SkinSins: born in Deià to journey beyond tattooJuly 10, 2016

At the end of June, Deià’s own Tille del Negro launched SkinSins, her remarkable new range of impermanent body art. Tille is an award-winning Norwegian designer, creative strategist and entrepreneur with 15 years’ experience building international brands. Her work has featured in prestigious publications that include i-D, Vogue and Architectural Digest.

Tille’s vision for SkinSins is to go ‘Beyond tattoo’ and open up an exciting brave new world of body transformation. I talked to Tille about how SkinSins was born and the part played by Deià.

How did SkinSins come about, Tille?

I’d been working in menswear for a long time and it was getting a little boring for me. There’s so much repetition in fashion. And, although I’d never wear one myself, I’ve always been intrigued by tattoos. I’m also in love with the notion of impermanence and how we’re liberated by change. I started to explore the concept of temporary tattoos but I wanted to go way beyond what already existed, to really use skin as a canvas.

Your designs certainly do that. I’ve never seen anything like them.

Thank you. It’s taken me two years to get to this point. No-one had ever worked with these colours and sizes before, or introduced metallic. It’s been technically quite challenging, to say the least. But, as you say, there’s nothing else like SkinSins out there. I feel like I’ve opened up a new world and that makes me feel kind of proud.

How would you describe the concept of SkinSins?

It’s about creativity and personality, expressing yourself and playing with the idea of temporary transformation. When you wear a SkinSins it becomes part of you – weightless, intimate and in total harmony with your skin. SkinSins is also an affordable way to turn your body into a piece of high couture.

What has been the reaction to SkinSins?

It’s early days yet and we’re launching softly. I gave my first ten samples to my friends Anja Rubik, Audrey Marnay, Pixie Geldof, Lily Sumner and Joana Preiss and they loved them. People saw them wearing SkinSins and that helped build the buzz. My challenge now is to keep a kind of cult status while creating a prestige brand.

How will you do that?

SkinSins will only be available online for the time being, although I’m talking to a couple of concept stores. Our first collections are limited editions, which will maintain exclusivity.

So, what part has Deià played in your journey so far?

I came to Deià for the first time in 1998 and married Oro, my husband, here in 2000. My two children may have been born in Norway but they grew up here. They pretty much learned to climb before they could walk.

What does Deiá mean to you?

That’s a big question! It’s absolutely beautiful and I never get bored with it. I can be amazed by the sea, the mountains and the sunset every single day. It’s a wonderful combination of wild and tamed. I’m quite a dreamy person so I love living in a kind of bubble. But I can work here easily as well – in bed, on the beach, out on my boat and in the café.The other thing is the people. I’m surrounded by extremely creative folk who I connect with on many different levels. They’re so nourishing and inspiring. And SkinSins wouldn’t exist without Deià.

Why?

The inspiration for the art itself comes from Deià. There’s an ethereal, mythological aspect to the collections that reflects the village. Also, the idea of transformation is very Deià. This place changes people. And I met Kate Bellm, Ellen Von Unwerth, Mario Sorrenti and Christophe Rihet and Fiona Makkink, who all photographed my collections, in the village. Being able to collaborate with people who are world-class in their field is really huge. It’s a wonderful place to live and work.

What’s next?

Vogue magazine has already contacted me about featuring SkinSins. This summer we’ll be making six short films in Deià, one for each collection. And we’ll be spreading the SkinSins message in the big non-Deià world. While enjoying everything that makes the village such a fantastic place to be in the summer.

Good luck!

Thank you.