**Update: Cara Delevingne finally showed off her tiny dove tattoo while appearing on gal pal Jourdan Dunn’s cooking show in late July 2014. As for the meaning behind the dove tat, Cara said, “I’m a free bird, you know me.”
Cara Delevingne posed in her birthday suit for Mulberry’s latest ad campaign, but the British model has been showing more than just skin recently – she has revealed two brand-new tattoos as well! A little over a week after showing off the matching “DD” hip tattoo she got with fellow supermodel Jourdan Dunn, Cara has reportedly gone under the needle yet again, this time opting for a “breathe deep” tattoo inked in a scrolling script font on the inside of her right bicep and a small dove tattoo on the outside of her left-hand index finger – both done in white ink.
“Cara got white tattoos,” said Cara’s go-to tattoo artist, Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy about the model’s new ink. “She got a dove in white on her finger. She also got ‘Breathe Deep’ on her bicep.” Bang Bang is responsible for the majority of Cara Delevingne’s tattoos, which have grown exponentially in number since just last year. “I met her 18 months ago, and now she’s got 14 tattoos,” Bang Bang noted. It all started with that signature lion tattoo Cara got inked on her finger – also done by Bang Bang – back in May 2013, in a tattoo session set up by none other than Rihanna.
Cara Makes Tattoos in Modeling Cool!
This new white ink is a significant departure from Cara Delevingne’s other tattoos, most of which are done in bold black ink (or red – like the heart tattoo on her pinky finger). It’s not surprising that Cara chose white ink over black this time though. Lots of other celebrities are opting for white tattoos these days, including Rita Ora and Ellie Goulding, partly because the white ink makes the tattoos far more discreet and somehow more personal and intimate as well. We’re sure fashion houses like Burberry and Chanel will appreciate the discreet part at least!
Cara is a relatively new face for the handbag company Mulberry, which is undoubtedly hoping the piping hot model will revitalize the struggling British luxury brand, and the company has launched a cool new handbag line based on Cara Delevingne’s tattoos. “It’s a kind of secret thing,” Cara said about the inspiration behind her new collection of luxury handbags. “You can kind of go, ‘oh yeah, she’s got that [tattoo].’” Perhaps we will see some new handbags soon that are inspired by Cara’s “breathe deep” and dove tattoos?
What Do Cara’s New Tattoos Mean?
Cara hasn’t yet explained the meaning behind her new tattoos, but it’s not hard to take a guess at the inspiration for the 21-year-old’s ink. As far as her finger tattoo goes, the dove is an international symbol of peace, and the bird also represents love, promise, hope and grace. Cara’s dove tattoo could also be a symbol of her close friendship with pop star Rita Ora, who had Bang Bang ink a pink dove tattoo on her shoulder just last year.
When it comes to Cara’s “breathe deep” tattoo, the ink is actually quite similar to Miley Cyrus’ tattoo on her ribcage that says “just breathe” – a tribute to three loved ones the singer lost to lung cancer and cystic fibrosis several years ago. Miley has said that her “just breathe” tattoo reminds her not to take things for granted, so it’s possible that Cara Delevingne’s tattoo has a similar meaning. Either that, or it serves as a reminder to the model, who has skyrocketed to superstar status in the past year, to just take a deep breath and take things one day at a time.
