Radisson RED Cape Town is hosting their annual pop-up tattoo parlour to celebrate the growing acceptance and inclusivity of tattoos within professional settings. FLASHED Tattoo Day at RED runs on Saturday 11 May – the hotel’s third annual tattoo day – and pushes back against the outdated, harmful stigmas around tattoos and those who wear them. Pop in and browse some designs, enjoy drinks and light snacks, and get your first tattoo or a new addition.
Shifting the perception of tattoos
An estimated 225 million people globally have at least one tattoo. In the past, tattoo wearers were subject to a ubiquitous yet unfair assumption: that the number of tattoos a person has impacted their professionalism and the value they’d bring to any workplace. Thankfully, societal norms are evolving and tattoos are now increasingly recognised as legitimate expressions of personality; a form of embodied storytelling.
“Unfortunately, there are still a lot of negative stereotypes, but we all just want to be creative and to create beautiful art,” shares Emilia Pawlikowska, a Tattoo Artist at Sally Mustang Tattoos Cape Town. She explains that her customers have a wide variety of deeply personal motivations for getting tattoos, from memorial tattoos to honour loved ones who’ve passed on. Sally’s tattoo parlour also helps people feel happier and more confident by decorating parts of their bodies they may have felt insecure about.
In the hospitality industry, especially among chefs who are often creative individuals with a keen sense of aesthetics, tattoos are quite common and even celebrated as part of individual creative expression. The sector, which encompasses hosting, food services, entertainment, and tourism activities, values talent and personality above all else and therefore tends to be more meritocratic than many other professional spaces, explains Dayle Theunissen, digital communications and marketing lead at Radisson RED Cape Town.
“What truly matters is your ability to excel in the role and make a positive impression on all those you serve,” says Dayle. “Having tattoos should not make it more challenging to land any job. Your tattoos further express your creativity and personality. At the end of the day, it’s the person who does the work and not their skin. Some of the most gracious, warm-hearted and meticulous individuals you’ll meet happen to be adorned with tattoos.”
Go home with unique designs at the pop-up tattoo parlour in Cape Town
Radisson RED Cape Town will have the superb tattoo artists from Sally Mustang Tattoos on their rooftop bar – and everyone is invited to come and get tattooed. They’ll be offering the following:
- Fine Line Tattoos: From R350
- Micro tattoos: from R500 (3-5cm x 3-5cm, but can go bigger or smaller and the price would adjust)(micro means fine lines with no shading)
- Flash pieces: R1200 (depending on intricacy and design): 5-15cm x 5-15cm, and adjustable depending on the body part and placement.
Whatsapp Sally Mustang Tattoos at 064 064 8424 to request an artist and design and get a quotation ahead of time. Attendees can also look forward to excellent drinks, snacks and live entertainment.
Cost: Free entrance. Tattoos at various costs. Food and drink for your own account
When: Saturday, 11 May from 10am to 5pm
Where: Radisson RED Cape Town, No. 6, Silo, Silo Square, Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town
Website: radissonhotels.com
Email: baxter@radissonred.com | capetown@sallymustang.co.za
Instagram: @radissonhotels
Facebook: @RadissonHotels
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