Pictures From The Peak Of Ed Hardy

Samantha Dillinger
Updated June 19, 2019 19 items
Ranked By
307 votes
73 voters
Voting Rules
Vote up the pictures that best represent the peak of Ed Hardy.

Low-rise jeans. Trucker hats. Body glitter. Many fashion fads came and went in the early 2000s, but few captured the popular imagination like Ed Hardy. The once-ubiquitous mall store took its inspiration from the work of tattoo artist Donald Edward "Ed" Hardy, who licensed his designs to French designer Christian Audigier around 2003. The partnership was incredibly profitable, and soon celebrities were stepping out in rhinestone-embellished caps and tattoo-covered tees. But success came at a steep personal cost for Hardy - he claims Audigier's clothing, worn by reality stars like the Jersey Shore cast and Jon Gosselin, cheapened his brand and art.

By 2009, Hardy and Audigier were embroiled in legal battles, and the clothing brand's popularity was waning. Audigier sold the line in 2011; he passed away in 2015. Must-have Ed Hardy shirts may be a thing of the past, but there's no denying the impact they had on a particular moment in fashion history.