Who is
Kat Von D

Important Links
KVD beauty logo of kat von d make up website
KVD Beauty
Kat von D music cover of vampire love
KVD Music
KVD Tattoo Shop

WHO IS KAT VON D? The answer to this question is obvious but complicated too. Due to her undeniable talent and multidimensional creativity, KVD is a well-known and popular figure in the arts and fashion industry. But no one knows her true essence and creativity heights.  Katherine von Drachenberg, famously known as Kat Von D is a multi-talented tattoo artist and fashion icon. She got recognized for her tattooing skills during initial years of 2K and since then never looked back. She is a rising star in the American music industry. Her passion for fashion and art helped her to pursue her career as a global fashion entrepreneur launching her cosmetics line. She is a nonconformist and free thinker who does not follow preset socially formulated rules. She has her own rules book and lives life on her own terms.

Forty-two years old Mexican artist, Von D was born on March 8, 1982, in Montemorelos, Nuevo León. Her father René Drachenberg, was a missionary doctor and decided to move to the US when she was six years old, settling in Los Angeles, California. She has been an art and music lover since an early age. There is a grey area in the childhood of most artists who achieved something in their lives. It holds true for most the successful people that the deprivations/darkness of their childhood often stimulates them to achieve something bigger in their later lives. This same goes for Von D as once she mentioned that she had been abused in her childhood.

Kat’s fascination with art and tattoos began at the age of 14 when she gave her first tattoo of a skull to a friend as reported in Glamour. The first tattoo gun she as a beginner, had used was a DIY tattoo gun. The choice of a tattoo gun is very important to a tattooist in the beginning of his career. Later being an expert and professional, not only she evolved her skills but also her equipment. She adopted very skilled tattoo tools as she once shared her tattoo machine on her Facebook Profile. She started her career of tattooing at the early age of 16 while starting a job as a tattooist at Sin City Tattoo in Los Angeles, California. Her tattooing skills got noticed publically when she took part as a tattoo star in an American show named Miami Ink in 2005. “Miami Ink was a reality television series aired on TLC from 2005 to 2008, depicting the happenings at a tattoo studio located in Miami Beach, Florida.” The enchanting personality of Van D not only intimidated other participants in that show but also made her a charm for fans during that show. After that show, her journey of popularity accelerated at a fast pace. In 2008, she made a “Guinness Book of Records” by tattooing 400 people in 24 hours those lined up outside her tattoo studio, High Voltage, with an “LA” logo at a cost of $20 only.

MIAMI INK

Kat herself covered with some very astonishing tattoos including his father’s portrait. Recently, she has replaced most of her body tattoos with solid black ink. She did not prefer to use laser treatments for removal. Her fans are very curious to know that why did KVD cover her tattoos with black. The fact behind blackening out her tattoos that these tattoos do not reflect her present-self truly so she does not want a daily fake reminder in the mirror, she mentioned in a talk recently.

Celebrities who have been tattooed by Kat include Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Dave Grohl, NikkieTutorials (original name is Nikkie de Jager-Drossaers), Margaret Cho, Ewan McGregor, Francis Bean Cobain, Jeffree Star, Soulja Boy, Eliza Dushku, Harry Styles.

At a very young age, she learned piano and guitar. She was a die-hard fan of punk rock music and had her first music cassette named “Black Flag – Damaged”. This genre of music had perfectly translated her internal emotions and state of mind at that time. Her love for music can be reflected by her words once she expressed in a talk

"I was inspired by music, music, music!".  
Kat Von D

She released her debut album “Love Made Me Do” in August 2021 with some awesome lyrics and tunes. Previously, she had also issued some single numbers as well. In 2021, She has been interviewed by Forbes concentric on her childhood dream of music. Here you can subscribe to her Youtube channel @thekatvond  to listen to her great notes. 

“A lot of people know me from the tattoo world and makeup and all this stuff, but the truth is that music has always been the biggest inspirational force throughout my life,”
Kat Von D

While continuing her tattooing career, Kat Von D ventured into the world of cosmetics. In 2008, she collaborated with Sephora to launch her makeup line, Kat Von D Beauty (later rebranded as KVD Vegan Beauty). The highlight of Kat Von D’s makeup line is 100% vegan. As per claimed, in all makeup products, no animal or animal-derived ingredients are used. The brand gained widespread acclaim for its innovative products, bold colors, and commitment to cruelty-free and vegan formulations. Launched in 2017, Kat Von D nude collection of lipsticks got massive attention. “Tattoo Liner,” a highly pigmented liquid eyeliner is a standout product among makeup enthusiasts. The brand’s success positioned Kat as a leading figure in the beauty industry, known for pushing boundaries and celebrating individuality.

She has also been a struggling tattoo artist once in her initial phase of journey. She has written her experiences as tattooist in a book title:

The Tattoo Chronicles

She has noted down all the experiences whether good or bad in her diary during tattooing. KVD has transformed her tattoo journals in the form of this book. So this book rather be a regular teaching source of tattooing, is her true story while making every tattoo. The book is available in other than English languages. For novice tattoo artists, this book can be a true inspiration and real-time guide before beginning their journey.

Kat Von D is an exceptional artist with an outstanding aesthetic sense though somewhat rebellious in nature. She is the person who kept on exploring, evolving, and finally transforming into a better version of herself. She is outspoken, talented, and beautiful. Besides all of her talent and popularity, she has always been controversial in the industry. She is a person who is not governed by rules, she has her own rules. Who knows what she will discover in her skills in future rendering all her fans surprised again?