Ghosts!

What do Madonna and Britney Spears have in common? Unfortunately there isn’t another gay scandal in Hollywood, but there is a fashion one. In the past few years a brand new line has been coveted by these celebrities and many others. It isn’t a new line from Burberry, Fendi, or Gucci. It’s a brand new line by Christian Audigier, and that line is Ed Hardy clothing.

Ed Hardy clothing takes its name from the man who inspired the line, Don Ed Hardy. Hardy is considered one of the best tattoo artists in the world and in tattoo circles he is called “the godfather of modern tattoo”. His Japanese meets American style is highly original and highly sought after around the globe.

In 2004, Christian Audigier approached Don Ed Hardy with an idea for a new clothing line based on his style of tattooing. Hardy agreed to the idea, knowing that Audigier had previously designed lines for brands such as Urban Outfitters, Diesel and Von Dutch. If anyone could bring his tattoos to life in a clothing line, then it was Audigier.

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, this line isn’t only for Hollywood. With tops starting from between $57-$64 it’s actually fairly affordable as far as designer ranges go. It is also good to know that when you buy Ed Hardy clothing you’re buying an item that will stand the test of time, because when a line has been designed around a style of tattooing that has stayed in vogue for decades, it’s hard to imagine it going out of style any time soon.