Tonny Sorensen
Encyclopedia
Tonny Sorensen born March 09, 1964 (age 47) is a Danish entrepreneur and creative director
best known for his successful commercialization of the iconic California Kustom Kulture
brand Von Dutch Originals
. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer
and Co-Founder of Planet illogica, an online creative community for artists and art organizations. and California Christiania Republic clothing brand. Sorensen is frequently credited as an innovator in the world of celebrity-driven marketing.
, Denmark
. He earned a Bachelors of Engineering in Electronic Engineering from the University of Copenhagen
, and a degree in Business and Trade from a Copenhagen trade school. Sorensen was a member of Denmark’s Taekwondo team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
, and won a Gold Medal in the Heavyweight division of the 1991 World Taekwondo Championships in Athens, Greece
. Sorensen subsequently owned the Glad Saxe dojo
in Denmark, an elite school that produced several Taekwondo world champions.
Sorensen moved to the United States
in 1991, settling in Los Angeles
, where he studied acting, screenwriting and filmmaking. In 1998 he co-produced the 1998 movie American Intellectuals, starring Portia de Rossi
.
Sorensen’s renegade style of management earned him a reputation as a rebel in the world of fashion. His “one-second rule”, in which he instantly decides on whether or not to pursue a new project, design or program, led to the global phenomenon that was the Trucker Cap
.
Cadillac
and became involved in Southern California
car culture. Sorensen’s Venice mechanic introduced him to the art and design of Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard
the father of the Kustom Kulture
movement that has heavily influenced the fashion and style of hot rodding, surf culture
, skateboarding
and rock 'n' roll. Intrigued by Howard, Sorensen set-out to make a film about Von Dutch’s life, which led him to Michael Cassel, who had earlier acquired the rights to reproduce the iconic “Von Dutch” signature and imagery from Howard’s heirs and had established Von Dutch Originals.
Sorensen invested in Von Dutch Originals in 2000 and became its CEO, opening the Von Dutch Melrose Avenue retail location that same year. Sorensen expanded Von Dutch from a niche t-shirt and hat line to a full-scale fashion collection adding hoodies, jeans and accessories. Sorensen rapidly grew the business, opening stores in Las Vegas, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Chicago and Miami, with wholesale distribution to Japan, Canada and Europe. Von Dutch Originals used high-level product placements and celebrity involvement to propel the brand. In the height of the brand’s popularity, Britney Spears
, Justin Timberlake
, and Ashton Kutcher
were regularly photographed wearing the Von Dutch trucker hat
. Sales reached $33 million in 2003, and as high as $100 million in 2004. Von Dutch Originals was sold to Groupe Royer S.A. in 2009.
In 1996 he had his first daughter named nadja sorensen
, an artist enclave near Copenhagen
, and his success as a brand entrepreneur at Von Dutch, Sorensen was inspired to build an online artistic community. In 2007 he partnered with Ken Goldstein
, founder of marketing agency Six Shooter LA, and formerly Marketing Director of Von Dutch, to form Planet illogica, an online collaborative tool for artists. The site launched in July 2009 with the help of the American Film Institute’s Digital Content Lab
.
The site and organization are designed to serve as a tool to help artists create, promote and sell their work, and build collaborative relationships with other artists and commercial brands. Planet illogica’s business model relies on product sales and licensing of user-generated content
, Borrowing on Sorensen’s earlier experience with Von Dutch, Planet illogica focuses on the commercial intersection between emblematic art and brand associations with that art, deliberately fostering relationships between art, brand imagery and commercial advertising.
Planet illogica also serves as a vehicle for Sorensen to scout and develop talent. Select artists are supported by the organization’s artist in residence program, which provides marketing, management, legal and financial support for the artist, and which facilitates joint artistic ventures with Planet illogica’s alliance partners. Planet illogica’s affiliate network includes Nike
, Sony PlayStation
, Best Buy
and Guitar Center
, among others.
Examples of Planet illogica’s marketing support of its artists in residence include their 2010 South by Southwest
art exhibit of American contemporary artist Ron English’s Historic KISS
art and other music-related prints, and its online sale and promotion of custom limited edition apparel from English’s Popaganda collection. Planet illogica continues Sorensen’s promotion of fashion lines, with its launch of artist Civil Smith’s American Heritage apparel collection, the California Christiania Republic line and Sorensen’s own Tonny Sorensen Collection.
The name of the clothing line is a reference and homage to Freetown Christiania
and part of Sorensen's effort to save the town, from being taken over by the current Danish government.
civil rights, the Starts With U Global Sustainability Symposium’s work regarding social inclusion of minority groups, Climate Refugees, a documentary about climate change, and the Save Our Oceans Tour, which is a series of music, film and art installations,
His art collection includes works from lowbrow and pop-surrealism
artists Basquiat
, Ron English
, Shepard Fairey
, Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard
and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
.
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
best known for his successful commercialization of the iconic California Kustom Kulture
Kustom Kulture
"Kustom Kulture" is an American neologism used to describe the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles, and fashions of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through today....
brand Von Dutch Originals
Von Dutch
Von Dutch is an American multinational clothing company named after artist Kenny Howard.After Howard's death in 1992, his daughters sold the Von Dutch name to Michael Cassel and Robert Vaughn...
. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
and Co-Founder of Planet illogica, an online creative community for artists and art organizations. and California Christiania Republic clothing brand. Sorensen is frequently credited as an innovator in the world of celebrity-driven marketing.
Biography
Tonny Sorensen was born on March 9, 1964 in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. He earned a Bachelors of Engineering in Electronic Engineering from the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
, and a degree in Business and Trade from a Copenhagen trade school. Sorensen was a member of Denmark’s Taekwondo team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
Taekwondo at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Taekwondo was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. It was the first time that the sport was included in the Olympic program; it would become an official sport twelve years later at the 2000 Games....
, and won a Gold Medal in the Heavyweight division of the 1991 World Taekwondo Championships in Athens, Greece
1991 World Taekwondo Championships
The 1991 World Taekwondo Championships were the 10th edition of the World Taekwondo Championships, and were held in Athens from October 28 to November 3, 1991 with 434 athletes participating from 49 countries.-Men:-Women:-Medal table:-References:*...
. Sorensen subsequently owned the Glad Saxe dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
in Denmark, an elite school that produced several Taekwondo world champions.
Sorensen moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1991, settling in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where he studied acting, screenwriting and filmmaking. In 1998 he co-produced the 1998 movie American Intellectuals, starring Portia de Rossi
Portia de Rossi
Portia Lee James DeGeneres , known professionally as Portia de Rossi , is an Australian-American actress, best known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the television series Ally McBeal and Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the sitcom Arrested Development...
.
Sorensen’s renegade style of management earned him a reputation as a rebel in the world of fashion. His “one-second rule”, in which he instantly decides on whether or not to pursue a new project, design or program, led to the global phenomenon that was the Trucker Cap
Trucker hat
A trucker hat or mesh hat is a type of baseball cap. It is also sometimes known as a "gimme cap" or a "feed cap" because this style of hat originated as a promotional give-away from feed or farming supply companies to farmers, truck drivers, or other rural workers.The design of a trucker hat is...
.
Kustom Kulture and Von Dutch Originals
In the mid-1990s, Sorensen purchased a hot rodHot rod
Hot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
and became involved in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
car culture. Sorensen’s Venice mechanic introduced him to the art and design of Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard
Kenny Howard
Kenneth Robert Howard , also known as Dutch, Von Dutch, or J. L. Bachs , was a motorcycle mechanic, artist, pinstriper, metal fabricator, knifemaker and gunsmith...
the father of the Kustom Kulture
Kustom Kulture
"Kustom Kulture" is an American neologism used to describe the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles, and fashions of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through today....
movement that has heavily influenced the fashion and style of hot rodding, surf culture
Surf culture
Surf culture includes the people, language, fashion and life surrounding the art of surfing.The culture began early in the 20th century, spread quickly during the 1950s and 1960s, and continues to evolve. It affected fashion, music, literature, films, jargon, and more...
, skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
and rock 'n' roll. Intrigued by Howard, Sorensen set-out to make a film about Von Dutch’s life, which led him to Michael Cassel, who had earlier acquired the rights to reproduce the iconic “Von Dutch” signature and imagery from Howard’s heirs and had established Von Dutch Originals.
Sorensen invested in Von Dutch Originals in 2000 and became its CEO, opening the Von Dutch Melrose Avenue retail location that same year. Sorensen expanded Von Dutch from a niche t-shirt and hat line to a full-scale fashion collection adding hoodies, jeans and accessories. Sorensen rapidly grew the business, opening stores in Las Vegas, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Chicago and Miami, with wholesale distribution to Japan, Canada and Europe. Von Dutch Originals used high-level product placements and celebrity involvement to propel the brand. In the height of the brand’s popularity, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, and Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
were regularly photographed wearing the Von Dutch trucker hat
Trucker hat
A trucker hat or mesh hat is a type of baseball cap. It is also sometimes known as a "gimme cap" or a "feed cap" because this style of hat originated as a promotional give-away from feed or farming supply companies to farmers, truck drivers, or other rural workers.The design of a trucker hat is...
. Sales reached $33 million in 2003, and as high as $100 million in 2004. Von Dutch Originals was sold to Groupe Royer S.A. in 2009.
In 1996 he had his first daughter named nadja sorensen
Planet illogica
Influenced by the free and open trade mentality of Freetown ChristianiaFreetown Christiania
Not to be confused with Christiania, Norway, another name for Oslo.Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen...
, an artist enclave near Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, and his success as a brand entrepreneur at Von Dutch, Sorensen was inspired to build an online artistic community. In 2007 he partnered with Ken Goldstein
Ken Goldstein
Ken Goldstein, also known as Kene G, born June 1969, is an American film and television writer, producer and director. He is the Co-Founder of Planet illogica and the author of the book series, The Way of the Nerd . Ken is an active speaker at conferences and festivals, universities and private and...
, founder of marketing agency Six Shooter LA, and formerly Marketing Director of Von Dutch, to form Planet illogica, an online collaborative tool for artists. The site launched in July 2009 with the help of the American Film Institute’s Digital Content Lab
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
.
The site and organization are designed to serve as a tool to help artists create, promote and sell their work, and build collaborative relationships with other artists and commercial brands. Planet illogica’s business model relies on product sales and licensing of user-generated content
User-generated content
User generated content covers a range of media content available in a range of modern communications technologies. It entered mainstream usage during 2005 having arisen in web publishing and new media content production circles...
, Borrowing on Sorensen’s earlier experience with Von Dutch, Planet illogica focuses on the commercial intersection between emblematic art and brand associations with that art, deliberately fostering relationships between art, brand imagery and commercial advertising.
Planet illogica also serves as a vehicle for Sorensen to scout and develop talent. Select artists are supported by the organization’s artist in residence program, which provides marketing, management, legal and financial support for the artist, and which facilitates joint artistic ventures with Planet illogica’s alliance partners. Planet illogica’s affiliate network includes Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, Sony PlayStation
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
, Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
and Guitar Center
Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in the world with 223 locations throughout the United States. Its headquarters is in Westlake Village, California....
, among others.
Examples of Planet illogica’s marketing support of its artists in residence include their 2010 South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
art exhibit of American contemporary artist Ron English’s Historic KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
art and other music-related prints, and its online sale and promotion of custom limited edition apparel from English’s Popaganda collection. Planet illogica continues Sorensen’s promotion of fashion lines, with its launch of artist Civil Smith’s American Heritage apparel collection, the California Christiania Republic line and Sorensen’s own Tonny Sorensen Collection.
California Christiania Republic
In 2010, Tonny Sorensen officially launched his new clothing brand, California Christiania Republic, or CCR, with a one-piece casual suit called the one*Z. The clothing item, which is adorned with the "Freedom Star" of CCR, was clearly featured in several popular music videos, including Willow Smith's debut music video, "Whip My Hair"The name of the clothing line is a reference and homage to Freetown Christiania
Freetown Christiania
Not to be confused with Christiania, Norway, another name for Oslo.Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen...
and part of Sorensen's effort to save the town, from being taken over by the current Danish government.
Other Social Ventures
Sorensen has also engaged Planet illogica and his Tonny Sorensen Foundation to support other social ventures, including Manifest Equality, an art and music event used as vehicle to raise awareness of LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
civil rights, the Starts With U Global Sustainability Symposium’s work regarding social inclusion of minority groups, Climate Refugees, a documentary about climate change, and the Save Our Oceans Tour, which is a series of music, film and art installations,
Fine Art & Auto Collections
Sorensen's auto collection features the most valuable motorcycle in the world, Steve McQueen's Von Dutch 1929 Scott 596cc Super Squirrel, a rare Ray Allen world champion 1970 Chevelle, and a 1969 Mercury Cyclone Boss 429 NASCAR (winner of the 1969 NASCAR circuit).His art collection includes works from lowbrow and pop-surrealism
Lowbrow (art movement)
Lowbrow, or lowbrow art, describes an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles, California, area in the late 1970s. Lowbrow is a widespread populist art movement with origins in the underground comix world, punk music, hot-rod street culture, and other subcultures. It is also...
artists Basquiat
Basquiat
Basquiat is a 1996 biopic/drama film directed by fellow painter Julian Schnabel which is based on the life of American postmodernist/neo expressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat....
, Ron English
Ron English
Ron English is an American contemporary artist who explores popular brand imagery and advertising. His signature style employs a mash-up of high and low cultural touchstones, including comic superhero mythology and totems of art history, to create a visual language of evolution...
, Shepard Fairey
Shepard Fairey
Frank Shepard Fairey is an American contemporary graphic designer, and illustrator who emerged from the skateboarding scene. He first became known for his "André the Giant Has a Posse" sticker campaign, in which he appropriated images from the comedic supermarket tabloid Weekly World News. His...
, Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard
Kenny Howard
Kenneth Robert Howard , also known as Dutch, Von Dutch, or J. L. Bachs , was a motorcycle mechanic, artist, pinstriper, metal fabricator, knifemaker and gunsmith...
and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth
Ed Roth
"Big Daddy" Ed Roth was an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter, and pinstriper who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other extreme characters. As a custom car builder, Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 50's and 1960's...
.
See also
- Ed Hardy
- Kustom KultureKustom Kulture"Kustom Kulture" is an American neologism used to describe the artworks, vehicles, hairstyles, and fashions of those who drove and built custom cars and motorcycles in the United States of America from the 1950s through today....
- Moto Cross
- MotorcycleMotorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
- Hot RodHot rodHot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
- Ed RothEd Roth"Big Daddy" Ed Roth was an artist, cartoonist, custom car painter, and pinstriper who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink and other extreme characters. As a custom car builder, Roth was a key figure in Southern California's Kustom Kulture and hot-rod movement of the late 50's and 1960's...
- Robert Williams (artist)Robert Williams (artist)Robert Williams is an American painter, cartoonist, and founder of Juxtapoz Art & Culture Magazine.Williams was part of the Zap Collective, along with other underground cartoonists such as Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton...