UK cap specialists offers customers who purchased Von Dutch headwear from their website a full refund on the back of Von Dutch racism allegations.
(PRWEB) October 14, 2004 -- The Von Dutch logo is adorned by the biggest names in music, film, television and sport. In 2004, the Von Dutch Originals fashion label expects to triple their previous year's earnings of $33 million(1). And it's all built on a name.
Von Dutch was the founding father of the 1960s 'Kustom Kar' paint craze. Formerly known as Kenneth Howard, he was accredited with inventing the freestyle pin-striping and painted flames which became the defining marques of California car subculture.
He is mostly associated with two images - a flying eyeball and the stylised version of the nickname he adopted for himself, 'Von Dutch'. He died in 1992, age 63, but these images were licensed by his heirs to Los Angeles-based 'Von Dutch Originals'. And thanks, in part, to celebrity patrons, the Von Dutch logo now adorns T shirts and trucker caps globally.
According to an article published in the Orange County Weekly(2) there's a much darker and lesser known side to the man behind the ubiquitous cap.
The article alleges that acquaintances of Von Dutch claim that he was a racist with all the trappings of a neo-Nazi and that he couldn't tolerate black people. A letter written by Von Dutch while heavily medicated, reportedly closes with 'Heil Hitler.'
In an unprecedented move, UK cap specialists, Capitate.co.uk have withdrawn all Von Dutch caps from their site. They're offering customers who purchased Von Dutch caps from Capitate.co.uk (http://www.capitate.co.uk) a full refund on the hats return, regardless of when they bought it.
Ian Spencer of Capitate.co.uk said "The allegations coming out are pretty shocking. Von Dutch was certainly one of our most sought after styles. We appreciate that the Von Dutch racism reports are alleged, but nevertheless, we feel that giving our customers this option is the right thing to do."
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Notes to Editor.
1) Source: Von Dutch. http://www.vondutch.com/default.aspx?html=/theteam.html
2) Source: Orange County Weekly.
http://www.ocweekly.com/ink/04/18/cover-douglas.php
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