If you’ve been dreaming up some new ink during lockdown then you’ll be very pleased to hear that Vagabond Tattoo on Hackney Road, voted the number one tattoo studio in town by Time Out and Condé Nast Traveler (we think it’s pretty mega too), has re-opened. Since the studio opened in 2012, it’s gained a rep for clean, precise and original ink, with the artists custom designing all their own pieces.
There are five resident artists at Vagabond – co-owner Paul Hill, Andy Hulbert, Davide Trifoni, Imanol and Spina – who all have experience in traditional designs and cover blackwork, grey and colour between them, so whatever ideas you’ve got in your head, they can make a reality.
The space itself has had a revamp, done by co-owner Rebecca Hill’s new interiors business, including an updated waiting area, more framed artworks and the addition of separate booths with bespoke dividers to allow for a one-on-one experience. Vagabond has also introduced a series of new Covid safety measures; customers now have to complete a digital rather than handwritten consent form, undergo a temperature check on arrival and wear masks in the studio, with artists also wearing masks and PPE, and there are hand sanitiser stations throughout the space.
A good tattoo studio should always be practising very high standards of hygiene, and we always found this to be the case on our pre-Covid visits to Vagabond, so you can bet this is safe place to get that ink.
471 Hackney Rd, London E2 9ED
iamvagabond.co.uk