Fun City Tattoo and Private Policy Bring the Carnival to You
Manhattan’s first tattoo shop and beloved downtown brand Private Policy are celebrating the St. Mark’s creative scene through a fashion carnival pop-up and exclusive capsule collection.
New York-based, genderless label Private Policy abides by its own rules. Creating stand-out pieces that embrace anarchy, the brand has made waves within the NYC downtown scene since its creation in 2015. Two Parsons alumni, Siying Qu and Haoran Li, teamed up to create looks for offbeat, free-spirited fashion lovers, reflecting the grit of the city through rebellious garments. Fun City Tattoo, Manhattan’s first-ever tattoo storefront, also catered to a diverse client base of “outsiders,” creating a haven for the hardcore and punk communities. It is this shared affinity for diverging from the norm that brought Fun City Tattoo and Private Policy together for a collaboration.
The founders of Private Policy wanted to honor the creative community that continues to flourish within the St. Marks scene through a collaborative fashion-themed carnival pop-up and exclusive one-of-one capsule collection, created in partnership with Fun City. Back in the 80s, when Fun City first opened its doors, original owner Jonathan Shaw wanted to bridge the gap between art, punk, and hardcore. This vision yielded a space that ushered in clientele from all walks of life, from tough biker gangs to high-society socialites — even Naomi Campbell and Jean-Michel Basquiat were shop regulars.
Fun City Tattoo, now owned by Big Steve and Maxx Starr, blossomed into a celebration of the carefree attitude of the East Village’s residents. So, both the shop owners and Private Policy wanted to bottle up that lighthearted essence through this collaboration. An exclusive, weekend-long pop-up will take place from Friday, July 21st to Sunday, July 23rd in which Fun City will be completely transformed into a fashion carnival. The carnival will be fully stocked with games, a flash sheet offering — and, of course, the Private Policy x Fun City capsule on display.
The capsule collection and carnival are inspired by the vibrant accents that characterize Fun City’s brick-and-mortar location. Whimsical, vintage lettering wraps across the storefront, so this color scheme will be reflected in the playful decor. The 12-piece capsule includes a 100% biodegradable jacket, two dynamic, customizable long-sleeve shirt options, mesh tank tops, a black two-piece harness dress, and hand-painted bags. Imbuing the collection with the artistic flair of Fun City, tattoo artist J Diego Prieto added tribal-inspired designs and genderless quotes to some of the pieces.
The capsule’s one-of-one genderless pieces will range from USD $295-590 and will be available alongside other iconic Private Policy pieces from past seasons. Join in on the fun and games — and maybe get an impromptu tattoo — from July 21st to July 23rd.
