Step into the legacy of Ed Hardy. Inspired by the tattoo culture behind the brand, Ed Hardy’s new jewellery collection takes the artistry you love and transforms it into wearable statement pieces. Each design is a tribute to self-expression.
Ed Hardy’s new tattoo-inspired jewellery collection is brought to life on tattoo artists local to our HQ in Manchester, UK. As the team visited five distinct tattoo studios around Manchester, talking to each artist as they reflected on what shaped their own unique path and love for the art of tattooing. Their inked stories, paired with our tattoo designs, create an authentic energy that captures the essence of where the Ed Hardy brand began.
Do you remember your first tattoo on a client? What was the experience like?
Rylan, Kustom Creations Tattoo Studios: My first tattoo was actually on my boyfriend! He was the guinea pig who first got tattooed by me as an apprentice. I remember it only as a blur of stencil smudges, fear, and my mentor leaning over my shoulder watching my every move like a hawk! It took forever to do, and it wasn't finished. It's still unfinished now, years later. But he doesn't want it finishing, as it's a little piece of my tattoo journey that he's proud to have on him.
Lauren, Kustom Creations Tattoo Studios: Tin (studio owner) just told me one day with no warning that I’m tattooing, two friends actually the same tattoo, and I was very nervous but it was an exciting day.
Tin, Kustom Creations Tattoo Studios: My boss just tells me ‘tattoo this person’. So I didn't even know it was a paying customer. So the first client experience is not so scary because I thought just another practice!
What’s one of your proudest tattoo moments?
Matt, Swan Street Tattoo Studios: One of my proudest moments in tattooing is the first tattoo I ever did, because it’s a mental block to get over with tattooing. You can feel nauseous doing it and nervous but seeing it completed and spending the time on shading to make it look like the design you have got is really satisfying.
Zoltan, Thomas Street Tattoo Studio: I started on my own and I had no guidelines of tattooing so, when I managed to move out of my city and I got a job in a studio in the city centre of Manchester which I had been following and admired for years. It felt so good, I felt like yeah I did it!
How would you describe your tattoo artistic style, and how did it evolve over time?
Maddie, Swan Street Tattoo Studio: I would say my artistic style is still evolving and it’s just because I love so many different tattoo styles, I kind of take elements from traditional, Japanese and fine line. It all becomes one big mash up of a few styles.
Ailsa, Bloom Street Studios: I think your work naturally evolves the more effort you put into it. If you get to the point where nothing is changing anymore, you’ve probably hit a wall and maybe need to find a bit more of creative fire again.
For decades, Ed Hardy has inspired tattoo artists by combining traditional American tattoo styles with Japanese influences, challenging tattoo artists. His work has proved that tattoos could be more than just decoration—they tell stories and hold significant meaning.
Has Ed Hardy inspired you? If so, how?
Stephen, Rambo’s Tattoo Parlour: He’s a big inspiration for sure with tattooing in general, he was responsible for taking tattooing out of a small niche and making the public feel tattooing was more accessible to other people.
Dan, Rambo’s Tattoo Parlour: I remember he had the slogan ‘Where your dreams’ on his first business card in his first shop. He was the god father of custom tattooing. He has changed the approach to tattooing forever.
Chris, Swan Street Tattoo Studio: Yeah, Ed Hardy is a legend in tattooing he bought Japanese style tattooing over to America and it’s still popular. It’s the tattoos I like looking at.
Eve, Bloom Street Tattoo Studio: His designs inspire a lot of traditional artists and people who lean more towards that tattoo style. All the designs are always getting re-drawn and re-made into a starting point for tattoo designs. I don’t think it'll ever stop being replicated, which is nice.
Lastly, where do you see the future of tattoo art going?
Otis, Thomas Street Tattoo Studio: It’s changing, at the moment it’s going more to patch work, I don’t think the younger generation want a sleeve as much as they used to.
Lauren, Kustom Creations Tattoo Studio: I feel like certain styles always come back around, but with a twist. It’s a new version of what’s come before and it’s always interesting to see what people do with it to mix with their own style.
Rylan, Kustom Creations Tattoo Studio: I think that tattooing will develop and change similarly. New styles will appear, depending on the fashions of the time, but the old school styles will remain, as, to me, they are the building blocks on which all other styles have been built.
Each piece in this stainless-steel jewellery collection, from the intricate rings to the bold bracelets, is a reminder that art, whether expressed on skin or through jewellery holds memorable stories that go deep beyond the surface. Step into the legacy of Ed Hardy, shop jewellery now.
Watch the full campaign video here.
A special thank you to the following for welcoming us into their studios and sharing their tattoo journeys with us:
BLOOM STREET TATTOO
Ailsa Rhiannon, Tattoo Artist/Co-owner
@snailsa
Eve Mansell, Tattoo Artist/Co-owner
@badmanazzz
KUSTOM CREATIONS TATTOO STUDIO
Tin Chi Im, Multi-Award-Winning Tattoo Artist & Studio Owner
@tim4215
Lauren Hughes, Tattoo Artist
@laurenashleytattoo
Rylan Cavell, Tattoo Artist
@tattoosbyrylan
SWAN STREET TATTOO STUDIO
Chris Green, Tattoo Artist / Co-owner
@imchrisgreen
Maddie Asher, Tattoo Artist
@maddie.asher
Matt Rawlinson, Tattoo Apprentice
@mattrawlstattoo
RAMBOS TATTOO PARLOUR
Dan Allen, Tattoo Artist
@danallentattoo
Stephen Byrne, Tattoo Artist
@stephenbrynetattoo
THOMAS STREET TATTOO STUDIO
Otis, Tattoo Artist / Owner
@liloatstattoo
Zoltan, Tattoo Artist
@z_a_tattoo
Photography - Wilf Gittus
Videography - Shaun Peckham