Who is Ed Hardy?

The Ed Hardy brand is probably one of the most popular brands these days. Even celebrities can be seen wearing their favorite piece of clothing by Ed Hardy. Be it shirts, caps, shoes - Ed Hardy's designs can be recognized even from afar.

But who is Ed Hardy?

"Don Ed Hardy" is a well-known tattoo artist who incorporated Japanese designs to his Western-style tattoos to create a more aesthetic appeal to them.

In 2002, Ku USA Inc. approached Hardy and asked if they could produce a clothing line using his tattoos as designs. After two years, Hardy Life LLC was formed to hold copyrights and trademark ownership of the clothing line.

2004 was when famed designer Christian Audigier, who made Von Dutch, licensed the rights to produce the Ed Hardy clothing line. He used the same marketing techniques that he employed with his own brand by opening shops in high-end districts to target celebrities.

The Ed Hardy designs attracted a lot of stars, including Brad Pitt, Carmen Electra, Hulk Hogan and Madonna, making them unofficial models of the brand. Currently, six Ed Hardy stores are in business worldwide.

Here are some of Ed Hardy's designs: