permanence.

In case you hadn’t noticed, tattoos are well and truly in, and for once it’s not just the hipsters and Dalston-dwellers flaunting their body art. Forget nautical or military: tattoos are well on their way to becoming the furthest reaching and most durable (naturally) trend of our generation.

Daisy Garnett discussed the appeal of the tattoo in her 2008 article for British Vogue, entitled “Models Ink”, rubber-stamping them as THE mark of fashion. Ever since then they have become a permanent feature in the very soul of the industry and, once you start looking, they really are everywhere, with most subjects of the needle willing to whip out their individual pieces at a moment’s notice.

With an endless list of models and celebrities sporting a bit - or a lot - of body art, including (much to my astonishment) Helen Mirren and Samantha Cameron, the reach of this trend is untold. Gwyneth Paltrow had hers done at Selfridges and Chanel produced a range of non-permanent tattoos that sold out within weeks, proving that the taboo surrounding the art has long since lost its sway.

Interesting too is the changing role of models: tattoos have transformed them from flawless blank canvases, upon which designers express their vision, to bodies which already have etched upon them their own fashion identity. Once upon a time, a tattooed model would have been unemployable. Now, they can embody the very identity of a brand, perhaps even influencing the creation of the clothes themselves. Just look at Freja Beha or Erin Wasson. Erin sports a grand total of 22 tattoos and Zadig and Voltaire’s new collection is oozing with her style and personality. For this her tribal tattoos play an integral role, specifically in the advertising.

So what is it about this fascination with body art? Why the surge in enthusiasm for such a permanent trend? Especially when considering the fast-paced and disposable nature of the rest of the industry. “All of my tattoos represent something I truly love” says Tom Yates, founder of Dirty Love Clothing and self-confessed tattoo addict, “although for a lot of people there is the danger of getting caught up in the fashion and regretting it”.

I myself want one, without quite knowing why. “But that’s the thing about tattoos” writes Daisy Garnett, “If you want one there’s not much point in rationalising it, because the desire just stays stubbornly put”.

Experience The Mark of Fashion:

-  The Electric Michelangelo by Sarah Hall. A fantastically gripping novel that takes you back to a time when tattoos were solely reserved for the military or criminal classes, and follows the story of a young artist from Morecambe.

-  The International London Tattoo Convention. Brings together the finest tattoo artists in the world under one roof. An unmissable opportunity to witness a wealth of creativity.

-  Nine: Bespoke Tattoo Studio in Brighton (http://www.nineboycesstreet.com). There is practically a waiting list for the waiting list at this place, where resident tattooists Ade, Nige, Jack and James create fleshy masterpieces. But the end results are always out of this world.

-  Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck. Whether you have tattoos or not, you will find this book an eye opener. Great photography and a very voyeuristic look into the personal choices behind each piece of art.