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Thursday, Mar 28, 2024

Tattoo and piercing parlor opens

“We’re a no-judgment tattoo and piercing shop,” said Pierre Vachon, the co-owner of Frog Alley Tattoo and Leatherworks. Christin Eaton, the tattoo artist and second owner, nods in agreement.

“It’s kind of our thing,” she said.

And, looking around the shop, it’s clear that the two have carried out that principle. A book of past tattoos lies on the table, its contents vibrant and various. Those who enter and exit the shop seem to have no commonality besides their interest in a piercing or tattoo: college students in groups and alone, one or two middle aged couples and a young teenage girl all populate the shop within the same half hour. As Eaton’s work shows, the demand for a well-executed tattoo is high, and truly variable. Many clients come in with pictures of their tattoo-to-be; others come in with ideas that she realizes in ink.

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“If it doesn’t look good on paper, it’s not going to look good on your skin,” she said. “I tell people that a lot.”

For those who have made a mistake in past tattooing experiences, Eaton also does cover-up work. Vachon executes all of the shop’s piercing and leatherwork.

“We have a lot of students coming down for piercings,” he said.

Among the most currently requested piercings are the tragus cartilage piercing, the tongue and the belly button. Vachon will pierce “anything from the waist-up,” as long as its safe. With a laugh, Eaton adds that they’re “germ freaks;” cleanliness in procedure and care are of vital importance to both. She notes that “if you take care of your tattoo, it will last for a long time.”

“The same is true with piercings,” said Vachon.

The Frog Alley Tattoo and Leatherworks has been in business since last spring; and while the first few weeks were slow, business has picked up considerably since then.

“It’s pretty steady,” Eaton said. “Over the summer we had a lot of language school students come in to get tattoos in the language they were studying.”

“What I find most rewarding about tattooing are [the times when] I can make someone feel good about a part of [themselves] that they didn’t like before,” Eaton said. This is her favorite kind of work to do. “I love making people feel that a part of them is beautiful, and I love working with color,” she said.

The pair also sells an array of merchandise, from Vachon’s custom chain mail to zombie board games.

“We try and keep as much zombie stuff as we can,” said Eaton, who even sells a zombie-inspired Jell-O mould shaped like a brain. Other inventory includes a broad selection of body jewelry, bags and t-shirts.

The shop is open Monday through Saturday from noon to 7 p.m., and it is located next to Middlebury Chocolates, accessible from both Main Street and Frog Hollow Alley. Appointments for tattoos are recommended, but Eaton and Vachon welcome walk-ins.

“We wanted our niche to be a place where people could go to buy pop-culture merchandise, not just women’s clothing,” said Vachon.

And the pair has undoubtedly succeeded in their goal: where else in Middlebury can you get a great view of Otter Creek while picking up a tin of zombie mints?


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