Inklings
Temporary tattoos with old-school flavor
For the fainthearted tattoo enthusiast, Inklings supplies authentic-looking ink in temporary form. Following in the footsteps of Tattly, the basic concept brings stick-on designs out of the schoolyard and into the realm of skin fashion. While Tattly charmingly satisfies the palate for design nerds, Inklings focuses on traditional macabre iconography with mostly black and gray illustrations. Winged skulls and drooling devils are offset by a run of art deco “Space Jamming” designs.
With a waggish degree of overstatement, Inklings’ own Dalasie Michaelis expresses the desire to “pry the temporary tattoo from the insipidness that currently binds it. Mend its disfigured little wings, rename it, and send it free into the hearts, forearms, upper arms, minds and sometimes ankles of everyone.”
Given the history of temporary tattoos, it’s no easy feat to rethink the gimmicky arcade prize, but the secret to Inklings’ success is a sense of play and rad designs. Pick up the tattoos up from the Inklings online shop, but buyer beware—even temporary tattoos can be a gateway drug toward permanent iterations.
Images by James Thorne
