In 2013, Nike released a women’s fashion line based on Pacific Islander tattoos . The line consisted of jump suits, singlets, and sports bras. Each item displayed attractive, ornate designs referencing traditional Samoan patterns . Each design attempted to pay homage to its source, but a lack of research turned a cultural tribute into a media nightmare.1
By all accounts, traditional forms of tattooing2 (tatua) are both extremely painful and occasionally dangerous. Polynesian artists apply delicate line work and bold triangular blocks of ink with combs fashioned from ...
