Ed Hardy brand designer Christian Audigier died on July 9 after a battle with cancer. He was 57.
Audigier is best known for licensing tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy’s work for an apparel-and-footwear collection featuring Hardy’s iconic tattoos.
The French designer launched his career in the denim world, inspired by his fascination with rock ‘n’ roll. He later moved to New York, where he worked with leading brands, including Guess, Levi’s, Diesel and XOXO.
A move to Los Angeles brought work with Von Dutch owner Kenneth Howard, tapping Audigier’s celebrity following to wear the label, known for its trucker hats. After parting ways with Von Dutch, Audigier again worked with the Ed Hardy brand, which garnered a strong following among young male consumers with its colorful and often irreverent designs.
In 2011, Iconix Brand Group Inc., acquired the worldwide master license for the Ed Hardy brand from Nervous Tattoo. In a company statement Iconix said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Christian Audigier, the business innovator who found tattoo artist Ed Hardy and transformed his artwork into the iconic brand. Although, Christian had not been involved in the Ed Hardy brand in recent years, his presence will be greatly missed.”
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Canvas sneakers provided the perfect backdrop for the colorful tattoo designs that were also incorporated into summertime flip-flops and women’s booties. The collection also offered a more subtle approach, with artwork on the footbeds of women’s platform sandals.
The designer is survived by a daughter and two sons.
