Ink Meets Swim: Designer After 5 and Holley Tattoo on Their New Bikini Collaboration
Photos: @cashmereflipflops
Adelaide creatives Georgina (@designerafter5) and Holley (@holleytattoos) are redefining what it means to wear art. Georgina, 22, a freelance graphic and textile designer, has spent five years shaping bold, wearable designs across Australia’s fashion world. Holley, 28, a tattoo artist at Lucky Frog Tattoo and a visual arts graduate, is known for her hand-drawn, intricate tattoos that feel like storytelling on skin. After eight months of collaboration, they’ve merged their talents, transforming Holley’s tattoo art into swimwear that’s unapologetically expressive.
We spoke with the two of them recently about their upcoming collection dropping later this month on Sunday, March 29.
How did the two of you first connect?
Georgina: I saw that Holley was doing tattoos at the Fashion Thrift Society Market last year. I didn’t attend, but I followed her on Instagram and liked her fineline style. I then got my first two tattoos done by her, which is very ironic because my first tattoo was a spider orchid, which is one of the designs on the bikini.
Holley: Georgina is a client who became regular, and we got along well. I was amazed by her creativity, passion and drive.
Do you remember the exact moment the collaboration idea clicked?
Georgina: Yes, I have the dm and the exact date! I think I posted on my story saying something about having bikini commission slots available at the time, and Holley replied saying, ' A tattoo one, I’d literally be keen,’ and we got started planning straight away.
Holley: Georgina had made a post on her Instagram about doing collaborations, and I often do flash sheets with local artists outside of the tattoo realm, so I'm always down to collaborate and work with fresh ideas. So I asked her.
What made you realise your creative worlds would work together?
Georgina: When I went to my first tattoo session with Holley, we literally spoke about anything and everything, and we just clicked. I’ve always loved her tattoo style, and all of my tattoos are from Holley’s flash sheets, which is proof of how good they are. I feel like my design style just goes with her art/illustration style.
Holley: Georgina’s eye for detail! And I fully trusted her to take my design and transform it into a print. We had similar ideas, and the process was quick, efficient, and we work really well together.
Why swimwear specifically?
Georgina: Swimwear, because firstly, that’s my niche (not by choice, it kinda fell into my lap, and I’ve been pigeonholed into that area, but I’m not complaining), and also because it’s kind of cheeky, and I’ve never seen a tattoo bikini myself. It just seems so whimsical and not like all the other bikinis out there.
Holley: Swimwear is Georgina’s craft! And it’s made for everyone. I love the beach, and so do a lot of my clientele, and I have a lot of clients who I thought would enjoy having local artists design their bathers. A lot of tattooers do a lot of side projects to keep them busy outside of the craft.
How did tattoo aesthetics influence your silhouettes, prints, or fabrics?
Holley: I am often inspired by vintage ornamental illustrations and all sorts of different art styles. I combined floral with ornamental shapes with a sort of Japanese-inspired feel. I sent Georgina my drawings, and she made them into a cohesive print.
How did you translate tattoo flash into wearable swim pieces?
Holley: I guess the combination of my artistic background with Georgina’s textile/graphic designer expertise, I contemplated for a long time about what people would want to wear on the bathers, what’s in fashion and what will stay timeless, which is how I ended up with a more floral-based drawing.
What was the most unexpected challenge during the process?
Georgina: The most unexpected challenge was honestly choosing the colours, haha. Which sounds so simple, but I was stumped for days and tried literally every colour combo ever, and I’m so glad we went with a clean blue to white gradient, which contrasts the black tattoo illustrations.
Who do you imagine wearing this collaboration?
Georgina: Definitely all of the tattooed baddies of Adelaide (and hopefully Aus and the world), but honestly, anyone who loves the print and style, I would love them to wear it!
Holley: Anybody who wants to! It’s fun being sole traders who are passionate about their individual crafts. It was amazing to see the bikinis in real life for the first time, seeing our creation come to life.
What kind of atmosphere should people expect at the launch? + What can people expect
Georgina: At the launch party, I want people to feel immersed and the room to feel like people have stepped into Holley and I’s brains, it will be a very creative and social event.
Holley: Inspired, excited and a celebration. We hope everyone has a great time in return for what we have put together in the last few months. Georgina has been the backbone of the operation, and I hope she feels proud of her achievements at the launch party.
What stories do these designs tell?
Holley: It started with being in a park for the shoot, and then what kind of models/vibe we wanted to give off. We had a few reschedules and ended up being in a house that I was housesitting over in January. Which turned into the perfect set for the photos, surrounded by nature, being outside, with inspiration of fashion/creativity from the models and the photographer.
What was the creative idea behind your recent photoshoot?
Georgina: I actually directed the shoot myself, and I had a vision. I knew Chandler (@cashmereflipflops) was the person to bring the vision to life, and that she did! Honestly, it was better than Holley, and I expected, shout out to our models, Ashlyn and Ella. Ella actually stepped in at the last minute and blew us all away.
How does this project celebrate individuality?
Georgina: Tattoos are how people feel individualistic; they get to curate their bodies with design and placement. Holley and I wanted to encapsulate that feeling of ‘customising your avatar’ with spider orchids, florals and ornamental designs.
Holley: It celebrates it by taking art and moving it beyond the studio.
One word that describes the collection?
Georgina: One word: I’m going to hyphenate and cheat it ‘wearable-art’
Holley: Dreamy
Dream person to see wearing it?
Georgina: Izzy Armitage. She’s my favourite influencer at the moment! Or a celebrity would be Mia Goth.
Holley: The girl on the cover of the Deftones album, Around the Fur.
You can buy the Holley Tattoo x Designer After 5 Bikini on Sunday, March 29, at 6:30 PM, exclusively at designerafter5.com.