100 Women We Love: Ruby Croak

We are thrilled to present the 2013 list of 100 Women We Love – Including…

Born in Miami and raised in Brooklyn, Ruby Croak attended New York's School of Visual Arts and the Maryland Institute College of Art and Design just long enough to realize that she didn't appreciate adult supervision. Her rebellious nature led her to bartending gigs at some of downtown Manhattan's hottest nightclubs, and a desire to make "moveable art." She created the cultish custom clothing line, Buffalo Souljah, by hand painting images of classic ‘60s and ‘70s icons like Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and Grace Jones on vintage military jackets. This wearable art quickly took off—selling out in a matter of weeks—and prompted Croak to expand her design offerings to include T-shirts and skateboard decks. During this time, Croak had a chance encounter with a tattoo artist who would later become her mentor as she learned the art of tattooing. There she found a medium to combine her love for custom design, the female form and vintage military style. Following her philosophy to "value your skin as the canvas it is, and paint it well," Croak now "slings ink" in Los Angeles. -DN


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