Summer in New York is all about the rooftop parties, and Inked Magazine (www.inkedmag.com) decided to have an impromptu gathering last night on the roof of their Chinatown office, replete with Tikki torches and an open bar.
Tattoo culture is synonomous with pin-up girls who may or may not have tattoos (who often dress in a style inspired by the 1940’s and 50’s), rockabilly music , and underground art.
It’s a subculture that undoubtedly inspires many designers, and pin-up superstars like Dita Von Teese have helped to inbue it into the mainstream public’s consciousness.
Pin-up models are proud of their curves and end up posing for tattoo magazines, calendars and car magazines. They also frequently work with more mainstream fashion photographers who are inspired by their style, such as Dale May and Justin Hyte.
This is model Sharon TK in her street style look on the way to the party, wearing 2-tone leggings from American Apparel (which are reminiscent of Chanel’s 2-tone tights from last spring).
And some of her recent modeling shots and magazine covers:
This is Dawn Geary, who models and also works in fashion as a shoot producer and stylist. She has an amazing project in the Seul Contre Tous: Art for a Cure (http://www.seulcontretous.net) which donates proceeds to Breast Cancer research.
And some of her modeling work:
This is Dina Desade, caught in a street style moment just as she was about to walk into the party:
And some of her modeling work:
I was able to intercept partygoers as they climbed up the last flight of stairs to the rooftop.
Here is Melissa, a make-up artist with her friend Josh, a tattoo artist at East Side Ink (www.eastsideinktattoo.com)
And some rockabilly girls:
This girl’s hair reminded me of Joey Ramone:
This guy said that his grandmother had knitted his hat:
LA Ink star Kat Von D was not at the party, but she was a frequent topic of conversation at the party (pictured here with Denise Richards, who she recently tattooed).
And on my way out I posed for a picture with make-up artist Melissa and Todd from Inked, our hospitable party host.
Photos courtesy of Andrea Grant and Inked Magazine.
