Leave it to Maison Martin Margiela, the French design house who have proven themselves to be stalwarts of subversion, to reimagine the sailor tattoo for the modern age. At its couture show this morning in Paris, models took to the catwalk not with painted, imprinted or needled tattoo designs, but with overblown fabric applique versions of such classic emblems as mermaid women, roses and scrolls and er, more mermaid women. 

You see, thanks to the unstoppable proliferation of tattoos among models (we helpfully compiled our favourites ones here), singers and minor celebrities, it's no longer remotely shocking to see a tattoo peering out from under a sleeve or beneath the neckline of a dress. Tattoos have entered the mainstream. And so, the only real way to challenge and subvert the eye - which is of course, one of the foremost aims of Couture week - is to present tattoos in an entirely new light. Chanel did it first with those wondrous temporary transfers (silver chains that looked like a garter on the thigh, bracelets with falling charms from the wrists - magical) and now Margiela has upped the ante with great big thwacking pieces of fabric. Not remotely subtle, but still, in it's one way, directional and incredibly chic. Surely, then, now is the time to finally end all the tattoo-bashing that is routinely heaped upon women? We think so.