Ink Flow Collective

Overview

Context

The tattoo community creates a huge amount of high-quality art, but most of it lives only on skin or social media. At the same time, many clothing brands use tattoo aesthetics in a superficial way, without involving real artists or sharing value with them. We worked with the client to test whether a more respectful, artist-driven model could work as a real business.

Challenge

The main challenge was building trust on both sides. From the artist side, the challenge was convincing tattoo artists that their work would not be exploited. From the customer side, the challenge was proving that this was not just another print-on-demand brand, but a curated product with real artistic value.

Goals

• •Create a clear and authentic brand rooted in tattoo culture
• •Build a fair collaboration model for artists
• •Launch a sellable product with healthy margins
• •Validate demand without overinvesting early

Approach

We approached the project as a lean, founder-led brand. Instead of starting with a large collection, we focused on limited drops, strong storytelling, and controlled production. We prioritized quality, small scale, and learning speed over fast growth.

Process

1. 1Market and culture research within tattoo and streetwear communities
2. 2Defining the brand positioning and values
3. 3Designing collaboration and royalty model for artists
4. 4Selecting production partners in NL and PL
5. 5Building the online store and brand presence
6. 6Testing demand through organic content and paid ads

What Was Done

• ✓Brand concept, positioning, and visual direction
• ✓Artist collaboration framework and contracts
• ✓Product design and print preparation
• ✓Supplier selection and production coordination
• ✓Shopify store setup
• ✓Meta ad campaigns and organic content tests

Results

• •First product drops successfully launched
• •Early sales validated demand for the concept
• •Artist interest confirmed the collaboration model
• •Clear insights gained on pricing, production costs, and logistics

Reflection