Artful new neighbors: Cosmic Noise Tattoo

Curious about the new tattoo studio that opened at 6006 12th Ave S back in November? Us, too! It’s called Cosmic Noise Tattoo, and recently I had the pleasure of talking with owner Velvet Aguilar (they/them) and artist Kalin Zhao (he/him).

Artist Kalin Zhao and owner Velvet Aguilar at the studio

Velvet chose the space after looking at several others in the city. When I asked what made them choose Georgetown as the location for their new endeavor, they smiled and said it was about the experience clients would have there.

Velvet and Kalin designed the space to be beautiful and inviting. Access to nearby coffee and other refreshments during their clients’ appointments enhances the hours they spend at the studio. An open layout, with tattoo stations together in the large space, allows for social and community connections.

Velvet's station at the studio

They've found the owners and staff at neighboring businesses, like All City Coffee and Barn Owl Vintage, to be super helpful both during the build-out and once they were open.

Velvet added,

“Having the support of other small businesses was a big selling factor for this space."

Georgetown also has the kind of diversity the crew wants to foster at the studio.

“One of the main pillars of [our business] is to be a space that's open and welcoming to all people, from all backgrounds, with all preferences and all bodies. We want to make sure that we are inclusive in our practices, and that we are empathetic in the way that we deal with our clients.”

The front window of Cosmic Noise Tattoo

“I feel like we've heard about a lot of experiences and even experienced it on a personal basis, where a client wants to make changes [to the design] or… move the stencil or just having specific requests about things and that being met with annoyance or resistance [by the tattoo artist].”

Making clients feel like they’re an inconvenience is something Velvet and Kalin want very much to rewrite at Cosmic Noise.

I’m excited to welcome Velvet, Kalin, and Wil at Cosmic Noise to the neighborhood. Stop by and say hi if you see an open sign in the window, and be sure to check out their Anti-Valentine’s Day flash day on Sat., Feb. 15.