Christian Audigier facts for kids
Christian Audigier (born Christian Ginutti, May 21, 1958 – July 10, 2015) was a famous French fashion designer. He was well-known for creating popular clothing brands like Ed Hardy and Von Dutch.
Early Life
Christian Audigier was born as Christian Ginutti on May 21, 1958. His hometown was Avignon, a city in France.
Fashion Career
Audigier started working in the fashion world when he was just fifteen years old. He designed cool denim clothes inspired by his love for rock and roll music, especially the band The Rolling Stones. His designs became very popular.
A top boss from MacKeen Jeans noticed his talent. This gave Audigier the chance to design for the company and travel around the world. In his early twenties, he moved to New York City to grow his own fashion brand. He worked with many well-known companies like Guess, Levi's, and Diesel.
Success in Los Angeles
Later, Audigier moved to Los Angeles. This is where he found his biggest success as a fashion designer.
After an artist named Kenny Howard (also known as Von Dutch) passed away, his daughters sold the Von Dutch name. A clothing brand was then created using this name. It quickly became very popular in the United States. Many celebrities, including Madonna, Britney Spears, and Justin Timberlake, started wearing Von Dutch clothes.
Audigier helped make the Von Dutch brand even more famous. In 2004, he left the company on good terms. He then went on to make the Ed Hardy brand very popular. Ed Hardy is known for its bold designs inspired by tattoo art.
Audigier also created other brands, like SMET with French singer Johnny Hallyday. His fashion brands are sold all over the world in more than 40 countries.
Other Ventures
In 2008, Christian Audigier worked with a group in France called Montpeyroux Estates. Together, they launched a line of fine wines. The wine bottles had special labels designed with classic Ed Hardy artwork.
He also released a line of Ed Hardy perfumes for both men and women. In 2012, he even appeared on an episode of Sweden's Next Top Model.
Later Life and Passing
Christian Audigier passed away on July 10, 2015, in Los Angeles, California. He was 57 years old. He died from a blood disorder called myelodysplastic syndrome.
