LOS ANGELES — It’s another chapter in the commercialization of the counterculture, California style.
Designer Christian Audigier, who split from Von Dutch last summer, is back with a new apparel brand inspired by tattoo maven Don Ed Hardy.
“When you have a story, it’s easier to create a brand around it,” Audigier said in his office on Melrose Avenue.
While Von Dutch draws on the works of the late car customizer whose given name was Kenny Howard, Audigier’s new venture is an alliance with the still-very-much-alive Hardy.
After securing the licensing rights for apparel, accessories and cosmetics to the Don Ed Hardy name in a 10-year deal signed last year, Audigier has launched a spring line of clothing and already amassed licenses for shoes, children’s wear, surfwear and jewelry, as well as sublicenses for motorcycles and an energy drink. The deal gives Audigier access to almost 30 years worth of Hardy’s archives, from little devils to punked-out skulls.
“My head’s spinning, it’s happening so fast,” said Hardy, who lives in Honolulu but still operates Ed Hardy’s Tattoo City storefront in San Francisco.
Hardy, who is credited as one of the first U.S. tattoo artists to make extensive use of colored inks, said he is “not dialed into fashion,” but believes the partnership has legs.
“It’s limitless,” he said. “I’m creating new stuff every day, so I think there’s enough to avoid customer ennui.”
Since departing Von Dutch, Audigier had a heart attack and underwent an angioplasty, but he said adversity has given him an increased sense of urgency to make his mark with the new brand.
He opened a 1,200-square-foot store two months ago on Melrose Avenue, featuring tiger-striped carpet and wooden displays of clothing. Next month, Audigier plans a 1,200-square-foot men’s store next door with zebra-stripe carpet.
Audigier, who’s also done stints at Diesel and American Eagle Outfitters, has received retailer buy-in with the likes of Kitson in Los Angeles and the Lounge in New York picking up the collection.
“I thought the line was very cool and picked up the T-shirts because I liked the edgy tattoo theme,” said Jack Menashe, owner and buyer for the Lounge.
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Jeans are a mainstay of the collection in five-pocket and capri styles, spruced up with tattoo-inspired prints and paint splatters. The line also includes ripstop cargos in camouflage prints with tattooed legs. Fitted, garment-dyed T-shirts sport tattoos with the Ed Hardy name on the back and a smaller version on the lower front side. Worn-looking pique polo shirts along with cashmere styles round out the mix. The jeans wholesale for $65 to $115, with the tops ranging from $25 to $55.
Trucker hats — a mainstay of the Von Dutch line — also play a big role in the Ed Hardy collection. Audigier plans to offer six styles of embroidered trucker hats each season. They’ll wholesale from $25.
He expects to rack up $15 million in first-year sales, capitalizing on recent shows of Hardy’s artwork at the Track 16 Gallery in Santa Monica, Calif., and in Tokyo, where his 500-foot-long painting, “2000 Dragons,” was shown in January.
Next month, the company plans to move to a 14,000-square-foot facility on La Brea in Los Angeles that will house the showroom and warehouse.
“This is where we live, where it’s happening,” Audigier said, gesturing around his light-filled store.