Victoria LeMeow (Mar 15)

At the Chicago Tattoo Arts Show in 2013, I got a chance to see Victoria LeMeow suspend and absolutely go "all in". A while later, I started following her on Instagram. After seeing all the fun, silly, and crazy things she's up to, I couldn't wait to see her in Chicago, snap some great photos, and interview her. She was back in 2015 and down for a fun 20 Questions.

Please enjoy the photos. Follow her @VictoriaLeMeow and if you're every near the salon, bring her some coffee!

Thanks V! [Note: I'll add the video from that 2013 at the end of this gallery... it's the 21st pic 8-) ]

KB: Tell me about your first suspension?

V:   My first suspension was on my 18th birthday. My older brother knew I wanted to try it so he paid for me to have the chance to do so. My brother, my younger sister and myself went and ate terrible food before (Taco Cabana), so my tummy was already feeling not so hot. I was way nervous. So when it came time to actually get pierced and get my hooks, I was about ready to vomit. The nerves and the horrible food I ate were not a good combo. Haha! Luckily I didn't puke, that would have sucked! They used a chain hoist to lift me up, so it made a whole bunch of sound before it actually started to stretch my skin, my buddy J5th talked me through the entire thing and Steve made me feel super comfortable. Once I finally got off the ground it was only maybe a minute or two. I had no idea what to expect when going into it, so it was super intense. I loved the little time I was up. It also made me want to try to stay up longer the next time I suspended. I was "hooked" haha..yay puns that are almost not puns :)
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KB: Have you done different suspension points? Which do you like most? Where there any that you said “never again”?

V: I have suspended from various parts of my body. My back is my favorite, I really enjoy swinging around and picking people up, or just hanging there limp haha. I have hung from my chest, back, elbows, tummy, knees. My back and knees at the same time, lots of different things. The one place I never want hooks in me again is my lower back, and I said those exact words the first time I had it pierced there. " I'm NEVER ever getting hooks in my lower back again!!!!!" That shit hurt. and was terrible to adjust to. Bleh.
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KB: Tell me about your scarification. Did you do it all at once?)

V: Some of it are just pretty swirls, I love swirls, and some are crop circles. I am just absolutely intrigued with aliens and all that stuff haha. I believe! Steve Truitt did most of them. My friend Cali did my very first one, the big one on my lower tummy and Brian Decker did a big crop circle cutting on my side. I love collecting art from my friends. They're so talented!
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KB: What is the most memorable reaction you’ve had to your mods?

V:    I was once at a store and accidentally bumped into a little girl, I said I was sorry for running into her and when she looked up and me she got spooked and fell into a clothing rack hahahaha, my sister was with me and saw the whole thing. I had my horns at the time so I guess I was a little more scary looking?!?!?!?!
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KB: Where did you come up with the idea of a Goth Lisa Simpson tat? [note: This was recently added by Aaron Is, and it is on her right thigh]

V:    It's from an episode where Lisa believes Maggie is the genius in the family and not her. So she tries to find what else in life she can be. I loved it so much. So I got it tattooed. she goes by ravencrow neversmiles hahahahahaha
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KB: Tell me about the most visible tat – the bat/ web.

MM:   Bats are one of my favorite animals, and it fits so perfectly on my chest. She's super cute, has a little bow and eyelashes. :) And I'm just a little goth girl, and thought the web would be good filler for my chest. Plus webs are super pretty. I can't wait to finish my chest piece!
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KB: What have you liked best about traveling for shows?

V:   I love being with my hooker family and doing what we all love so much, getting to see some of the most rad cities and seeing people I know in all the cities and meeting new friends is so rad! The whole experience rules!!! I think the shows help such a beautiful thing like body suspension get away from the negative things people have to say about it.
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KB: How long have you been vegan? Why did you make that decision

V:   I have been vegan for about 3 years now, before that I was vegetarian for 4 years, so the transition was easy. When you're lactose intolerant not having the tummy aches is awesome, being vegan rules!
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KB: You have a pretty massive backpiece. Tell me about it.

V: My back tattoo is a huge cover up! It covered my very first tattoo, which was in between my shoulder blades, and goes around to my side, which covered a really poorly done Jack Skellington. I love all Asian stuff, the history, all of it. The foo dogs' meaning meant a lot to me. I wanted to protection, I am adding another foodog to keep it more traditional and to the culture.
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KB: Are people ever rude about it? Curious (like me)? Or do they just roll with it?

V:  Most people are curious, so they ask tons of questions, it's not terrible. Some people are way rude, and decide to let me know their opinion, which is appreciated because everyone is entitled to their own, but it comes off super shitty sometimes, and it's mostly in which the way they word what they decide to say. Just gotta brush it off. Some stuff isn't for everyone.
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KB: Do you have a favorite tattoo? Or do they each have a different meaning for you?

V: They're all my favorite. ;)
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KB: What do you see yourself doing in 20 years?
 

V: Hopefully still doing hair and still suspending, just living a happy life!
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KB: Has anyone ACTUALLY answer your Instagram pleas for immediate coffee? (or a ride from ORD?)

V:  People have totally brought me coffee, which is so rad and so appreciated. And I got a ride from the airport from Bobby (@Blinktattoo) I bought him breakfast for giving me a ride and we won 3 stuffed toys out of the claw machine. Was rad, stranger danger turned new friend. hahaha
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KB: Tell me about Tank, Gris, and Chino. They seem to have a bit of attitude.

V:   They're the 3 amigos. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have them in my life. They are for sure full of attitude. They all have their own silly personalities. Chino is my old man, he will be 7 this year, he is perfect. Gris is the most dog like cat I have ever met, maybe because he was a stray before I adopted him. He rules. Tank is just happy to be alive! It seems as if he has and etch-a-sketch for a brain, but it's ok, he is super cute.
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KB: You actually have a lot of different tats – What was your first one? When did you get it?
  

V: My first tattoo was the symbol from the Kottonmouth Kings, as embarrassing as that it is to admit. Ha! It has since been covered. I waited until I was 18 to get tattooed.
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KB: You decided to split your tongue, was a hard/ scary decision? How do you like having it? 

V: Splitting my tongue was a very easy decision. I love that I had it done, Three times now I have had it split, I just wanted it farther back, I even had the webbing under my tongue cut so it could go farther. I love it.
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KB: What is the craziest/silliest thing you all have done at the salon on a slow day?

V:   We used to have the tv's set up to be able to watch music videos, one day myself and a coworker played all the terribly amazing boy band music and danced our little hearts out. it went on for hours and it was fantastic
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KB: What were you like as a kid?

  
V: Soccer playing tomboy with a short attention span, not too much has changed, except I don't play soccer anymore:)
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KB: Have you always been a stylist? What other jobs have you had?

V:   I've had many jobs. I ran away with a circus sideshow, I've worked in retail, I was a little cookie elf and I have delivered pizzas. Hair is my passion! I'm so glad I made the decision to do what I love for a living. Making people happy and making people feel better is seriously the best.
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KB: What’s one thing about you that nobody would guess?

 V: Ummmmmmmmm, my age. Everyone thinks I'm way younger than I actually am. :)
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2013 Tattoo Arts Show
Victoria LeMeow
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