The Ed Hardy shirt is based on the fantasy designs of Don Ed Hardy, which features skulls, tigers, snakes and mermaids. This California tattoo artist has enjoyed worldwide acclaim for his technical ability and creative imagination that has transformed his designs into a complete fashion line manufactured by the famous designer Christian Audigier. Today, over 5,000 celebrities have indulged their love of tattoos through this wearable body art that satisfies the desire without sacrifice.

Don Ed Hardy’s career as a tattoo artist began in 1967 after he received a BFA degree from San Francisco Art Institute in printmaking. In the 70s and 80s, Don Ed Hardy lived in Japan and refined his skill with traditional tattoo masters.

With more than four decades of tattooing experience, Don Ed Hardy’s skillful experimentation is the reason why he has achieved legendary status and is often referred to as “the Godfather of the Modern Tattoo.” Over the years he has used art history to inspire his talent. He has masterfully combined icons from American, Japanese, and Cholo, cultures with surf, tattoo and hotrod designs to give his work a mesmerizing effect

Hardy signed a license agreement with Ku USA, Inc. in 2002 to manufacture a clothing line based on his art. Other major apparel makers began to show interest in his designs two years after the agreement was signed.

Christian Audigier was one of the fashion designers that were astounded by the imagery of Don Ed Hardy’s tattoo art themes such as “Love Kills Slowly.” Don Ed Hardy and Audigier signed a licensing agreement in 2004 that granted the designer exclusive rights to use his designs as the “Ed Hardy” brand. The street culture clothing line has virtually created a lifestyle couture since its beginning.

Today Christian Audigier lives in Los Angeles, but he was born in France in the southern city of Avignon. Before he created the Ed Hardy brand, he was Head Designer and marketing genius for Von Dutch Originals. Audigier is the person who promoted the imagery of Kustom Kulture artist Von Dutch to legendary status in the fashion map and had the celebrities in a mad dash to wear it. Audigier’s title: “The King of Jeans” comes from his success as a designer for companies such as; “American Outfitters,” “Diesel,” “Fiorucci” and “Levi’s.”

Audigier’s success is because of his love of the entertainer lifestyle and his charisma. This close relationship to the entertainment world is at the heart of his promotional method of marketing directly to a celebrity clientele.

In addition to the Ed Hardy shirt, the brand features a full line of clothing items and accessories for women and men. Audigier’ company Nervous Tattoo employs more than 45,000 people worldwide who produce six other clothing lines including: the new lines of “C-Bar-A”, “Chuck Boyd”, and “Paco Chicano” along with “Christian Audigier”, SMET”, “and Crystal Rock.”