Ed Hardy Designer Christian Audigier Passes Away

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Christian Audigier, the man who brought blingy Sailor Jerry fashion to America in the mid-2000s, died yesterday at 57. Page Six reports that the LA-based designer was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a type of bone disease, in January. He was being treated at Cedars-Sinai hospital and reportedly told TMZ in April that he was cancer-free.

Born in Avignon, France, the designer moved to New York and worked with brands like Guess, Levi's, and Diesel before relocating to LA. He teamed with Von Dutch owner Kenneth Howard and helped make the trucker hat brand popular among paparazzi-faved celebs like Ashton Kutcher, Justin Timberlake, and others. Audigier (and famed tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy) became a household name after helming Ed Hardy, which featured skulls, snakes, and more tattoo-inspired illustrations on tees, denim jackets, and rhinestone-bedecked hats.