What do Madonna and Britney Spears have in common? Unfortunately there isn’t another gay scandal in Hollywood, but there is a fashion one. In the past few years a brand new line has been coveted by these celebrities and many others. It isn’t a new line from Burberry, Fendi, or Gucci. It’s a brand new line by Christian Audigier, and that line is Ed Hardy clothing.

Ed Hardy clothing was inspired by the man who also gave the line its name, the legendary tattoo artist, Don Ed Hardy. Known as “the godfather of modern tattoo” in many tattoo circles, Hardy’s blend of Japanese and American styles is highly sought after around the world.

Christian Audigier saw a fantastic marketing opportunity in Hardy’s tattoos. He approached Hardy in 2004 with a clothing line idea based on his artistic style. Hardy, knowing that Audigier had already designed for the likes of Urban Outfitters, Diesel and Von Dutch, knew that his work would be in good hands, and so granted the licence.

Although the Ed Hardy range has become a hit across the globe, it has taken hold in Hollywood more than anywhere else. Britney Spears was recently spotted in the designer’s Hollywood warehouse picking out gifts, and Madonna has an item of Ed Hardy clothing on almost daily.

Audigier’s unique style of networking has undoubtedly a big part of why he is so successful in the business. He even has a “celebrity gallery” section on his official site that has literally dozens of pictures of him with the hottest celebs around. It ends up being very lucrative giving away free merchandise to celebrities, as the amount of exposure that they receive is so significant. It is also far cheaper than paying thousands of dollars to have the same celebs star in an ad campaign.

However, with men’s tops starting from $57 and women’s from $62, it is clear that this line is not only for the rich and famous. It is also reassuring to know that the Ed Hardy line will definitely not be going out of style any time soon. It is not often that you can say that about clothing, but with it being based on a style of tattooing that has endured for decades, we can be sure of many fashionable years to come.