Pop princess Chappell Roan has always been fearless in the fashion and beauty departments. Her latest look, at this year’s Grammy Awards, was no exception. Taking inspiration from Thierry Mugler’s Couture SS98 collection, Roan wore a deep red backless and frontless sheer dress which hung down from nipple rings (prosthetics ones by Sasha Glasser). Adding to the sultry look, was smoky make-up by Andrew Dahling and a full back and chest of tattoos.

The medieval-inspired designs – which turned out to be temporary – were created by Los Angeles–based tattooist Jenny Collins, who has spent over a decade developing a signature style of intricate, one-off drawings. The project came through Roan’s longtime stylist Genesis Webb, who had been collaborating with Collins on other custom designs. “It really was a true collaboration, which is rare for me,” the artist says. “We pulled inspiration from museum lace and needlepoint pieces, layering panels and motifs into something unique. Genesis and Chappell have such a distinct vision, and it was really fun trying to bring that to life.”

While Collins typically draws from more abstract forms, this project leaned into the floral and ornamental blackwork already present in her existing drawings. She mirrored those motifs and introduced medieval imagery, to create designs of rearing unicorns and flame-throwing dragons which were then translated into dot-based stencil for the final look.

Below, Collins talks to Dazed about the process behind the Grammy tattoos, how she got started in the scene and the strangest place she’s found inspiration (it’s a weird one).

What was the first tattoo you ever got? And the first one you gave?

Jenny Collins: An alien face on my hip and a weed leaf tramp stamp.

What’s the most unexpected place you’ve found design inspiration?

Jenny Collins: I’ve been really into amorphous globosus – a perfect sphere of protein and fuzz that sometimes appears during animal births, especially with cows. My sister is a vet tech and she’s always sending me the most beautiful images from her textbooks, medical systems and papers.

How did the opportunity to design the tattoo for Chappell Roan’s Grammy look come about?

Jenny Collins: I’ve been tattooing Genesis [Roan’s stylist] for about six years now, and she always gets the best tattoos. We’ve been working together recently on some custom designs for herself and I think she understands how my brain works and what I like to do. She had first texted me about using some jewellery and then a few minutes later called me and asked if I could draw these temporary tattoos they wanted to do. She is so fun to work with, so I said yes right away.

Do you feel like tattoos are being more widely recognised as an art form?

Jenny Collins: Yes, of course. Tattooing and art have always gone hand in hand.

What’s your local tattoo scene like?

Jenny Collins: I’ve moved around a lot, so my ‘local scene’ exists in many places. You can make or find a niche tattoo community anywhere. It’s all connected: the clients, the people I’ve taught to tattoo, the people I’ve tattooed with and been tattooed by. If you want to find great work, look at who your favourite tattooers follow.

I work in a private studio now and it’s the calmest space I’ve ever worked in – with the most amazing people: @johann.mun, @paintcracking, @forever__emblem, @horrrhaus, @holymoment_.

What’s something people often misunderstand about the tattoo world?

Jenny Collins: I think people sometimes invent rules about what tattooing should be. Tattooing and body modification are about experimentation and freedom.

When and why did you start tattooing?

Jenny Collins: I started tattooing in 2014 after buying a coil machine online with my friend Maddi. I loved learning on a coil because it is such a difficult but modular tool, and I still like using traditional machines in untraditional ways. I’m self-taught through experimentation, friends, peers and especially my clients, and I really treasure that process. I now tattoo exclusively from my own drawings and rarely take custom work. Everything is one-off, and clients only see the drawings on the day of their appointment. It is a very trust-based and instinctual process, and it brings me people who really love my work for what it is.