As we’ve already established, the tattoo artist Bang Bang (as he prefers to be known, and called, even by friends) is sort of a big deal. Rihanna, Cara Delevingne, and Justin Bieber have all received multiple tats from him, and his Instagram is rife with impressive and gorgeous examples of his work. So when he offered to sneak me into his exclusive and packed schedule, I jumped at the chance.
Since I am not Rihanna, nor am I Katy Perry, I had to wait two and a half months for my appointment to roll around. In the interim, I was able to think a lot about my tattoo, and what it would look like, and where it would go, and oh my god it’s permanent, and wait, is this a huge mistake?! This line of thinking escalated alarmingly quickly. I started researching tattoo removals. The location of the tattoo switched daily depending on my mood. I talked about it with anyone who would listen, seeking reassurance. With my inner monologue reaching a high-pitched, wailing crescendo, I enlisted a friend to accompany me day-of and gave her strict instructions to escort me out if everything went south.
Now that you have this rather unattractive snapshot of my pre-tattoo POV, you may be surprised to learn that in reality the process was something like an exciting fever dream. Not to sound crazy (again), but getting a tattoo was kind of the best thing ever. Bang Bang, in addition to being a Very Cool Dude, is a professional and an artist, and working with him instantly calmed me. We sat in front of a huge monitor and designed the image—a jasmine in honor of my sister’s name—together. The actual needle part was pretty low on the pain scale, and the post-tat euphoria was real, people. I now understand the concept of tattoo addiction—five blocks away from the shop, I was contemplating going back for more.
Getting my first tattoo from Bang Bang ultimately left me with mixed feelings: On one hand I now have, as he said, “bragging rights.” I got a sick tattoo from the best in the biz. On the other hand, this was pretty once-in-a-lifetime, so assuming there are more tats to come, where does one go from there? Luckily, New York City is home to some of the coolest tattoo parlors in the world. And while I’ll always remember my first, I guess it couldn’t hurt to spread my wild oats.
Below, a list of Vogue-approved shops for when you finally take the body-art leap.
1. Bang Bang
328 Broome Street, New York, NY 10002
Bang Bang employs 15-plus artists, all of whom have a distinct personal style. Delicate lines and teeny-tiny detailing, however, are their hallmark, and Bang Bang’s Instagram is the best place to view the team’s incredible range. The shop welcomes walk-ins, but the truly cult-ish artists (like JonBoy and Lazer Liz) are worth the wait—and the hefty-ish price tag.
Average wait for an appointment: several weeks to months
2. Saved Tattoo
426 Union Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Owner Scott Campbell, like Bang Bang, has strong roots in the fashion industry: He’s famously tattooed Marc Jacobs, and collaborated with him on a line of bags for Louis Vuitton in 2011. He’s out of the game at the shop, although he occasionally crops up for special projects like his four-day mystery tattoo moment in 2015 during which he gave 23 people tattoos they wouldn’t see until he was finished. The style at Saved varies, but on the whole, captures an American-classic-with-a-twist vibe.
Average wait for an appointment: 1–3 months
3. East River Tattoo
1047 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
This Greenpoint, Brooklyn-based parlor is heavy on the folk-inspired art: If you’re looking for something more traditional with strong linework and a nautical feel, this is the place for you. The shop’s founder, Duke Riley, still tattoos there, but sparingly—his waiting list is anywhere from 2 months to a year—and he spends his off time working on art installations, such as a public art project in collaboration with Creative Time that ends June 12.
Average wait for an appointment: 1–3 months
4. New York Adorned
47 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003
With its East Village address, this parlor is popular with the fashion and college crowds. (They also do piercings.) The stars of this show are Yoni Zilber, whose work is Tibetan-inspired, and Kris Magnotti, who uses a Japanese influence in his tattoos. These stars are only there one to three days a week so their wait is lengthy, but the shop hosts walk-ins on weekends for small and simple tattoos, making it a go-to for starter tats.
Average wait for an appointment: 1 week–4 months
The post Getting Tattooed by Bang Bang: One Vogue Editor’s Story appeared first on Vogue.
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