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Entertainment
Amanda Krause
Updated
2023-10-06T15:10:02Z
- Kat Von D is a tattoo artist, musician, and author who once starred on TV and owned a makeup brand.
- Since rising to fame, her unique fashion sense has gone through some big changes.
- Von D once favored jeans and bikini tops. Now she often wears gothic dresses and faux leather.
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Kat Von D put an edgy twist on early-aughts trends at the start of her career.
At an Entertainment Weekly event in June of that year, she paired a white tube top with ruched capri pants, white wedge sandals, and a studded purse.
She also wore vibrant red lipstick, a gold leaf-shaped earring, and a shag hairstyle with blonde highlights.
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Those trends included denim-on-denim clothes and chunky highlights, which Von D wore in 2007.
Her version of the look included faded boot-cut jeans and a zip-up denim vest that showed her stomach. Her hair, on the other hand, was black with a few blonde streaks at her bangs.
Von D accessorized with platform sandals, a Thin Lizzy belt, and her signature red-white-and-blue cuff bracelets.
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Statement pants were another big part of the "LA Ink" star's wardrobe at the time.
For an event in California on May 1, 2007, she rocked silver pants with fringed knee pads, lace-up sides, and long folded hems that almost covered her shoes.
Von D completed the look with a gray graphic T-shirt, hoop earrings, her Thin Lizzy belt, and the same patriotic bracelet.
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She occasionally experimented with daring minidresses.
The tan, sleeveless garment she wore once in Nevada was printed with a red-and-blue picture of a clown.
For accessories, Von D wore strappy animal-print sandals, shiny lipstick, her cuff bracelet, and a white feather in her hair.
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But more often, she wore jeans and bikini tops with leather vests over them.
Of course, she often wore them with printed pants, sandals, and her signature bracelets.
At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, for example, Von D paired a red bikini top and black vest with leather-embroidered jeans and a belt with a Mexican flag buckle.
Von D also typically completed her outfits with statement belts.
For one event in California on November 8, 2007, Von D paired a cutout bathing suit with jeans and a black belt. The latter piece had a giant gold buckle that read, "Kat Von D."
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She also seemingly took inspiration from the American flag.
She wore flag-print pants on numerous occasions, including the 2007 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
At the time, Von D paired the leggings with a black leather vest, her red-white-and-blue cuff, and the same sandals she wore two months earlier.
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The tattoo artist combined two of her fashion staples — bikini tops and patriotic accessories — at the start of 2008.
She paired a gold bikini top with a see-through, black lace blouse, and leather pants with matching thigh-high boots.
Von D also wore her hair in a mullet, donned a rosary necklace, and carried a red-white-and-blue purse over her shoulder.
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She then showed off her glamorous side at an awards gala in May of that year.
She walked the red carpet in a sleeveless, semi-sheer dress, which showcased the tattoos she had on her arms and legs.
She also wore a black rosary, matching wedge sandals, and a loose-wave hairstyle with a few pieces clipped atop her head.
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Von D participated in the low-rise pant trend for a Sephora event in July 2008.
She wore animal-print leather pants under her hips, as well as a black belt adorned with a buckle that read, "Latina."
The rest of her look included a zipped black jacket, rosary necklace, a Mexican-flag pin, sparkling see-through sandals, and vibrant blue eye shadow.
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She then embraced the "naked" trend before it was popular.
On a red carpet for a cellphone release, Von D was photographed wearing a strapless black bra underneath a cream-colored, see-through blouse.
She also wore leather pants tucked into thigh-high boots, and a side ponytail with long strands hanging loose around her face.
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At the end of the year, Von D showed off the feminine side of her style at the American Music Awards.
She walked the red carpet alongside her then-boyfriend Nikki Sixx in a black gown with a white scorpion print. The dress was sleeveless with a scoop neckline, floor-length skirt, and gold belt.
She also wore platform sandals, a few bracelets, and a rope-style band around her head.
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She returned to her fashion roots in 2009 but made a big hair change.
At a benefit event in June of that year, Von D arrived with orange-toned strands.
The hair change and her rosy makeup made her all-black outfit — which included a see-through shirt and shining pants — look a bit softer.
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Two months later, she was almost unrecognizable at the Teen Choice Awards.
Not only had she gone blonde for the event, but Von D was also photographed in a daring outfit.
She wore a black bikini top underneath a crop top covered in small cutouts. She also donned flared, low-rise jeans, platform heels, an oversized ring, and heavy eye makeup.
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In 2010, Von D dyed her hair red and began wearing sparkling pumps everywhere.
She also experimented with a pantsuit for the first time that year.
Von D walked the red carpet at an event hosted by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center wearing a red-and-blue striped blazer over a matching bikini top. The outfit also featured low-rise pants made from the same printed fabric.
Toward the end of 2010, she walked a red carpet in a sleek, all-black look — one that resembles a style she'd wear in the future.
She wore a strapless bandage dress with platform pumps. Von D, who had then dyed her hair black, also wore her strands in slight waves.
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The tattoo artist wore one of her most elegant looks to date in May 2013.
At a Sephora event in New York City that month, she arrived wearing a long-sleeved dress made from white lace, with a V neckline and small shoulder pads.
Von D completed the look with brown Mary Jane-style platform heels.
She started wearing standout shoes in early 2013.
At the time, she attended a gala event wearing knit heels that resembled cats. Von D paired the shoes with a little black dress and star hair accessories.
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Von D also started wearing monochromatic looks around that time.
At the 2013 Grammys, she walked the red carpet in a red plaid dress with long sleeves, and strappy velvet heels in the same shade.
She continued to wear the trend in 2015 while promoting her former beauty brand.
Her outfit included a brown knit dress, matching tights, oxford heels, and a thin belt around her waist.
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The following year, Von D's style took a gothic turn.
She walked a red carpet in September 2016 wearing a black, long-sleeved dress with a pleated skirt, Peter Pan collar, and gloves with black nails attached.
Von D also wore black tights and platform boots.
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Still, she continued to wear one of her vibrant, signature colors: red.
At a Farm Sanctuary gala in November 2016, she attended in a strapless midi gown with a wrap-style bodice.
Von D accessorized with satin heels that had bows on each shoe, and long leather gloves with attached red nails.
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She continued to wear all red in June of that year.
At a gala on June 10, 2017, she wore a red dress with long sleeves, a white collar, and a pleated skirt. She also donned opaque tights, patent-leather heels, and red eye shadow.
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But she returned to black-on-black ensembles a few months later.
While attending Mercy For Animals' Hidden Heroes Gala, Von D walked the red carpet in a strapless black gown with a skirt that bubbled above her knees and tapered toward her ankles.
The tattoo artist also debuted blunt bangs at the event.
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In 2018, she wore gold to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her former namesake makeup line.
She performed for partygoers in a long-sleeved, high-neck gown, which was made from a shining gold fabric covered in a red floral print.
To complete the look, Von D added metallic gloves and her signature red lipstick.
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She showcased her edgy maternity style later that year.
She attended a red-carpet event at the time with her husband Rafael Reyes, and they both coordinated in black ensembles.
Von D, in particular, wore a black dress that tied into a bow above her baby bump, as well as black tights and short, pointed heels.
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Then in 2019, she went full goth for a Mercy for Animals event.
She wore a cape-style gown for the event, which tied loosely around her shoulders and had a sheer panel across its bodice.
Three years later, Von D was still rocking all-black ensembles.
During Los Angeles Fashion Week in 2022, she paired a high-neck leather dress with a chunky belt that covered her entire waist.
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But as is custom for Von D, she usually adds a pop of red to her outfits.
While out in Los Angeles, California, in November 2022, Von D wore a statement black coat, leather boots, and a beanie with horn-shaped embellishments.
Though each piece was black, Von D added some color with red lipstick.
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This year, Von D has continued to showcase her gothic aesthetic.
Her black, edgy gowns and coordinating boots often match her blackout tattoos.
She began concealing the ink on her arms in 2020, and has nearly covered them three years later. Von D has also gotten blackout ink on her back and legs.
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