Madeline
The story of Von Dutch starts with gang bangers and drug dealers and ends with selling out and racist remarks. Although the perception of the brand is tame with all celebrities being obsessed with it, even in its prime, the story never settled down. There is a lot of greed in the story, a lot of hurt in the story and a lot of mental health issues.
Premise of The Curse of Von Dutch
The story starts with two outcasts who found each other. One was a gang banger and the other a drug dealer who started their own clothing brand. And what they found is that they could hide behind a clothing company that brought them together. No, this company is not Von Dutch. When at a trade show they see the Von Dutch logo on a patch from the original Von Dutch, a new person is brought in and the brand is sparked.
From the point Von Dutch is sprouted to its downfall, a cast of characters are brought in. Some bring money for the partying and to grow the business. Some bring their celebrity friends. And some just bring ideas. But the more people who get involved the more that the original three are pushed out. And this is where the controversy over the brand begins. Who really should make the money and be in control of the brand?
My Experience with Von Dutch
At the height of the brand, I was 18 or 19 years old, living in California, money in my bank account (thanks to my Bat Mitzvah) and the prime demographic for the brand. I had recently watched The Simple Life with Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie. And as a bit of a tom boy, I was very much drawn the the brand.
I remember buying my first Von Dutch shirt on a random trip to Venice Beach for entirely too much money. It was a black ribbed tank top with a red logo and was purchased from the children’s section. Shortly after, I stopped wearing the shirt due to the reduction in popularity. And it was only a few years later, I found myself donating the shirt to good will.
Final Thoughts
Because the brand was a very relevant brand of my early adulthood, I was drawn to the docuseries, The Curse of Von Dutch. It had a promise of twists and turns and craziness that I was weary about. And it turns out the story is crazier than I could have ever imagined and it explained why the brand rose so fast and fell so hard. This is not your mother’s fashion television show.
