It’s almost as if in a blink of an eye the fashion industry has ditched the once desirable blank canvas complexion and replaced it with one creatively splashed with ink. Tattoos have become increasingly popular in the recent years, after once being frowned upon. Ten years ago, not one model would be seen with visible body art, however for designers today it is becoming more and more stylish for models to have their own unique ink, for example the likes of Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Gisele Bundchen.
For a brand like Selfridges, arms covered in bright coloured roses, clocks and lipsticks wouldn’t have been the first thing that would spring to mind in terms of their model scouting, but what do we know? Sophie explains to us ‘’I don’t think my tattoos have ever limited me because I have never put myself in the position where they could. I’ve always done alternative modelling and fashion work; and tattoos are now very much accepted - I’d probably go as far as saying they’re celebrated in fact so it’s never really caused an issue. And to be honest this is the only type of modelling I’ve Following in their footsteps is one of the ever warmed to, I couldn’t think of anything worse than successful winners of ‘The Beauty Project’ run by being stood looking like a plain Jane in every shoot’’. Selfridges&Co in 2014. The campaign was set out over a period of three months to find people who could With tattoos becoming extremely popular it is represent all definitions of true beauty. Sophie-Ann sometimes hard to define whether or not tattoos Cammish, 23, was selected over thousands of other have always been of personal interest to some candidates for her heavily tattooed looks. She tells us people or whether it is a case of them superficially ‘’I was specially selected for the Selfridges Campaign conforming to the trend of them. Sophie tells usWWbecause all of the other candidates stood for a WW ‘’I first started taking interest in tattoos when I was different form of beauty to me. Mine was that- ‘edgy’, an early teenager, long before I was involved in the alternative, blue hair and tattooed sorta’ look’’. fashion industry. I would just dooodle on my skin with
''I believe beauty is a combination of qualities, some seen, some felt,though not all that is beautiful can be redeemed through the eyes''. biro pens until I was old enough to actually get one - then I took my designs more seriously. Clearly, tattoos are a form of self-expression for a lot of people, so for many, the eternity of the ink isn’t even questionable. ‘’I sometimes think, when I am older I hope I don’t regret my tattoos due to age, as all beauty fades. But then I just think, there’s still beauty to be found within that, and I hope I can look back on at my tattoos and remember specific points in my life that still mean a lot to me. Sometimes I do actually miss seeing bare skin, as my tattoos cover a larger area of my body. And I do regret getting my hands tattooed. Not because I find them unsightly, but because I appreciate personal space and many others don’t. People may not mean to be rude but grabbing your hand/ arm for example, whilst serving them at work, is never pleasant for me. Some people just think it’s an invitation to question your actions and offer their own opinion, which just isn’t wanted’’ Says Sophie. This proves how powerful ink can be to people, not just visibility but psychologically. But is this the same for everybody? Are designers emotionally driven towards tattoos like some people are or is it
just about jumping on the next trend bandwagon? Marc Jacobs is certainly no stranger where body art is concerned - having around 33 scattered around his body, including the random displays of SpongeBob SquarePants, ‘Bros Before Hoes’, and M&M’s. Back in 2010, the designer was asked by GQ magazine why his tattoos are prevalent in his campaign images and what they mean to him, to which he responded ‘‘There is a story behind each one of my tattoos, but they were all very spontaneous thoughts. They are permanent but I don’t give it that kind of importance. They’re just things I felt like doing at that time’’. 5 years ago, the position of tattoos in the fashion industry were nowhere near as popular as they are now, as alternative modelling wasn’t as prominent. This is interesting as it shows that Jacobs has actually being influenced by his own creativity rather than being fuelled by others. It still goes without saying how influential tattoos have become, but it’s as important as ever, people are inspired by their own story and not by other peoples. Tattoos represent people’s stories - their ups, their downs, or maybe just their first kiss in high school.