From lavender to ferns, pressed flower tattoos will be the trend in 2024

When it comes to small and unique tattoos, micro hearts and sticker sleeves are the obvious go-to. Pressed flower tattoos are a growing trend this year. Yes, it's a real tattoo, not a temporary one.Pressed flowers may have been known since the 16th century^th It was incorporated into art in China and Japan in the 19th century, but it really took off in England during the Victorian era. It is also used in botanical illustrations in science books.

Traditionally, flowers were inserted into the pages of hardcover books, pressed between the pages, and the flowers took several weeks to dry. Equally romantic and educational, pressed flowers explore the flora and fauna of the time. Recently, pressed flowers have made a comeback as part of resin art, and are now used in wall art, memo cards, paperweights, bookmarks, candles, and more.

Whether it's a fern leaf or a dainty fruit branch, there are tattoo artists who specialize in pressed flower style tattoos. Gina Park, also known as Isle Tattoo, says she's never seen it this popular. “Pressed flower tattoos have been my signature work for a long time,” Park said. “When I first started getting tattoos after graduating from art school, it felt like I was carving pictures on my body. It's decoration, but it tells a story, just like pressed flowers.”

The rise of flower tattoos has made its way into fashion, with artists like Dauphinette, a New York brand that created its own pressed flower handbags, and pressed flower artist Tricia Paoluccio, who collaborated with Oscar de la Renta on her Fall/Winter 2021 collection. (Taylor Swift famously wore one of these tattoos when a dress from the collection was presented to the Grammy Awards). “Tattoos are permanent on your body, so I hope they don't get sticky over time,” Park said. “In that sense, I think it would be best to use natural themes such as leaves, pressed flowers, fruits, and branches.”

Women want something classic, timeless and feminine. “It's really cool to give dimension to a flat surface like human skin, but it's even cooler to ink a flat design that presses against the body,” Park said. “In short, it's a pressed flower tattoo.”

Park draws inspiration from a combination of Eastern and Western artists, including David Hockney and Korean landscape painter Kim Bo-hee. Her work brings to mind the fruits in Caravaggio's paintings or the twig-laden scarves of Hermès and Gucci. Park said, “I majored in Oriental painting and was born and raised in East Asia, so I know the beauty of the East.''

“The East has a different way of looking at things and expressing things than the West. That's why even if they paint the same flowers as Western painters, they are different. I think many people are interested in such special things. ”

More and more clients are not comfortable using small flowers, leaves, and branches as tattoos. This is mainly due to its sparse and minimal nature and its size. “People tend to feel more comfortable with something small and cute than something strong and wild,” Park says. “Small tattoos with nature-inspired flowers and leaves are easy to decide on because they are less burdensome. They are simple.”

Park's delicate botanical tattoos include pressed versions of magnolia, daisies, lavender, and fern leaves. “Recently, I've noticed that my clients prefer slender-looking plants,” she said. “People also like the shape of lichens, which are a type of fungi that live on rocks and trees. What I like about this strange type of fungus is that it looks strange but beautiful at the same time, a perfect combination for small tattoos. That’s why.”

The fern fronds Harry Styles has painted on his waist are often connected to his client's heritage or hometown. “Most of the guests who got fern tattoos had ferns in their hometowns, and it became a fond memory,” Park said. “Although ferns may seem like commonplace plants, clients seem to love them because they add an unusual and unique feel.”

Park said customers are looking for pressed flowers that represent their hometown or country, from plants and flowers from Korea to New Zealand to Scotland. “Nature is always with us, but it differs from continent to continent,” she said. “It not only represents a place, but also the heart of a people.”