INK ME HARDY

How would it feel to see your clothes on fashion icons like Christina Milian, Paris Hilton, and Victoria and David Beckham? Or see your designs being worn on the red carpet by stars such as Jessica Alba, Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom and Naomi Watts? What if you turned on MTV to see Mariah Carey, Jared Leto, Christina Aguilera, Busta Rhymes, Fergie and Madonna all donning a clothing label that you created? Welcome to the life of Christian Audigier.

Audigier … Audigier? Doesn’t sound familiar? How about Ed Hardy? Ah, yes! The name Ed Hardy strokes the fashion bone in every hipster across the country. In less than a year-and-a-half, Christian Audigier has created and made Ed Hardy into the hottest must-have label around the world.

Born in southern France, Audigier loves rock ‘n’ roll. His childhood aspirations were to follow in the footsteps of Mick Jagger, but Audigier lacked a singing voice. So, Audigier came up with a new dream, and that was to become a fashion designer. Well, in the past 20 years, he has used his creative genius to leave his indelible style on some of today’s most popular brands, including American Eagle Outfitters, Levi’s, Naf Naf and Diesel.

Most recently, Audigier joined the then-unknown Von Dutch and transformed them into the powerhouse label known around the world. After word got out about Von Dutch, anyone who was anyone was seen wearing the trademark Von Dutch trucker hats. In 2004, Christian left Von Dutch and teamed up with the masterful tattoo artist Ed Hardy to create a fashion milestone.

Eva Longoria, Heidi Klum, Steven Tyler and Pam Anderson are all fans of the Ed Hardy label that mixes bright colors and tattoo designs to make a brand that is truly unique and is a fresh breath into the world of fashion. Ed Hardy started out as just a few T-shirt designs but has grown into a massive label in design licenses. These new products range from belts, denim, energy drinks and watches, to lingerie, school supplies, pet lines and makeup.

Featured in trendy magazines like Vogue, GQ and US Weekly, Ed Hardy only has four stores in the United States, two in Los Angeles, one in NY, and one in Arizona. However, you can shop online at donedhardy.com, where you can see the models from the Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency sporting the latest designs. This season’s new pieces include the men’s fur-lined hoody, canvas bags, and a women’s tunic print with foil, just to name a few. Other hot items to check out are the unisex rhinestone trucker hats, cowboy boots and slip-ons.

The chic stitch about Ed Hardy is its fresh look that appeals to all personalities and lifestyles. When you see Snoop Dog, Tony Hawk, Dave Navarro, Heather Locklear and the cast of Laguna Beach all dressing in Christian Audigier’s Ed Hardy label, you know that this design is something extraordinary. So, as we get closer to the holidays, get on your fashion A-game, and put Ed Hardy on the top of your must-have list. You know this fashionisto will.