Tijdelijke tattoo

Historically, the way in which inked bodies have been perceived has been pliable and dynamic, with geography, socioeconomic standing, and our ever-changing values dictating whether tattoos are seen as symbols of individuality, marks of rank, emblems of shame or badges of distinction worn with pride. While tattoos, in one iteration or another, have been omnipresent throughout history, they have only recently been incorporated within mainstream fashion Tijdelijke tattoo.

For many decades, the supermodels walking the world’s most sought-after runways in London, Paris, New York, and Milan were nothing if not blank slates, immaculate and unmarked. Tattoos had no place in the world of fashion — that is until Issey Miyake presented his formative autumn/winter Tattoo collection in New York in 1971.

An unabashed celebration of youth culture, rock’n’roll and contemporary artistry, Tattoo, which debuted the now-iconic hand-painted dress and men’s bodysuit using traditional Japanese tattoo techniques, was widely recognised as a loving homage to traditional Japanese irezumi (tattoo) culture, as well as the musical idols of the young generation — particularly Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix.

Miyake, who witnessed the 1968 anti-authoritarian student protests, was known to have little interest in pandering to the upper echelons of society. Instead, his vision was one of inclusion, using subversive imagery to make high fashion accessible to everyone, not just a lucky few. Tattoos, which were only legalised in 1948 in Japan, are still negatively associated with the Yakuza (members of Japanese crime syndicates) in many parts of the country to this day. By making the subversive practice the beating heart of his collection, Miyake desensitized the runway, paving the way for a meaningful discourse on the intersection between politics and fashion.