Posts

Posted on

Careers: Tattooed Social Media Representative

25-year-old Mikaela is a Social Media Representative at LUSH in London. We caught up with her to chat work, her tattoo collection and being vegan…

How long have you been working for Lush? How did you get your current role? I’ve been working at Lush for about three years now. I started on the shop floor at the flagship Oxford Street store, then joined the in store events and branding team. I’ve always wanted to bring my love of photography into my everyday job, so jumped at the chance at joining the social media team. I’m now a social media rep, and support events and branding when needed!

What do you love about your job? I love working for a company that’s so accepting of everyone, and encourages individuality. It’s a company that cares about their products, what goes into them, where ingredients are sourced and of course is fighting animal testing which is incredibly important to me. Lush also creates and supports a number of campaigns each year and isn’t afraid to use its voice as a popular brand to make people think, and I think that’s great. It’s also quite a tongue-in-cheek company at times so there’s always an element of fun involved.

T&I13-1

What sorts of stuff do you do? What projects do you get involved with? On a day-to-day basis at Lush, I do a lot of community management on the store’s social media pages, shoot photo and video content etc. Outside of work I try to do as much photography as I can, the majority of which is portrait work and it’s something I’d eventually love to be able to do full time.

I’ve also been vegan for two years now, so that’s a big part of my life. I’ve been trying to get fitter and healthier so spend a lot of time at the gym with my badass female, tattooed, vegan trainer @princessoftheunicorns!

T&I7-1

Can you tell us about your tattoos? Do you have any future plans? I’ve been getting tattooed since I was 19, my first one was a tiny heart on my wrist. I then ventured into getting bigger and more colourful pieces. My first ones being by Gemma, Amy Savage and Adam Ruff. They’re mostly quite traditional, lots of hearts and a few lady heads! I also have portraits of my dogs on my calves and two Fall Out Boy inspired tattoos. I also have a dotwork Maltese Cross on my ankle that I got in Malta, which is quite sentimental.

I think my favourite is still the first colour tattoo I got by Gemma, it’s a locket with my mum’s initials either side that I later had a key added to underneath. I have so many ideas for tattoos that I still want to get. I want to finish my sleeve and get my knees tattooed next, but I definitely know why I’m maybe putting that off a little bit!

T&I10

Can you show them off at work? How would you describe your fashion style? Not having to cover up my tattoos at work is another thing that I love about working at Lush. Everyone is encouraged to express their individuality and tattoos are no exception. I’m around so many tattooed people at work that I sometimes forget that they can still be a problem at other workplaces. Everyone loves seeing each other’s work as well and discovering new styles and artists as a result!

I don’t really follow any kind of fashion in particular, I mostly wear black, occasionally dipping into a little Bettie Page 50s feel when I have time to put the effort in – but mostly keep it a little bit dressed down “goth” I guess.

What kind of reception do your tattoos get? Most of the time I get a really positive reaction, people love how colourful they are and finding out why I got certain pieces. I do get the occasional negative comment or dirty look but I’m pretty used to it now, and nothing will ever make me feel bad about them when I know how happy they make me!

T&I6

Has being vegan influence your tattoos or job? Does it influence the company you work for?  I would probably say that I became vegan as a result of working at Lush. I’d always had a bit of a guilty conscience when I used to eat meat but once I started working at Lush with lots of vegans, I learned so much more about the meat and dairy industries that I couldn’t ignore it anymore.

In terms of tattoos it means that I have to think about whether tattoo ink being used is vegan and aftercare, which hasn’t been too difficult so far. I don’t have any vegan-related tattoos yet, but I’m sure I will end up getting one eventually. I’ll definitely be getting more animal tattoos!

Posted on

Tattoos & Yoga: Emma Vasquez

24-year-old Emma Vasquez , is a yoga teacher from Carlisle. We chatted to Emma to find out more about her daily practice, her tattoos and living a vegan lifestyle…

image7

How old were you when you got your first tattoo and what was it? I was 18, it’s an owl on my thigh it’s about A4 size.

What drew you to the world of tattoos? Full bodysuits of tattoos. I just loved seeing so many tattoos together on one person, the colours and work just blew me away. I remember seeing a bodysuit on a lady in the swimming pools when I was about 10 or 11 and I was in awe of how awesome she looked.

image8

What influenced your decision to get tattooed? I just liked how it looked, getting tattooed didn’t feel like a huge deal for me really, I don’t really have any that are meaningful or tell a story. It was more just get a tattoo done and that’s it. Go to a good tattooist and just enjoy the whole experience.

Can you tell us a little about your tattoos? I have both arms done, traditional and lots of colours and flowers. A nautical style piece on my back, an om on my chest, Ganesha on my stomach. I have both thighs tattooed, back of thighs, knees, shins, calves. All ten toes, insides of my feet and tops of my feet.  They’re all traditional and I’ve been tattooed by many great tattooists, most were done by Megan Fell and her dad Colin Fell. Both solid tattooers.

image6

How did your yoga journey begin? About five years, I had started meditating and wanted to see if yoga would complement that. I took my first class at the same studio I now work for, I totally fell in love with yoga from the start.

Have you been treated differently as a heavily tattooed woman in the yoga industry? I have had students tell me they were worried about coming to my classes because my tattoos make me look scary or “hard” even though I always have a huge smile on my face! People have outright told me they think my tattoos look awful and they don’t like them. But that’s their opinion and that’s fine. Sometimes I’ve had students giggle or point at my tattoos to their friends but never at the yoga studio in Carlisle where I work now, this was from other places I taught yoga. So I suppose people have said things or giggled and pointed at me to their friends because of my tattoos. I just let it be, I think the more tattoos you get the more you just don’t care about what anyone else thinks. I like them that’s all that matters.

image9

Has your lifestyle changed since you started teaching? Not really, when I started yoga that’s when my lifestyle changed. I became vegan and made a lot of different life choices but since I started teaching it’s all just been so natural and fluid. No forcing anything, everything just flows really. It’s a great way to live, very relaxed.

Do your tattoos coincide with your yoga practice? I think as I am a strict ashtanga practitioner they do, ashtanga is a very yang style of yoga and if I go to other studios to do an ashtanga class I guarantee a few ashtangis will have tattoos! I suppose I also feel covered up with my tattoos when I practice, I feel hidden and in my own little world. I do get a lot of compliments about them though, in the studio and even people stopping me in the street.

image4

Have they helped you to connect to yourself or the world in a different way? Actually getting tattooed made me realise we can step away from emotions and feelings, we don’t have to hold on to them or identify with them. If you’re in pain getting tattooed just accept it as your present moment experience and know that it’ll pass.

Have yoga and tattoos helped you to view your body differently, has yoga? Definitely, yoga made me completely fall in love with my body, to heal and nurture it and to be proud of it. And getting tattooed has also made me feel much more confident in my own skin.

image5-1

Where do you teach and how can people get involved? 
I teach at the Yoga Studio Carlisle in Cumbria, it’s the most beautiful tranquil space. You get involved by coming along to classes! I run the ashtanga yoga programme here as well and that’s a real rarity for Cumbria! It’s fantastic to be teaching at the same studio I started my yoga journey in.

Posted on

Tattoo Artist: Sasha Foteev

27-year-old Sasha Foteev works out of a private studio in Moscow, Russia. Sasha also belongs to the professional team of Ego machines with which he works with the studio Bugpin.

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 20.59.44

I have been involved in the tattoo scene for six years, and I got into this profession quite spontaneously. I am constantly trying new kinds of art, and besides tattoos I’m fond of graffiti. I make canvases with acrylic paint and posters with markers.

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 21.00.23

I can describe my style as a mixture of several styles (graphics, ornament and realism). As an artist I represent creativity and activity, as a tattoo artist my first step is to search for my own style. This usually happens by testing a large number of different directions. And many of tattoo artists can’t decide what exactly they like: is it Japanese, Tradition or Watercolor with realism? Likewise it was very difficult for me so I chose a combination of several styles. I like the contrast between styles, shadows, blending and hard-edge painting.

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 21.00.44

I’m inspired by a combination of styles and techniques, I like the visual combination of lines and smooth shadows.My favourite artists are Aivazovsky and Vrubel for their diligence and memorable style. And there are many modern ones, but it’s there are too many to list. In the tattoo world, I like it when people come  to me for my style and “my hands”.  I love it when they trust me and they’re ready to listen and hear my advice, especially if we have similar looks and tastes.

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 20.58.47

I really want to work in England soon, especially at the Triplesix studio with Bez the owner of Ego machines, as well as work in other studios in Europe. I have already worked as a guest tattoo artist in Paris at Chez Meme, in Prague at One Love tattoo and in Hamburg  at Vaders Dye. In the near future I plan to participate in the Moscow tattoo convention.

Posted on

Rogues & Sacred Idols

We chat to Fudge, co-founder of Rogues and Sacred Idols, a brand that champions female artists about how the company started, what inspires their designs and who they work with…

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 22.03.02

Co-founder Fudge in LA

How was the brand/company set up? How long ago? Rogues and Sacred Idols is the sister brand of RSI Apparel (which Rob set up 5/6 years ago). A lot of girls were asking about a women’s line from his brand, and after chats over the last couple of years about all the cool stuff we could do we decided to make it happen last year!

What inspired you to create a brand designed by women for women? Can you tell us about the brand’s ethos? We’re keeping the same idea as Rob’s brand, featuring our favourite super talented artists and supporting their work, but keeping it female specific which is something we hadn’t really seen done. There’s so many amazing female tattooists and illustrators we want to work with and shout about!

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 22.05.23

How do you choose which artists to collaborate with? Do you only feature tattoo artists? We launched with a good pal of mine, Barbie Longfox, who’s designs have had an amazing response! We have also worked with an illustrator called Laura Schneider. We’re not exclusively featuring tattoo artists, but it’s been a good starting point for us and ties in nicely with the tattoo conventions we trade at throughout the year.

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 22.03.29

Can you tell us about the design process? What influences and inspires the products? Our first collection with Barbie had a 70s Cali vibe and I’m currently revisiting an old ska phase, so who knows what the next few collections might bring! Our artists design us a flash style sheet or couple of smaller pieces as well as a bigger design from a starting point or idea I’ll give them. I’m keen to use our artist’s work in new ways other than just a chest print on a tee so the smaller designs make their way onto elbow patches, make up bags and pins. We have so many exciting ideas down for future collections so definitely give us a follow to see all the new product we’ll be bringing out!

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 22.05.10

Are there any new and exclusive things in the pipeline? Currently putting the finishing touches to an exciting collaboration with Toni Moore for all you mammas (both human and dog/cat). We’re mega excited about this one, as well as some new pieces by Rizza Boo. Towards the end of the year we hope to be bringing cut and sew styles, to really expand the range beyond tees, sweats and accessories!

Screen Shot 2018-06-15 at 22.03.45

Where can readers get their hands on your apparel? We’re at a few tattoo conventions later on in the year. Come and say hi if you see us! You can also buy online at www.roguesandsacredidols.com (we hand wrap all orders in the best polka dot paper if that tempts you!)