Von Dutch (drink)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Von Dutch is an American multinational
fashion Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
brand posthumously named after
Kenny Howard Kenneth Robert Howard (September 7, 1929–September 19, 1992), also known as Dutch, Von Dutch, or J. L. Bachs (Joe Lunch Box), was an American motorcycle mechanic, artist, pin striper, metal fabricator, knifemaker and gunsmith. Early life ...
, a.k.a. "Von Dutch", an American artist and
pinstriper Pin striping (pinstriping) is the application of a very thin line of paint or other material called a pin stripe, and is generally used for decoration. Freehand pin stripers use a specialty brush known as a pinstriping brush. Fine lines in text ...
of the Kustom Kulture movement. After Howard's death in 1992, his daughters allowed Ed Boswell to produce items using the Von Dutch trademark logo. The trademark rights were sold in 1996 to Mike Cassell who, with Robert Vaughn, used the logo for an apparel line named Von Dutch Originals. French designer Christian Audigier helped popularize the brand in the early 2000s. Von Dutch was repurchased in 2009 by Groupe Royer S.A., through its Luxembourg subsidiary Royer brands International S.a.r.l. The clothing brand gained popularity in the US and attracted the attention of celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Whitney Houston,
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
,
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
,
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
,
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
, Ashton Kutcher and Eric Church.


History


Kenny Howard

Kenneth Robert Howard was an American motorcycle mechanic, artist, pin striper, metal fabricator, knifemaker and gunsmith. The inspiration to create the clothing line started with Howard's daughters Lisa and Lorna after his death. They decided to use his artistic name Von Dutch; "Dutch" was a family nickname for Howard because he was considered to be "as stubborn as a Dutchman". Howard had passion for cars and motorcycles. He also created special effects for Hollywood films, and served as a consultant for several period films. His most recognizable work was in 1955 at the 1955 Motorama; he was able to stripe a 1927
Studebaker Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...
for 10 days. Today, Howard is known as the father of modern pin-striping. He was famously indifferent about the rights to his work, dismissing copyrights and patents as an "ego trip". He sold the Von Dutch name to fellow pinstriper Steve Kafka for $5,000. Howard was a virulent racist and admirer of Hitler's Third Reich. "As reported by the Los Angeles Times in 2018, Howard was a self-admitted “admirer of the Third Reich.” “A letter he wrote about abandoning harsh medical treatment for a fatal illness is blunt: ‘I am not willing to go through it anymore only to emerge in a place full of Africans, Mexicans and Jews. … I have always been a Nazi and still believe it was the last time the world had a chance of being operated with logic. What a shame so many Americans died and suffered to make the rich richer and save England & France again, or was that still. I hope you lying wimps get swallowed up with your stupidity,’” he wrote. Howard died in 1992 of liver failure, resulting from alcoholism.


Beginning of the company

In the 1990s, art collector Ed Boswell began selling Von Dutch patches at Los Angeles art shows, having procured the rights to the Von Dutch name from Howard's daughters. He met former drug dealer Michael Cassel and competitive surfer Bobby Vaughn at a trade show, and they decided to go into business together, initially deciding to create an apparel line of garage-themed jeans and workwear. Cassel and Vaughn eventually bought Boswell out of the company, and brought in entrepreneur
Tonny Sørensen Tonny Sorensen, born , is a Danish entrepreneur and creative director best known for his commercialization of the California clothing brand Von Dutch Originals. He is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Planet illogica, an online cr ...
as CEO and investor. Sørensen hired Christian Audigier in 2002 to design for the brand. Audigier came up with the trucker hat, inspired by classic Americana such as
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
's motorcycle cap in '' The Wild One''.


Success

The early 2000s were the prime years for the company. Celebrities were spotted wearing a variety of Von Dutch apparel such as jackets, t-shirts, and, most notably, trucker hats.
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...
and
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
played a vital role in the rise of Von Dutch. Audigier met with Spears in Los Angeles in 2002 and convinced her to wear the brand. Soon afterward, Spears and Timberlake made national news with their breakup, and happened to be wearing Von Dutch trucker hats on the cover of '' People''. The exposure helped grow the brand, and it began selling. Other celebrities such as Paris Hilton,
Lindsay Lohan Lindsay Dee Lohan ( ; born July 2, 1986) is an American actress and singer. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at the age of three. Having appeared as a regular on the television soap opera '' An ...
, Ashton Kutcher, and
Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...
were seen wearing the $100 trucker hat. Kutcher was constantly seen wearing Von Dutch in the early 2000s, especially on episodes of '' Punk'd''. Von Dutch's popularity peaked in 2003, with sales of over $33 million.


Behind-the scenes tumult

Sørensen fired Vaughn and became sole owner in 2002. He also began sidelining Cassel as a designer in favor of Audigier. Vaughn and Cassel became openly hostile to Sørensen; at one point, Cassel hired drug lord
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in h ...
's grandson to intimidate him into selling his stake in the company for $500,000, a proposal that Sørensen refused. Vaughn, meanwhile, tried to intimidate Cassel into selling his shares of the company, and accused him of calling the police when he refused. In February 2005, Vaughn was arrested on charges of first degree murder after he shot and killed childhood friend Mark Rivas, who he claimed attacked him with a broken bottle. He was acquitted in 2006.


Decline

By the late 2000s, Von Dutch began to experience a rapid decline due to issues such as brand saturation and counterfeiting. In May 2004, Boswell, who resented Cassel and Vaughn for buying him out of the company just before it became successful, leaked to the press a letter written by Howard in 1992, in which the late artist made several racist and antisemitic remarks and professed admiration for Nazi Germany. Despite Boswell having nothing to do with the clothing line, this letter destroyed what little popularity the company had left; by 2004, the fashion press had derisively nicknamed the brand "Von Douche". Audigier left the company in 2007. In 2009, Sorenson sold the brand to French footwear company Groupe Royer.


Resurgence

In 2016 Von Dutch started to make a comeback when
Kylie Jenner Kylie Kristen Jenner (born August 10, 1997) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She starred in the E! reality television series ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians'' from 2007 to 2021 and is the founder and owner of ...
was seen wearing the famous trucker hat, jackets and two piece sets. In 2019 Von Dutch hired Ed Goldman as its general manager, and he started to create connections with Los Angeles' hip-hop community; rappers such as Travis Scott, Saweetie, and
Megan Thee Stallion Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her ...
were soon seen wearing the brand on
Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
, and the company partnered with Young Thug in 2021 to create a line of streetwear. Von Dutch also became popular with Internet celebrities such as
Emma Chamberlain Emma Frances Chamberlain (born May 22, 2001) is an American internet personality, specifically on YouTube. She won the 2018 Streamy Award for Breakout Creator. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine included her on its ''Time'' 100 Next list, and its list ...
and Addison Rae. As of 2021, Earl Pickens is the executive director of design.


See also

*
Tonny Sørensen Tonny Sorensen, born , is a Danish entrepreneur and creative director best known for his commercialization of the California clothing brand Von Dutch Originals. He is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Planet illogica, an online cr ...


References


External links

* {{official website, http://www.vondutch.com American brands American companies established in 1999 Clothing brands of the United States Clothing companies of the United States Companies based in Los Angeles Clothing companies established in 1999 Retail companies established in 1999 American subsidiaries of foreign companies 2000s fashion 2010s fashion 1999 establishments in California 2008 mergers and acquisitions