Tattoo Artist
In this blog post, I touch on what a tattoo artist is, my experience with tattooing, how they relate to fashion, and I finish it off with a conversation I had with my tattoo artist about his experience and opinions on tattoos and their relation to fashion.
A tattoo artist specialises in the application of permanent designs and artwork on the skin. They use specialised tools, such as tattoo machines or handheld needles, to insert ink into the dermis layer of the skin, creating a permanent design. When my love for fashion began, it came with the interest in body modifications, especially tattoos. I purchased my own tattoo kit, which was just a needle and some black ink and the doodles I would draw on myself started to become permanent. I loved designing and hand poking my own tattoos (as well as some friends) and the end result made me feel so much more like myself, which made me interested in going into tattooing as a career. One problem.. I can't draw very well. Considering I was lacking the most important skill of becoming a tattoo artist, as well as having an atrociously bad back, I can't see myself ever trying to get into that career path, one dream cut very short.
So, how do tattoos relate to fashion, and when did they first become prominent in clothing? Up until the 1970's, The supermodels who walked the world's most sought-after runways in London, Paris, New York, and Milan were pure blank canvases with immaculately unmarked skin. There was no place or desire for tattoos in the world of fashion.
This changed in 1971, when Issey Miyake presented his formative autumn/winter Tattoo collection in New York, which debuted the now-iconic hand-painted dress and men's bodysuit using traditional Japanese tattoo techniques. It was widely recognised as a homage to traditional Japanese irezumi (tattoo) culture, as well as the musical idols of the younger generation.
(Image shows Issey Miyake modelling his own ‘Tattoo’ jumpsuit from his AW71 collection)
By the late 70's, other revered designers had begun following in Miyake's footsteps, the incorporation of tattoo-like markings being seen in their collections. Martin Margiela showcased a semi-sheer tattoo-inspired top in 1989, Jean Paul Gaultier's Les Tatouages collection in 1994 with the silk tattoo top, and Maison Margiela's S/S 2014 artisanal couture inspired by American tattoos, or the Sailor Jerry's designs. Tattoos were no longer being hidden, but being embellished into the clothes.
Martin Margiela semi-sheer tattoo-inspired top 1989
Jean Paul Gaultier's Les Tatouages silk tattoo top 1994
Maision Margiela's artisanal couture inspired by American tattoos 2014
Seeing tattoos incorporated into fashion is somewhat refreshing, not seeing them demonised or viewed as unprofessional but more as a statement and a part of self expression. I can see the reason for models not having excessive tattoos is so the garments there wearing don't have the attention taken away by the tattoos, so seeing them represented through the fashion itself is interesting to see considering all the bad stereotypes around tattoos. Who wouldn't want an item of clothing that can give you tattoos you can put on and take off whenever you like!
I had a lovely conversation my tattoo artist about how he got into tattooing, what it means to him, and his opinion on it being used in fashion. Here is our conversation! (Credit to @rootuntootun at Indigo Studio Norwich):
Q: What inspired you to become a tattoo artist?
A: I was never directly inspired to become a tattoo artist persay. I just worked in the arts in one form or another my whole life with the intent of inevitably living off of making my own work. I initially worked as an art technician for artists mainly in London, making bespoke arts materials and helping with the technical side of developing bespoke projects and commissions. Because of the kind of work I was dealing with all of my materials were imported and early brexit related interest rate fluctuations strangled this business, so that brought that to an end. I had been getting tattooed for a long time anyway and working around artists and galleries at a high level in London did create some disillusion to that side of the industry so tattooing became a more attractive and inclusive prospect. I took some work on the desk in two shops in Norwich whilst doing pub work at the same time which was fine as in my previous job id been working 7 days a week most weeks anyway for some years
Q: How did you get your foot in the door for tattooing?
A: So I guess I got my foot in the door just by asking around and having an extensive portfolio of hand drawn work and paintings in a style that at the very least set me apart from all of the more stereotypical beginner things people bring in. I had known people in the tattoo industry for some time by then too and been doing small bits of work for them during lockdown because of my general handyman stuff. So it was gradual but I got there inevitably and eventually!
Q: Do you see yourself still tattooing in the distant future? If not why?
A: In the future I would like to very very eventually retire into painting. I also believe tattooing is in an unsustainable bubble of mainstream popularity at the moment so at the least I imagine it will slow down dramatically at some point in which case I hope to have some kind of brand recognition by then, another property and maybe use some of my experience in my previous job to access the London fine art scene.
Q: What do your tattoos mean to you and your identity?
A: It’s hard to say what my own tattoos mean to me, because I suppose I’m just used to them now. They obviously do mean a lot to me because as much as it isn’t my intent as such, it’s more often than not the first and only thing people see when they casually encounter me. But personally as it stands right now my tattoos don’t mean much to me; tattoos in general are just a part of life now and I’m more or less completely desensitised to them. Quite the same as saying my collection of vintage anime shirts mean something to me but beyond a vague aesthetic appreciation it doesn’t go much deeper than that at this point!
Q: Do you think tattoos and fashion relate in anyway? If so how?
A: I don’t necessarily think tattoos and fashion relate all too much as fashion is, if anything, more sculptural and inherently subcultural whereas tattooing is ultimately purely a tangible visual art like painting. Or at least it can be and has the capacity to be.
Q: Do your tattoos effect your fashion, or the other way round? Or do they coexist easily?
A: I am not sure my tattoos affect my fashion personally. They have had some input on my confidence which affects my willingness to try certain things but ultimately not. However there are certain fashion related trends within the tattoo community so this is definitively not a generalised reflection. The trad tattoo community have a pretty long standing and distinctive style and the western-Indian / ornamental tattoo scene and queer tattoo community both also have particularly distinctive styles.
Q: Do you notice a correlation between your clients fashion and tattoo style?
A: I am more of a walk-in artist so my clients fashion varies massively however of course this does grant me the privilege of seeing very clearly the correlations of certain styles and the tattoos these people get. Getting tattoos to match phases and styles people go through, particularly in their younger and more formative years is very common, though this kind of tattoo is slightly less of an exercise in any appreciation of a style of art or craft with some tasteless rooted in history of the culture of art in itself and more of a fleeting expression of self. More akin to buying clothes.
Q: How do you feel about tattoos being used as an accessory in fashion?
A: I in suppose that leads to the best question of them being used as an accessory to fashion rather than as a means of a legitimate art form on their own. I don’t have any feelings about this though I feel both sides of this are perfectly legitimate. The same can be said of any art form in the world. For every person who understands and studies an area of fashion to a degree that they can navigate a certain style with a genuine learned understanding and appreciation of that particular art form, there is someone who just wears clothes for the sake of comfort and doesn’t really care much and will never understand or take any deeper interest. For every person with an invested and deeper knowledge of the history of cinema across the world there is someone who just watches whatever is on the main streaming services. That’s just the way things are and the latter groups will usually statistically be the greater demographic to account for the sheer amount of scenes there are in the world, We can’t all be experts in everything! Tattoos are just the same. Most people don’t understand the history of the craft and the aspects of the scene necessary to be tasteful about it, but to say that’s the only way tattoos can be implemented is gate keeping at best. Tattoos used as an accessory is therefore usually instantly dated, somewhat tasteless and usually a little cringe. But ultimately just fine. Doing things in our youth in particular that express our inhibition at the time shouldn’t be celebrated and aforementioned inhibition can and has lead to great things that we otherwise wouldn’t be brave y to do!
Q: Do you think tattoos being used in fashion by large companies would open up the stereotype of them being unprofessional? Or do you think this may just be a marketing technique for attention?
A: I think anything being implemented by large companies is usually just an attention tactic of sorts. The larger the company the more accessible the content has to be to reach the wider audience, so the more the content has to be dumbed down by default. So in this case it is what it is I suppose! Disneyfication of tattoos can only turn out bad as far as objective taste is concerned, but that is the nature of this and tattoos entering the mix in some capacity is inevitable so no use taking a side!
Credit: @rootuntootun