Nightclubs have always had stringent dress code policies against “street” attire; basically, if you can wear it to work out or to paint a house, you can’t wear it beyond the velvet rope. Girls donning LBD’s or skinny jeans with a cute top are acceptable. Guys decked in slacks and a fancy graphic tee paired with a blazer has always been greeted with open arms by doormen… until now.
The internet has been atwitter recently about a new anti-Jersey Shore dress code policy in one New Orleans nightclub. Hotspot Republic posted a warning sign on its door for its patrons: “If it’s on The Jersey Shore it’s not coming through our doors.” The notice went on to single out the specific brands that were not allowed to be worn in the venue: Affliction, Ed Hardy, and Christian Audigier.
Of course, if you’ve ever been to a nightclub, you know how many dudes rock these designers’ rhinestone duds. As a result of Republic’s new policy, people began to wonder, “What would the guidos and guidettes of New Orleans do – damn it, what will Jon Gosselin do! - without the option to wear Koi-covered t-shirts?” Nightlife bloggers took to their keyboards, spewing conspiracy theories about the ban, wondering if it would spread to other clubs in other cities, and demolish the once (and in some circles, still) popular brands.
However, Republic is not the first nightclub to specifically have an anti-Ed Hardy policy. In fact, since 2007 – the height of the brands popularity – clubs around the world began to pinpoint these brands and their graphically designed clothes as unacceptable attire.
In 2008, many Vancouver nightclubs banned Ed Hardy gear in their venues, and eventually other Canadian cities followed suit. Club owners from Calgary to Toronto claimed that the bedazzled clothes were associated with gang rivalries, and were therefore not allowed to be worn by patrons.
The ban on Ed Hardy has also spread across hemispheres, as Ding-Dong Lounge in Melbourne, Australia, deemed the “metrosexual” clothing unsuitable back in November 2009. Although the owner of the lounge cited general clothing items, such as skinny jeans or V-neck tees on men, as unacceptable, he also specified Ed Hardy – and only Ed Hardy – as a banned brand.
One of the first nightlife impresarios to put the kabash on Christian Audigier’s clothes was New York City’s own Wass Stevens. Back in 2007, while he was responsible for the door at Marquee, he was interviewed by Urban Daddy about his door policies. When listing his “Clothing Don’ts,” Wass said, “Anything with rhinestones and sequins, baseball hats and anything Ed Hardy is so done. “ Again, this was his policy back in 2007, at one of the hottest, if not THE hottest, club at the time. If he was so adamant about not letting Ed’s minions in then, imagine his disdain for the brand in 2k10.
As of now, there have not been any big announcements from other venues that are following in Republic’s footsteps. But, even if more clubs across the country begin an anti-Ed Hardy movement, there are still plenty of venues who welcome the brand with open arms. Clubplanet’s own JRL recently hosted a “Jersey Shore Pageant” at New York City’s SideBar, which celebrated the style of Seaside Height’s finest. And, the man behind the brand, Christian Audiger, has his own Las Vegas nightclub donning his name. The interior of the Christian Audigier nightclub in the Treasure Island Hotel is sprinkled with statues and images of the brands signature skulls, ships, and the like. Patrons are not only permitted to wear Affliction, Ed Hardy, or Christian Audigier designs but they are encouraged, making it a Mecca for fans of the brands, and rhinestones alike.
Republic’s decision may be a form of Jersey Shore backlash, but considering that venues had nixed Ed Hardy years before Snooki came into our lives, it appears that Ed Hardy has not only been unsightly to the eyes for years, but also offensive to many in the nightlife world.
Click here to read more about the ban in the US, the ban in Canada, and the ban in Australia.
