When Pamela Anderson flaunted her barbed wire tattoo on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 1994, promoting her film Barb Wire, no one could have predicted that it would become an iconic symbol of the grunge era’s rebellious spirit.
Fast forward 25 years, and while the new Pam & Tommy series brings retro trends back into the spotlight, the once-popular barbed wire tattoo has given way to a new trend: foliage tattoos.
In celebration of Earth Day 2022, the fashion-conscious are now embracing tattoos featuring leaves, vines, and grasses. These designs often incorporate greenery around peony petals and lilies, as well as plants like eucalyptus, sage, and lemon leaves. This trend mirrors the graphic leaf prints seen in collections by Alice + Olivia, Michael Kors, and Duro Olowu’s recent colorful offerings at London Fashion Week.
One artist who has made a name for himself in the realm of leaf and vine wraparound tattoos is Seoul-based Yoon Gunhee, known as Zee Tattoo. He reinterprets traditional floral tattoos with a historical perspective, infusing his designs with a unique and thoughtful approach.
According to Zee Tattoo, the future of the wraparound arm tattoo is set to be dominated by leaves and vines, especially within the Generation Z style set. This trend diverges from the traditional 19th-century botanical illustrations and instead caters to the Instagram generation with its modern, visually captivating appeal.
“It has a graphic look to it, flat but with organic charm,” he says, “to cover the body in an elegant way. Leaf tattoos are timeless.”
It’s all about paying attention to simple, minimal design elements, rather than to the types of leaves, says Yoon, 29. “This is the sort of tattoo that goes well with any body part,” he said.
Yoon Gunhee’s iris and lily leaves are long, thin, and whimsical, elegantly climbing up one client’s arm, while his rose leaves around another client’s hips appear to naturally rest on the skin.
These foliage tattoos resonate with the fashion set due to the industry’s recent shift towards sustainability. Fashion brands are increasingly embracing the circular economy, from Steve Madden’s resale marketplace and Timberland’s Timberloop circular design program to jeans crafted from recycled denim in Tunisia, all aimed at reducing waste and making fashion more eco-friendly.
This movement towards a greener planet has made such tattoos genuinely stylish, surpassing traditional fashion tattoos like those of high heels or coat hangers. Yoon’s favorite designs include forest leaves such as spruce, pine, fir, and birch.
He began his tattooing journey in 2016 after serving four years as a navy officer. After connecting with a local tattoo artist, he learned the craft and has been working out of his private studio in Seoul ever since.
“I love tattooing flowers the best—peonies and roses are the most popular,” he said. “Leaves are also at the core of nature’s beauty, and even if we live in large, concrete cities, we can each have greenery, and plants, in our lives at home.”
With Earth Day approaching on April 22, it’s fitting that leaf tattoos symbolize a commitment to a sustainable lifestyle. Their natural and organic appeal aligns with the growing trend towards eco-conscious fashion and environmental stewardship.
“Tattoos are personal, so even vine leaves or flowers have personal significance,” he said. “They have precious meanings, whether it’s the first flower someone got on a date with a loved one, someone’s birth flower, or that they want to protect Mother Earth. They’re all important.”
