A Permanent Reminder Of What Plagues The Planet: The Social Tattoo Project.

Let me say, right off the bat, that this doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. But then again, I'm not a tattoo-type of girl. Permanently inking the world's problems on one's body seems akin to tattooing a loved one's name on your body. Things might change... and what seems relevant or important today could very well be obsolete in a decade or so. But kudos to the courageous volunteers who are lending their body as a canvas to advertise their social awareness.









That said, the Social Tattoo Project is a quest to make empathy permanent by taking today's world problems, such as the recent tragedy in Norway, the earthquake in Haiti or Human Trafficking and emblazing them on your skin. The twist is that those who volunteer to be part of the Social Tattoo Project let Twitterers decide what the actual subject will be.







For each tattoo, they will post 4 trending topics on Twitter, and the most tweeted trend will be the subject of the tattoo. To vote, tweet #socialtattoo and your #favorite trend of the 4 to @social_tattoo. With your vote and their volunteers’ skin, they can make what the world empathizes with today, what you have to care about forever.



Mary gets a #Japan tatt:



Ulises gets a #Norway tatt:





A brave volunteer receives a #Haiti tattoo:







And another, a #Human Trafficking tattoo:







Learn more about the Social Tattoo Project

Sharpie Appears On The Catwalk [Again] In The 2011 F/W Qasimi Homme Collection.

Sharpie markers have hit that catwalk again. Whereas Rodarte used Sharpies to decorate the arms and bodies of women in their S/S 2010 collection, this time it's men donning the black markers to embellish the collection of menswear for 2011 Fall /Winter Qasimi Homme line.



Designer Khalid Al-Qasim's latest menswear collection features leather, knitwear and furs in warm chocolate browns, greys, aubergines, beiges and blacks, and was accentuated with tribal patterns in black [and white] placed on the foreheads of the male models.



The white was applied with body make-up:

but the black was created with the favorite tool of artists and designers everywhere, the Sharpie:



Belted coats, oversized sweaters, tailored wools and leathers with graphic patterns were complimented by the artfully applied facial markings.










The entire collection of menswear is really quite striking, but for this feature, I've focused on the Sharpie markers applied to the foreheads and bodies of the beautiful men making their way down the runway. To get a look at the entire line of clothing, please visit Fashionising.

Designer Khalid Al-Qasim:

images courtesy of Fashion Mag and Fashionising

Qasimi Homme

Yes, I am a proud member of the Sharpie Squad. If you find, do or know of creative applications with Sharpie markers, and would like to see me feature them on my blog and/or on Sharpie's blog, kindly let me know.



See more creativity with Sharpies at Sharpie Uncapped
Sharpie

Inked Magazine Profiles Kat Von D with Stunning Photos by James Dimmock.

Tatted siren Katherine Von Drachenberg, aka Kat Von D, graced the cover of Inked Magazine accompanied by an interview and these stunning photos by celebrity photographer James Dimmock.





Read the article, I Am Not Kat Von D, written by Rebecca Swanner for Inked Magazine.

Tattoo Artist Scott Cambell Designs Bags & Inks Models For Louis Vuitton

Gucci has already introduced a Tattoo-inspired collection of handbags and Chanel introduced their temporary tattoos, so it's no surprise that luxury brand Louis Vuitton has jumped on the tattwagon.

The LVMH company has collaborated with artist and tattoo master Scott Campbell to design some men's bags for the Louis Vuitton 2011 Spring Summer Men's collection. In addition to the leather bags which feature tattoo-inspired images, Scott Campbell also decorated the runway models for the show with temporary tattoos in the form of LV logos and with the same dragon and flourishes he used as imagery on the bags.

The Bags:



detail:






detail:


The Louis Vuitton Tattoos
The tattoos that graced the model's necks, arms and legs are the same designs as Scott incorporated into the leather bags for Louis Vuitton:







Scott, who has received much online attention for his cut-up currency art, is personal friends with Marc Jacobs, the fashion designer and Creative Director for Louis Vuitton. Jacobs sports several of Scott's tatts (both Marc and Scott have his "Bros before Hos" tattoos), so it's no wonder he chose him to design a few pieces and ink the models for the show.


above: Marc Jacobs of Louis Vuitton and artist Scott Campbell backstage at the runway show

Louis Vuitton
images are courtesy of the artist, ilvoelv.com and, with runway photos by Monica Feudi and Gianni Pucci for Style.com.