Vintage clothes and tattoos tend to go hand-in-hand as an aesthetic, which is why it’s such a joy to be able to get both in one place. In fact, if you’re a thrifter in the Koreatown neighbourhood, you may have already made a habit out of stopping by First Kiss Tattoo and Vintage for a Saturday morning shop and discounted flash tattoo (a weekly promotion that the shop began last spring).
Owner Rebecca Daniels has been thrifting her entire life, but didn’t think to get into the resale business until she was approaching her forties. In 2018, her son was just a baby and Daniels was looking for work that would allow her to keep him by her side, so she and her then partner, a professional tattoo artist, decided to unite their passions and open a business together: a half tattoo shop, half vintage store at Palmerston and Bloor.
The shop closed for a year at the onset of the pandemic and opened up again just down the street in 2021, this time with only Daniels at the helm. “I was really determined to stay in Koreatown,” she says. “It’s very community-minded, and I’m always commiserating with my neighbours who also have their own businesses. Everyone is really supportive.”
She is one of those very supportive neighbours of course, one who always has her “mom hat” on. Her son, who has grown up with the shop as a second home, can often be seen sitting on the couch playing video games.
“In some ways, I feel like I’m a mother to all my customers who come in,” laughs Daniels. “The best compliment that I ever got was from one of my regular customers. When we closed down the first shop and we didn’t know if we would ever reopen, she wrote me a beautiful message saying that coming out of the change room at First Kiss Tattoo and Vintage reminded her of coming down the stairs on the first day of school, in her first day of school outfit, and hearing her mom tell her how great she looked.”
Knowing that the tattoo service was such a pivotal aspect of her business, Daniels began to rebuild it on her own in the shop’s new location, slowly recruiting artists until she had a team of four — Andrew White, Max Perris, Ulrich Alvarez and Aya Danzig.
As evident as each of their passion is for their work, the artists are equally friendly and easy-going. As far as tattoo shops go, it has to be one of the most welcoming ones in Toronto.
This was intentional on Daniels’ part. “This is a place where you can come and feel safe and happy,” she says, “and I want everybody to leave feeling a little bit better than they did when they got here.”
White —who started working in a tattoo shop at 15 and rose up the ranks from sterile tech worker to apprentice to professional tattooer — worked at the first iteration of Daniels’ shop and was graciously welcomed back. Perris had previously been a customer of his who developed an interest in tattooing and followed White to the shop in 2022 after his own apprenticeship.
Alvarez and Danzig were both invited to the shop by Daniels, who was impressed by their work on Instagram. Alvarez, who is originally from Mexico City, is largely self-taught and originally came to the shop as a customer. Under White’s guidance, he matured his practice and did his first professional tattoo at First Kiss in the spring of 2023.
Each of them do American traditional tattoos, while Aya’s work verges towards more contemporary, fine lines, and Alvarez’s takes inspiration from Mexican Chicano artists. Now Daniels, who previously only had tattoos by her ex-partner, has tattoos by all four of the artists.
“At first tattoos were just something that I fell into, and now that I have the shop I’ve really leaned into it,” she says. “Of course I want to be tattooed by the artists in my shop. It’s a sign of having good faith in them and showing that I love their work and I trust them.”
It was White’s idea to start the Saturday flash special, which spiked in popularity after a local vintage seller shared a viral TikTok video.
“People sometimes have to wait for a little while, but they’re always super happy to wait and just seem to enjoy hanging around here,” says Daniels.
As for the reasoning behind the weekly promotion, White explains that they wanted to reintroduce people to the traditional Western format of tattooing — meaning walking into a tattoo shop and choosing a tattoo off the wall without premeditation on the design or its meaning. But the main objective was to ensure it was accessible to all customers.
“Despite what sensationalized depictions of classic Western tattooing throughout history try to tell us, tattoo customers come from all backgrounds,” he says. “Many marginalized people have felt excluded from classic tattooing by the prejudice of one or many tattooers. We feel that the recurring weekly discount in addition to providing a welcoming environment offers a low enough financial risk that hopefully gives us the opportunity to dispel the myth that there is any person who does not have a place in traditional tattooing.”
The team aims to curate a cohesive technical look, so that customers can expect the same quality and character regardless of which artist is available. “If someone comes in to get tattooed by us, they want that First Kiss look,” says White.
After you’ve been inked (or while you’re waiting) you’ll probably want to peruse the clothing racks at First Kiss Tattoo and Vintage, sourced partly by her and partly by friend and colleague Hilary Bregman, who previously owned Monarch Vintage in the neighbourhood. Bregman describes the selection as a wide array of eclectic, simple but interesting staples ranging from the ’40s to contemporary.
While the inventory is heavily femme-oriented, Daniels makes a point of avoiding gender specific labels. “I’ve never wanted anyone to feel like they’re going to the wrong section to get what they want,” she says. “I often feel like vintage shopping is more of a process of discovery, which works better if you’re not looking for something specific, because it’s almost like you and the piece find each other.”
She never disregards a unique piece because it’s damaged, rather taking the time to mend it and ensure it’s given a second life. “I’m constantly fixing little moth holes, repairing things, placing buttons and laundering,” she says proudly.
You can visit First Kiss Tattoo and Vintage at 652 Bloor St. W., and take advantage of the Saturday Tattoo Special every Saturday from 11 a.m to 6 p.m.