Kat Von D is a tattoo artist, musician, and entrepreneur who was previously the CEO of Kat Von D Beauty.
Kat Von D began starring in her own series, LA Ink, after appearing on two seasons of Miami Ink.
She set a Guinness World Record for the most tattoos given by a single individual in 24 hours on the show, with a total of 400. The show began airing on August 7, 2007 and lasted four seasons.
The tattoo artist made her music debut in May 2021 with the release of her first track, ‘Exorcism,’ off her album Love Made Me Do It.
Kat Von D’s Family History is Revealed
Kat Von D was born Katherine Von Drachenberg in Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, to German-Argentine parents Rene and Sylvia.
Her parents were missionaries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church who had moved from Argentina to a small town on the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico.
Her father came from a long line of missionary doctors, according to her interview with POPSUGAR, and when it became clear that Montemorelos needed a hospital, they relocated there right once.
She said that her childhood was hardly idyllic and that one of her earliest memories was of running about barefoot on dirt floors.
“For a long time, we didn’t have electricity or running water,” she stated. “You were more likely to see a horse in this town than you were to see an automobile.”
Karoline and Michael Kat Von Drachenberg, Kat Von D’s two siblings, grew up alongside her.
Her family immigrated to the United States in 1988. At the moment, she was six years old. Her family’s seven-hour trek to the Texas border felt like weeks, she recounted.
Her parents chose to camp near Loma Linda, California, a small town in San Bernardino County with a thriving Seventh-Day Adventist congregation.
Kat Von D said she was raised with Judeo-Christian principles.
Her family observed the Sabbath, attended church on Saturdays, respected the ten commandments, and refused to consume pork or fish without scales.
When she relocated to the United States as a child, she endured a major culture shock. With her friends, she spoke fluent English, but with her parents and siblings, she spoke a mix of Mexican and Argentinian Spanish.
“My Latin heritage continues to influence all I do,” she remarked.
“Why I chose to live in Los Angeles, the Spanish color names and themes for my beauty collection, and even the music I produce.”
When Kat Von D first got tattoos, she scared her parents.
Kat Von D had a mohawk by the age of 14 and was beginning to exhibit interest in tattoos.
Despite her parents’ support for her art, she said that they were initially concerned about their daughter getting inked and skipping school at such a young age.
They did, however, ultimately begin to recognize her achievements in the profession. They are usually spotted visiting Kat Von D’s tattoo shop and spending time with her.