I received a comment in a few posts down regarding the latest Italian issue of Vogue.

Here we have a fashion editorial in the latest issue (December 2007) of Italian Vogue. The models in the editorial are Lara Stone, Kinga Rajzak, Meghan Collison, Maryna Linchuk & Hanne-Gaby Odiele. The photographer is Steven Meisel. A quick Google search reveals that NONE of these models are heavily tattooed as depicted in the cover or any pages that follow throughout the magazine.

So here we have an EXTREMELY high-end fashion magazine incorporating tattoos into its pages (namely its cover). From the detail I can deduce that the tattoos were either painted on- or either in the fashion of those obnoxious sheer legging type sleeves that they sell online.

While it angers me on one end that the tattoos are obviously fake- the layout and incorporation of the idea of 'patterns' is intriguing. The models / fake tattoos are treated in a respectable, interesting manner and are actually part of the photographs, rather than being objectified or ridiculed in any sort of obnoxious manner.

This brings up the idea of why not just use heavily tattooed models, instead of just 'regular' models. Unfortunately, the on-call models who are heavily tattooed (tastefully) and also fit the anorexic body type are few and far between.

Here we have a model 'wearing' tattoos, 10 years ago a model would wear flannel, 20 years ago I don't know, 30 years ago they would be wearing polyester. All in all, my feeling is that fashion is just fickle.

Italian Vogue home (click Vogue Photo Story)