As one literary hero said: “Miracles must be done with your own hands.” The well-known artist, writer and model Kat von Dee proved by her own example that this is so. This girl was able to succeed without outside help, thanks to her talent and inexhaustible hard work. Let's find out how she did it and what exactly Kat von Dee is known for.
The unusual origin of the future celebrity
It is said that mixing genes of different nationalities has a beneficial effect on their descendants. In the case of Kat von Dee, this statement is quite true.
The father of the future model and artist was a descendant of German aristocrats Rene von Drachenberg. By the way, because of such an unpronounceable surname, the girl at the beginning of her career took the pseudonym Kat Von D. Her real name is Katherine von Drachenberg.
Unlike his father, Kat's mother - Sylvia Galeano - was an ordinary inhabitant of Argentina, whose ancestors moved there from Spain and Italy.
Kat von Dee: An Early Biography
Katherine von Drachenberg was born on March 8, 1982 in the free Mexican state of Nuevo Leon. Although Mexicans are generally Catholic, the Drachenberg family was Protestant. Not surprisingly, as soon as the parents had the opportunity - they moved to California. Indeed, in the United States, most citizens are Protestants.
Katherine spent her childhood in the California town of Inland-Empire. At this time, native girls allowed her to fully develop her own talents. For example, paternal grandmother read Kat the future in music. Therefore, at her insistence, from the age of six, the granddaughter studied piano and just went crazy in classical music, especially Beethoven’s works.
However, as a teenager, Katherine quite radically changed her tastes. She still continued to love music, however, not classical, but more modern - rock.
Instead of Beethoven, her favorite musicians are now HIM, AC / DC, Slayer, Metallica, Turbonegro and ZZ Top and the like.
Letter J, or How Kat Found Her Calling
In school years, many children fall in love for the first time. At that time, it seems that the memory of this feeling will live forever. So Katherine thought when she decided to get her first tattoo. The girl wanted to imprint on her body the first letter of the name of her beloved James - J. And since she was very good at drawing, Kat wanted to make a tattoo on her own. So on her ankle appeared the first tattoo in the life of a girl - J.
When von Dee boasted of her creation to friends, they were impressed with the professionalism with which an ordinary schoolgirl performed her first tattoo. Noting that she had talent, they advised not to bury him in the ground.
Work in tattoo parlors
Encouraged by the support of loved ones, Kat von Dee was seriously interested in tattooing. At the same time, she performed her first work on her own skin. At first it was the logos of your favorite rock bands.
In the future, Catherine's skill grew, and from the age of fourteen she began to tattoo not only herself, but also friends and acquaintances.
By the age of sixteen, the girl clearly realized that she wanted to connect her future with tattoos. Therefore, she took the documents from the school and got a job in the nearest Sin City Tattoo salon.
Possessing remarkable artistic abilities and rich imagination, Kat quickly became famous and was able to earn enough money to leave her hometown for Pasadena by the age of eighteen. Here she got a job at the Blue Bird Tattoo Salon.
However, the settled life was not to the taste of the young artist, and two years later she moved to Arcadia, where she settled in the local Red Hot Tattoo salon.
A couple of years later, Kat von Dee was invited to work in the Covina salon - True Tattoo. Unlike her previous places of work, this salon bore the status of a cult, and many celebrities came here to make tattoos.
Thus, while working here, Kat was able to meet many celebrities. For example, with members of one of her favorite bands - HIM and Slayer, as well as with the famous American rapper Ja Rule, Jesse Hughes from Eagles of Death Metal, Lady Gaga, Mike Kroger from Nickelback and others.
In addition to meeting many stars, working in Covina helped her attract the attention of television producers. Therefore, when the reality show about the Miami Ink tattooists was launched in 2005, Katherine got one of the main roles in it.
During 2005-2006 she made live tattoos to visitors, and also gave advice to novice colleagues.
Subsequently, the show became larger and was renamed LA Ink, and Kat von Dee remained one of its leading participants from 2007 to 2011.
Why the girl was included in the Guinness Book of Records
While working on the LA Ink reality show, Kat was able to accomplish her most famous achievement. For one calendar day she was able to fill 400 tattoos with the logo of the show.
Before her, no one could do anything like that. It was for this achievement that Kat von Dee was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Own cosmetic products
Still acting in LA Ink, von Dee began to look for additional ways to realize herself. So, in 2008, she launched her own Kat Von Dee line of decorative cosmetics. Subsequently, perfumes were also added to the line.
Katherine managed to conclude a very profitable contract, and her products have been sold since 2008 in Sephora (the world famous French chain of cosmetic stores, with which all iconic brands collaborate).
It is worth noting that Kat constantly monitors her makeup and annually supplements and updates the range.
Since 2016, all products of this brand are positioned as vegetarian. This is dictated by the fact that von Dee herself is a vegan and an active advocate of animal rights. By the way, in the same 2016, she released a limited edition of Project Chimps lipstick. Twenty percent of the profits from the sale of this cosmetics went to a retirement aid fund for chimpanzee researchers.
In addition to cosmetics, since 2011 the girl also launches her own clothing line - KVD Los Angeles and Kat Von D Los Angeles. Similar products are generally sold in the USA and Canada.
In the modeling business
Kat managed to become famous not only as a master of artistic tattooing, philanthropist and mistress of the cosmetic line.
Being a pretty attractive and photogenic girl, she also often appeared in commercials as a tattooed model.
Kat von Dee, as a rule, advertises products of his own brand, however, at the same time, she sometimes participates in the campaigns of other Sephora partner brands.
The most famous poster from von Dee is tonal cream advertising. In this photo, the girl is deprived of all tattoos.
Kat and music
Since von Dee is a fan of rock music, as soon as she has free money, she initiated the creation of Musink. This is a music festival and tattoo convention held in Southern California since 2008.
Kat's literary career
In addition to achievements in all of the above areas, Katherine also became famous as a writer.
In 2009, she released an album of her work - High Voltage Tattoo (this is the name of her tattoo parlor in the TV show). The book contains not only sketches of the artist’s works, but also stories about her biography and the path to fame. This book is pretty much liked by the Americans and took sixth place in the bestseller list according to The New York Times.
A year later, the girl published another book - The Tattoo Chronicles. This time it was a kind of graphic diary of von Dee, which she kept throughout the year. This edition managed to reach third place on the list of The New York Times.
Realizing that readers are interested in her work not only in the form of tattoos, but also as separate paintings, Kat on September 2, 2010 opened her own Wonderland Gallery art gallery.
Personal life Kat von Dee
In addition to her social life, this amazing and talented girl managed to become famous for her achievements on the love front.
While still working in the True Tattoo salon, Catherine met her future husband, Oliver Peck. He also worked as a tattoo artist at another famous Elm Street Tattoo parlor. In 2003, young people got married.
Despite the general range of interests, this union was short-lived, and by 2008 the couple officially divorced. It is worth noting that it was Oliver who later managed to break the record of his ex-wife and apply four hundred and fifteen tattoos in a day. True, this happened after the divorce. Therefore, some fans believe that this is how Oliver avenged his more successful and famous wife.
In memory of this marriage, Catherine still has an Oliver tattoo on her neck.
From February 2008 to January 2010, von Dee met Nikki Sixx, bassist of the Mötley Crüe band. It was he, by the way, who wrote the preface to her first book.
In 2010-2011 the girl met with another famous participant in the American reality show - Jesse James. These relations were very turbulent and did not last long.
Since 2012, Kat von Dee has been in a relationship with Canadian music producer Joel Zimmerman. Together, the young people were more than a year old, and the lovers even intended to get married. However, after Joel was convicted of Kat betrayal, they broke up.
