TTSWTRS FUSE TATTOOS AND FASHION CREATING A SECOND SKIN
DECEMBER 23, 2020BY KRISTIE WILLIAMS
The perception of tattoos has shifted from the rebellious “bad boy” look and the early 2000s promiscuous tramp stamp to tatted models starring in high fashion campaigns. Costume designer and celebrity stylist, Anna Osmekhina was inspired by tattoo culture and collaborated with established tattoo artist Ian Levin to create the Kyiv-based brand TTSWTRS. The brand works with emerging and established tattoo artists to print their designs on fabrics using a silkscreen process for the collection. The clothing includes cozy-chic oversized sweatshirts, silk slip dresses, phosphorescent elements, staple nude bodysuits, and transparent mesh covered with ink designs, alluding to wearables being a ‘second skin’.
Tell us your inspiration behind the brand TTSWTRS.
I was inspired by the way tattoo artist Ien Levin has beautifully decorated his body. At that moment I thought that I would like to be covered in such tattoos as well.
What do you admire about tattoo culture and how has this influenced your designs?
I admire the unique moment when deciding to place on the body the attitude that captures what touches you. This is a very delicate and brave moment for me. Fully tattooed people are very special; for me, their bodies are kind of the art object. There is not a single tattooed body alike—this is living art and tattoo masters are artists. This magical moment, incomprehensible to the end, inspires me very much.
What’s your process for selecting tattoo artists to collaborate with?
Almost always, I know exactly what I would like to do for the next season and I give tasks to my team to find tattoo artists who work in a certain style. However, sometimes new ideas are born because of certain masters—like a canvas for their works. For example: what happened with Rostislav Tsarenko, a tattoo artist with whom we collaborated for the SS19 collection. His point technique appeared on a dress and jacket created specifically for his tattoos.
Who are the collaborators for TTSWRTS 2019 and 2020 collections?
For TTSWRTS 2019 and 2020 collections we collaborated with Kostya Tikhonov, Ekaterina Stepanovna, Arthur Muzychenko, Dimitri Staev, Pasha Grinder, My Anh Chau, and Andrey Volkov. I admire these artists.
How did you transition from costume design and styling to creating a label of your own?
I worked as a stylist and costume designer for 12 years and I had no days off. The demand did not allow me to think in the direction of creating a brand because I was absolutely satisfied with what I was doing. I hadn’t planned to launch my brand at all, in the process of working on music videos you have to fulfill 100 percent of the director's idea.
Therefore, photographer Sonya Plakidyuk, tattoo artist Ian Levin, and I decided to release a limited drop of sweatshirts with his tattoos for our friends just as a distraction from spectacular stage costumes for celebrities. We made a beautiful shooting, and then this drop of sweatshirts, named TTSWTRS, took on a life of its own. Our friend sent this shooting to the legendary Parisian Colette and they asked for a line sheet. At that time we did not even know what it was and googled it. They made an order and asked, “in which showroom are we represented?”. This is how it all began.
What can we expect next from TTSWRTS?
It seems to me that our thrill is precisely that we don't know what to expect from ourselves. We continue to play the game TTSWTRS in a childlike way. I have a team of brave talented children and this is the greatest value. I am so grateful for the love of people for TTSWTRS and I am so pleased with it; especially since I didn’t expect it at all. Now, I want to be conscious of creating clothes.
I do not want to waste the fabric and resources of the planet on something that is commercial or understandable. I only want to do things when I have something to say. I want to open my stores in my favorite cities because in concept stores the collection is presented as other people see it. I want to do a fashion show, an online showroom, release a menswear collection, switch to organic eco-friendly materials. I want everything to be beautiful. Purely. In our way.
The perception of tattoos has shifted from the rebellious “bad boy” look and the early 2000s promiscuous tramp stamp to tatted models starring in high fashion campaigns. Costume designer and celebrity stylist, Anna Osmekhina was inspired by tattoo culture and collaborated with established tattoo artist Ian Levin to create the Kyiv-based brand TTSWTRS. The brand works with emerging and established tattoo artists to print their designs on fabrics using a silkscreen process for the collection. The clothing includes cozy-chic oversized sweatshirts, silk slip dresses, phosphorescent elements, staple nude bodysuits, and transparent mesh covered with ink designs, alluding to wearables being a ‘second skin’.
