On Saturday, Jenny King and Co. turned up at Beyond Retro in Brighton with their Embroidered Tattoo Parlour for Brighton Fringe Festival! If your not sure what that is, the process is quite simple. You bring along a garment, pick a design and choose what colour thread you would like. Then one of the team will carefully machine stitch your design onto your garment using 1950s Singer sewing machines. It is very quick and without the pain of a normal tattoo! There is a warning though... it is VERY addictive! If I'd of had the cash in my purse, I think I could of easily gotten carried away! I love tattoos and have 3 myself and would happily have more. There is something quite satisfying about getting a design which can be unique and personal, and The Embroidered Tattoo Parlour has the same addictiveness. I managed to contain my impulsiveness and stuck with one design on my favorite silk skirt and you can watch it being made in the video below....
I decided to catch up with Jenny and find out more about her and her team and was pleasantly surprised to find out this isn't a normal working day for them. The team are usually found in their Brighton studio working on high-end and bespoke embroidery design for big designers like Erdem, Stella McCartney, Mary Katrantzou and many more names on a list that goes on and on and on! As you can see from the examples below that their workmanship is really quite exquisite. Preserving the art of Irish embroidery, Jenny's traditional techniques translate well on modern designs. A bit of a dying art but far superior quality compared to more recent techniques.
Hello Jenny! Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?
I am from Brighton originally but brought up in Storrington, West Sussex.
What's your educational background?
I studied printed textiles and surface decoration at University of East London and then went on to do an MA in mixed media textiles at the RCA. After graduating I stayed in London for a while then moved back to Brighton about 8 years ago - I absolutely loved living in London but am so happy to be back in Brighton again now. After graduating I worked in House at a textile design studio but left after a year to go freelance and then soon after set up my studio.
What are your general professional and non-professional interests?
My professional interests of course blend into my personal interests as I am generally a textile fanatic! I am very happy and at home searching through piles of clothes, fabrics and haberdashery items at boot-fairs and vintage stalls. I love to collect things that inspire me and fill my home with them. Aside from textiles - I am an amateur forager and a favorite day of mine would be spent foraging mushrooms and cooking them in a clearing in the woods.
Will we expect to see the Embroidery Tattoo Parlour popping up anywhere else?
It is possible but there is nothing in the diary as yet!
If someone missed out on the Parlour on Saturday, would they be able to contact you and get something done? If so, how would they contact you?
Possibly...?? It would depend how busy we were! They could contact me through my website.
Did you design all the tattoo templates yourself?
All the Designs have been adapted from vintage tattoos that we have found.
Who or what inspires you?
Traditions, rituals, things people have lost, folklore, gypsy, old ladies, make do and mend, cults, mushrooms, tins, baskets, woods and wine.
You have worked with some pretty big clients. Who has been the highlight of your career so far?
It is difficult to choose a single designer, however, it has been great working with Erdem as I have worked on every collection he has produced and it has been brilliant to see the label grow. Other stand out clients include Stella McCartney, Mary Katrantzou and Lacroix.
Who would be your dream client to work with?
I would have loved to have worked with Alexander McQueen.
What are your favourite fabrics to work with and why?
I love working on very high quality silks and cottons. I also love working with vintage finds - like printed silk scarfs or antique lace.
Hello Jenny! Tell me about yourself. Where are you from?
I am from Brighton originally but brought up in Storrington, West Sussex.
What's your educational background?
I studied printed textiles and surface decoration at University of East London and then went on to do an MA in mixed media textiles at the RCA. After graduating I stayed in London for a while then moved back to Brighton about 8 years ago - I absolutely loved living in London but am so happy to be back in Brighton again now. After graduating I worked in House at a textile design studio but left after a year to go freelance and then soon after set up my studio.
What are your general professional and non-professional interests?
My professional interests of course blend into my personal interests as I am generally a textile fanatic! I am very happy and at home searching through piles of clothes, fabrics and haberdashery items at boot-fairs and vintage stalls. I love to collect things that inspire me and fill my home with them. Aside from textiles - I am an amateur forager and a favorite day of mine would be spent foraging mushrooms and cooking them in a clearing in the woods.
Will we expect to see the Embroidery Tattoo Parlour popping up anywhere else?
It is possible but there is nothing in the diary as yet!
If someone missed out on the Parlour on Saturday, would they be able to contact you and get something done? If so, how would they contact you?
Possibly...?? It would depend how busy we were! They could contact me through my website.
Did you design all the tattoo templates yourself?
All the Designs have been adapted from vintage tattoos that we have found.
Who or what inspires you?
Traditions, rituals, things people have lost, folklore, gypsy, old ladies, make do and mend, cults, mushrooms, tins, baskets, woods and wine.
You have worked with some pretty big clients. Who has been the highlight of your career so far?
It is difficult to choose a single designer, however, it has been great working with Erdem as I have worked on every collection he has produced and it has been brilliant to see the label grow. Other stand out clients include Stella McCartney, Mary Katrantzou and Lacroix.
Who would be your dream client to work with?
I would have loved to have worked with Alexander McQueen.
What are your favourite fabrics to work with and why?
I love working on very high quality silks and cottons. I also love working with vintage finds - like printed silk scarfs or antique lace.
Hopefully another Embroidered Tattoo Parlour will be popping up soon but in the mean time keep an eye out on the catwalk for Jenny King and Co. If you would like to get into contact with the team please check out their website or visit their Facebook page
Ta ta for now,
Ta ta for now,
AKA Hooting Miss Owl |
| Denim jackets were a popular choice to get tattooed |
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| Jenny and team wore garments that were covered with the embroidery tattoos |
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| Designs on a flash card. Just like a real tattoo parlour! |
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| Faith from Beyond Retro with her newly tattooed dress |
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Adolescence is a time to gain your own fashion identity. Experiment with different styles to find the type of clothing that represents you best.
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