Audigier.

Ed Hardy clothing was inspired by the man who also gave the line its name, the legendary tattoo artist, Don Ed Hardy. Known as "the godfather of modern tattoo" in many tattoo circles, Hardy's blend of Japanese and American styles is highly sought after around the world.

Christian Audigier saw a fantastic marketing opportunity in Hardy's tattoos. He approached Hardy in 2004 with a clothing line idea based on his artistic style. Hardy, knowing that Audigier had already designed for the likes of Urban Outfitters, Diesel and Von Dutch, knew that his work would be in good hands, and so granted the licence.

Although the Ed Hardy range has become a hit across the globe, it has taken hold in Hollywood more than anywhere else. Britney Spears was recently spotted in the designer's Hollywood warehouse picking out gifts, and Madonna has an item of Ed Hardy clothing on almost daily.

The reason for this success is Audigier's unique marketing style. He networks more than any other designer in order to get clients to wear his clothes as often as possible. When you consider how often some of these celebrities are photographed, it ends up being a very lucrative way of advertising. Giving away free merchandise is far cheaper than forking out hundreds of thousands of dollars in order to use the same celebrities in ad campaigns. In fact, the official site of the brand has a "Celebrity Gallery" section which is a selection of pictures of Audigier with his various celebrity clients.

However, with men's tops starting from $57 and women's from $62, it is clear that this line is not only for the rich and famous. It is also reassuring to know that the Ed Hardy line will definitely not be going out of style any time soon. It is not often that you can say that about clothing, but with it being based on a style of tattooing that has endured for decades, we can be sure of many fashionable years to come.

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