Tattoos and Piercing in the Fashion Industry

This blog is more of a personal topic but a very important one in today society. The tattoo industry has sky-rocketed in the last few year, the dailymail.uk wrote an article on this topic, here is the facts from the article: 

28% of middle-class admit to at least one tattoo but 27% of working class
19% of social class AB have some body art
‘The tattoo appears to have transcended traditional class boundaries’ 
Visitors to London Tattoo Convention increased from 3,500 to over 20,000

                    "Hardning, Eleanor. "More than a Quarter of Middle-class People Admit to Having a Tattoo with Letters and Scripts Proving Most Popular." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 03 Aug. 2014. Web. 04 Aug. 2014."

So at this point what does this have to do with the fashion industry ?

Since I am a student who will be graduating in less than a year from now with a degree in fashion merchandising, many of my teachers have told me that since I have gaged ears, septum ring, and tattoos, I will have no chance with a job in my future. Well this post is to show that they are wrong.

Some of the biggest celebrates are eather heavy or have small tattoos, many are about their families, children or their spiritual beliefs. For example Avenger star Scarlett Johansson has tattoos, one on her right side on the ribs, one her ankle, one on her left arm, and her newest one is around her right wrist, she has also had a septum piercing.

And she still is the face of Dolce and Gabbana advertisements for their perfume and makeup products.

So why isn't ok to be tattooed and be in the fashion or any industry in general ? 

Because the employers are gonna judge you are how you look and not by your education or what you spent on the last 2-4 years trying to achieve. In the last few years I have seen influences of tattoos and the art of tattooing go into designers and even in to couture dresses. 

These pictures are from Jean Paul Gaulter's S/S 2012 Line

One of the most popular designers with tattoo designs was Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier. The Ed Hardy boom started back in 2009, many celebrates started to wear this brand including Madonna,Alessandra Ambrosio, and Coco. Ed Hardy had growth in the past few years, but now Ed Hardy is getting a bad rep for a clothing line that "douchebags" wear. 

In the past 2 years designers have had models men and woman walk the runways of Paris,Milan, Tokyo, and New York who are heavily tattooed. They have walked for Saint Laurent, Rick Owens, Diesel Black Gold. 

I feel like their is a place in fashion for both tattoos and Piercings