NO SURPRISE THAT DOUCHEBAGS TANK THE ED HARDY BRAND

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It was more of a shock that the brand has been in the news this past week. It might come as a shock to no one, but the combo of Christian Audigier and Jon Gosselin was not a good one. Everyone from the Huffington Post to Today have been talking about the tanking of the Ed Hardy brand.

A lot of the reports quote Ed hardy (Yes he is a real guy. His real name is Don Ed Hardy) putting the blame on Jon Gosselin. Remember him? He loved the brand almost as much as he loved the paparazzi, although now he is rumored to be living in a tent with no address to hide from them. Do a Google search and you will find a lot of vomit inducing looks of Gosselin wearing Ed Hardy.

The end to the Ed Hardy brand was a collective effort of many of the douchebags who have watered down the once celebrity flaunted brand. Anyone remember Von Dutch? Is Affliction next?

A designer who got caught up in socializing and not enough focus on the designing is the real cause of the fall of Ed Hardy.




The sad part is that at the beginning, Ed hardy was not a bad brand. Executive Editor for Social Club 19 admits to picking up a hat or two from Nordstrom. LA's hottest socialites and celebrities were spotted wearing the brand often. The brand started from boutique exclusivity. Easily $100 or more for a tee shirt with a Don Ed Hardy tattoo design on it. The price increased with the amount of bedazzlement added to the shirt. Perfect for Hollywood's "in-crowd". Like most brands you want to scale them, getting product into more hands means more money and growth. The popularity of the brands got it sold in Saks - then Nordstrom - then Macy's - until the licensing took it to the low cost retailers. When is licensing of a brand taken too far?

Let's be serious the only reason the brand could sell it's tattoo flash shirts for so much, is because of the branding. Once the brand got watered down and was offered to the average person, the branding is lost.

Point being is: no one is really sad at this point at the dissolving of the brand. Except the frat guys and high-school seniors. Never fear there will always be Affliction. Maybe we can connect them to Jon Gosselin.