With artwork that features mermaids, butterflies, peacocks, snakes and tigers, Ed Hardy shirts echo the fantasy themes of body art. Don Ed Hardy is a California tattoo artist whose technical brilliance and extraordinary imagination has won him worldwide recognition. Women and men both find the appeal of Ed Hardy shirts hard to resist.More than 5,000 celebrities have been spotted in these artistic creations manufactured by Christian Audigier. Ed Hardy Shirts deliver the impact of tattoo art without the pain.
In 1967 when Don Ed Hardy began his career as a tattoo artist he had just received a B.F.A. degree in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute. He continued his studies of the art in the 70s and 80s in Japan with a traditional tattoo master.
Don Ed Hardy’s 40 years of tattooing experience and willingness to experiment has earned him the title of “the Godfather of the Modern Tattoo.” His talent and creativity in sourcing art histories to create a blend of Japanese, Cholo, and American icons and combining them with hotrod, surf and tattoo designs give his work a unique range and depth has made him a legend in the world of body art.
In 2002 Hardy signed a license agreement with Ku USA, Inc. to produce a line of clothing based on his art and in less than two years, major clothing companies where showing interest in his designs.
One fashion designer who had been captured by Don Ed Hardy’s artwork was Christian Audigier. The “Freedom”, “Death Before Dishonor” and “Love Kills Slowly” tattoo body art themes created by Don Ed Hardy were licensed to Audigier for his exclusive use in a 2004 agreement. The “Ed Hardy” brand has raised street culture and lifestyle couture to a new level as a result.
Born in Avignon, France, fashion designer Christian Audigier now lives in Los Angeles. Audigier is called “The King of Jeans” from his success as a designer for apparel manufacturers such as; “Fiorucci,” “Levi’s,” “Diesel” and “American Outfitters.” Before creating the Ed Hardy brand, Audigier was the Head Designer at Von Dutch Originals, famous for the legendary Kustom Kulture imagery of artist Von Dutch which became a top fashion item for many celebrities around the world.
Part of Audigier success is due to his charisma and close affinity to the entertainment world lifestyle which has inspired many of his groundbreaking ideas in promotion including marketing directly to celebrity clients.
There is a full line of clothing items in addition to Ed Hardy shirts, plus accessories for women and men. There are 7 brands produced by Audigier’s company Nervous Tattoo which employs more than 45,000 people to make the clothing lines including: “Crystal Rock”, “Christian Audigier”, SMET”, and most recently “C-Bar-A”, “Chuck Boyd”, and “Paco Chicano.