Starlets, drugs and martial arts — how Von Dutch became ‘Von Douche’

What happens when a competitive surfer-turned-small time gangster, a convicted drug dealer and a world martial arts champion launch a fashion line?

It becomes the biggest brand in the world.No label captured early 2000s style quite like Von Dutch — a casual line of denim, T-shirts, jackets and trucker hats favored by the era’s brightest stars, such as Paris Hilton, Dennis Rodman, Britney Spears and Jay-Z. At a moment when the pinnacle of style was a midriff-baring tank top paired with scandalously low-slung jeans, the scrawled Von Dutch logo was ubiquitous, showing up everywhere from rowdy college campuses to the red carpet.

But as a new docuseries shows, overexposure and a feud over the future of the brand would ultimately kneecap Von Dutch’s growth and condemn the brand to early 2000s infamy.

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