Dustin Ranck began Icon Tattoo in 1999 on the principal of good customer service,
collaboration with clients, and a truly inviting atmosphere. In 2003 Melanie Nead
began an apprenticeship at Icon, and she and Dustin turned out to be a pretty
fantastic tattoo team. Over the next six years, they built Icon into a totally unique
kind of tattoo studio. Originally located in Portland's SE Industrial district near OMSI,
Icon grew until, finally, we outgrew our first home! In the summer of 2009, Melanie
took over ownership of Icon and moved the shop to our gorgeous new location in
North Portland, at Mississippi and Russell, across from McMenamin's White Eagle.
Dustin can still be found at Icon tattooing like crazy in our beautiful loft, racing
and talking motorcycles, and training several apprentices. Icon in its new incarnation
still provides the same group of talented and wonderful people (plus some fabulous
new faces), but has made numerous exciting changes. We now feature a beautiful
and ever-expanding all-local retail space featuring jewelry, accessories, letterpress
cards and prints and skateboards. We are SO thrilled to be in our amazing new space, and at the incredible outpouring of love and support we've received over the course of the transition. Thank you so much to our friends, our fantastic clients, and the
wonderful community of our shop!