NBA phenom Dwight Howard to endorse Ed Hardy

Ed Hardy is thrilled to announce their relationship with NBA phenom Dwight Howard. "Dwight embodies the Ed Hardy brand in its entirety; he's an original, dedicated to his sport, ambitious and self confident, everything that the Ed Hardy line stands for."

Howard was drafted in 2004 and continues to play for the Orlando Magic. He is a member of the Olympic Basketball Team winning the Gold in 2008. Howard also has a strong presence off the court, where he is known for his community service. 

Dwight spent a day at the corporate offices in January shooting the first of his ad campaigns, and got a chance to see the newest additions to the line. "I'm a fan of the designs, and I feel blessed to be provided this opportunity," says Dwight. 

The outdoor ad campaign featuring Howard will launch during NBA All Star Weekend in Dallas and will rollout across the county in the spring. 

Ed Hardy is a globally recognized fashion brand known for its cutting edge, classic American tattoo art. The art of Don Ed Hardy has struck a chord with consumers nationwide and the line has evolved into a lifestyle brand rising to exceptional popularity in record time and setting a precedent in the fashion world. As a pop culture icon, Ed Hardy continues to evolve and stay at the cutting edge of definitive tastemaker style.

Don Ed Hardy Sues Christian Audigier Over Clothing Line

The Associated Press has reported that Don Ed Hardy has filed a $100 million lawsuit against Christian Audigier over the continued use of his name and artwork to endorse a line of products when Hardy had terminated the contract between them. According to the blog on Needled.com, there's a pretty extensive list of contract violations made by Audigier, including the use of his name to endorse an endless line of unrelated products such as perfumes, water and air fresheners. Hardy also claims that Audigier has failed to share the profits as contractually agreed upon back in 2005, and even went as far as to underreport the actual earnings from the Ed Hardy line so he wouldn't have to pay full royalties.

So, if you're wearing "Ed Hardy" perfume or drinking "Ed Hardy" bottled water, thinking that you're supporting the man whose name is stamped on the over-priced item, you might actually just be perpetuating another money hungry conglomerate willing to take advantage of the "little guy" for its own selfish means. I hope Hardy gets everything he's asking for and more.

LEBRON 8PS

EVERY GAME  IN THE PLAYOFFS MEANS HITTING THE COURT THE HARDEST ALL SEASON. THE LEBRON 8 PS SHOE MEANS EVERY STEP IS A LIT TLE BIT LIGHTER.

Beyoncé’s New Fragrance Is Inspired by Her Heartbeat; Mini Facials at the Stella McCartney Resort Show

HAIR
• Frida Gustavsson has bright orange hair in the new issue of Contributor magazine. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

• Vogue staffers tested out a variety of hair-straightening treatments, and liked all of them! [Vogue Daily]

• Even though those feather hair extensions are getting more difficult to come by, there are still pet-grooming salons offering to weave them into your dog's hair. And not even as part of a pet Halloween costume either. [Allure/Daily Beauty Reporter]

• Kim Kardashian cut her hair a little bit. (Gasp!) [Us]

FRAGRANCE
• Beyoncé is working on a third fragrance she's calling Pulse, after the way her heartbeat pulses when she's in concert. A blend of floral and citrus notes, it'll be released in October. [Elle]

• Michael Jackson's father is being sued by Bravado, who owns the rights to use the singer's name in commercial products, for trying to use his son's name in new fragrances. [NYDN]

• Odin's owners are working on a new unisex scent. [Beauty Counter Blog]

MAKEUP
• Jean Godfrey-June, the beauty director at Lucky, considers beauty- and makeup-themed conversations as a way to get gossip: "When I was at Elle, I would interview celebs and if you just ask them a question like, ‘So, who have you slept with?’ they’re not going to answer you. But if you’re like, ‘When is the first time you tried eyeliner?’ they’ll be like ‘Well…’ and they’ll tell you something pretty intimate about themselves. It’s a way that people connect." [Into the Gloss]

SKIN
• All the models at the Stella McCartney resort show got mini-facials courtesy of Sunday Riley. [Beauty Counter Blog]

NAILS
• Meet Chanel's first celebrity manicurist, Tom Bachik. [Fashionista]

COSMETIC SURGERY
• It's now possible to get laser-assisted liposuction on your neck. Progress indeed. [W Editors' Blog]

What Will Kate Middleton Do for Fashion?

Ever since the world found out that Prince William was in love, people's fascination with Kate Middleton went beyond her common status. With her printed pencil skirts, elaborate hats and tailored coats, the 29-year-old bride-to-be has been crowned as a bona fide fashionista.

Middleton did, of course, work as an accessory buyer for high-end U.K. clothing boutique Jigsaw. And with what seems like every major fashion geniuses from Karl Lagerfeld and Jason Wu to the design houses of Valentino and Alexander McQueen wanting the chance to design her wedding dress, it is pretty safe to say she's a fashion force to be reckoned with. People has noticed her fashion sense way before she started sporting the iconic sparkly sapphire and diamond engagement ring. The magazine named her one of its British fashion favorites in 2007. Style.com has also named Middleton a "beauty icon."

And even though Middleton has been known for her simplistic style, clean lines and just enough of a deep neckline that never shows too much, she recently trumped avant garde popstar Lady Gaga and took the number one spot on this year's "Top Fashion Buzzwords" list. Noted stylist and fashion expert Sharon Haver said it best when expressed that people are tired of Gaga's edible or see-through outfits on the red carpet. So Middleton's prep-girl style is a nice change of pace.

"Kate is British, but she looks like a classic, all-American girl," Haver told AOL News. "She looks like she could be a Ralph Lauren model. She's classy but not dowdy -- modern, approachable and effortless. I think she's a good fashion icon for young girls to look up to globally."

Middleton has already made an impact on women's shopping habits since she got engaged to a prince. The blue dress that she wore to the couple's official announcement to the press about their engagement flew off the racks literally in minutes despite the fact that the Issa-designed frock retailed for $500. Fashionistas and fans of the couple were disappointed to find out that the cream ruffled blouse Middleton wore in one of her engagement photos was from the fall 2008 collection of U.K. brand Whistles -- meaning it was no longer on sale. And lastly, a white, knee-length dress from Reiss' fall 2009 line also became a hot item even though it'll set you back $300. But like the top, this too was sold out. However the British brands have announced that they will be reissuing the two pieces in the following year due to high demands.

While Middleton seems to be fitting nicely into her role as a trendsetter, she does have some big shoes to fill. Princess Diana was probably one of the most fashionable royals of her time and to take her place is quite a feat. However designer Diane Von Furstenberg thinks that Middleton will do well in that department. "She reminds me more and more of Diana," she told the Telegraph. "Everything about her. I think she's there to avenge Diana's memory -- that's clearly what William wants. Giving Kate his mother's ring was a great gesture, and I think that theirs will be a happy version of his parents' marriage. But he absolutely chose a woman who was like his mother -- that was deliberate."

However Vivienne Westwood begs to differ. "I would have loved to have dressed Kate Middleton but I have to wait until she kind of catches up a bit somewhere with style," the fashion designer said during London Fashion Week.

Clearly the jury is still out on this one, and only time will tell how she'll impact fashion. But no matter how much you like her style, there's no doubt that all eyes will be on her when she steps out in her wedding dress on April 29.