(Photo: Spencer Heyfron)

Of course, I have to ask you about your tattoos.
The black-and-gray one is a hand-poke Japanese tattoo, and the other one is a mix of traditional Japanese and American styles.

Hand-poke? Sounds painful.
It’s a long pole that the tattoo artist uses, by hand, to apply the tattoo. It takes a lot longer but doesn’t really hurt more than getting an electric tattoo.

Do people approach you about them a lot?
Unfortunately, yes. They draw a lot of attention. I work at the Mandarin Oriental, and it’s pretty conservative, so none of my clients ever sees the tattoos. It’s my little secret.

How about on the street?
I attract the crazy people. Also, people expose themselves to me.

Really.
I was at a fashion show in Bryant Park, and this woman—I don’t want to say her name, but she’s a pretty big fashion editor— she basically pulled her pants down and showed me one on her ass cheek.

Are you drawn to other people with tattoos?
Yes. My boyfriend is a tattoo artist. He’s pretty much covered in them.

Has he given you one?
He refuses to. He says he doesn’t want to take his work home with him.

Related:

• Archive: “Look Book”
• Articles by Emma Rosenblum
• Table of Contents: Aug 18, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!