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Oct 05, 2023

Fashion on Fifth: Our permanent accessories

This week on Fashion on Fifth, tattoos are the hottest accessory. But even

This week on Fashion on Fifth, tattoos are the hottest accessory. But even hotter are the stories behind them. Whether you have one or 23, a 10 minute outline on your wrist or an hours-long detailed chest piece, a meaningless dorm room stick-and-poke or a thoughtful homage to someone you love, tattoos hold significance because you can never take them off.

Vi Dalwadi she/her

@utsxvi, Parsons School of Design industrial design Master's student

Vi has twenty-three tattoos: they’re a ritual to her. Every year on her birthday instead of going out or having a big celebration, she gets two or three new tattoos. Most of them she draws herself, but her last few she gave the artist full creative freedom. She shows me her most recent one: an angel that peaks up at me sneakily from under her black stockings. Vi's all-black skintight outfit and gold jewelry creates the perfect backdrop for her tattoos to act as accessories, turning her left arm into a mural of birthday memories.

Kimani Worghs he/him

@kimaniworghs, third-year Parsons photography student

Kimani's only tattoo is the name of his photography book, "Ascension," which follows his photographic journey from 2020 to 2022. It details his pandemic days, Black Lives Matter protests, and a Jamaican portrait series inspired by his father's homeland. I love Kimani's perfectly oversized leather jacket that sets his all-black outfit apart from others with its sharp collar and fitted yet boxy silhouette. His tattoo is the perfect addition to his outfit, peeking out from under his sleeve. I admire Kimani's ability to pack his photography, activism, and heritage into the perfect one-word accessory.

Em Flaire they/them

@the_flaire, third-year Parsons integrated design student

Em considers their tattoos anatomical architecture. Their thesis project studies the relationship between tattoos and architecture: how one designs their own home and their own body. Similar to how people curate and design their personal spaces with furniture and art over many years, Em has curated their tattoos since they were fifteen years old. Since then, they’ve amassed between 15 and 20 tattoos that decorate their arms and legs.

Ali Rake she/her

@eventyrverden, fourth-year Parsons fine arts student

From the front, I’m focused on Ali's outfit: a victorian-style lace skirt, a printed corset tank, platform sneakers, and purple pigtails that cascade down her shoulders. But from the back, Ali's tattoos climb out from under her backpack. She chose to only put them on the back of her neck, arms, and shoulders, because she doesn't want to become too hyper-critical of them when she looks in the mirror everyday. Her tattoos depict angelic figures, women, royalty, and ornamental flames, and spires – aligning perfectly with her aesthetic.

Jason Baek he/him

@jasonjunkibaek, third-year Parsons fashion design student

Jason's first and only tattoo is from a 2,000 mile motorcycle road trip that his friend group took from Massachusetts to Virginia. He and one friend wore black helmets while the third wore a white one. The white helmet friend always rode in the back of the group. After recently surviving a near-death accident, the trio celebrated with matching tattoos: two black dots, and a third white one bringing up the rear. To match his monochrome tattoo, Jason designed his black hoodie out of upholstery fabric with a big kangaroo-style pocket across the front. And he made his bag, too, with small pockets on the strap specially sized for his airpods, wallet, and cigarettes–embodying his design philosophy of combining function and beauty.

Clementine Robertson she/her

@robertsonclem_, first-year Parsons Strategic Design and Management student

Clementine got her tattoo in Buenos Aires while traveling on her gap year. She wanted a tattoo for herself and her family, so she got three clementines, one for her sister and one for each of her parents. When I asked why she didn't get one for herself, she told me she is her own clementine. Her basic tank top and plaid pants folded at the waist are perfect for the warming weather. Clem wears tank tops to show off her tattoo whenever she can, but in the winter you would never know it's there.

This week, our beloved New School students showed off their permanent accessories and the intention and stories behind them. Whether you have your own art on your body or someone else's, tattoos are the ultimate labor of love. But these students don't wear their hearts on their sleeves, they wear them on their skin.