Alysa Liu Embraces the Lower Back Tattoo at the 2026 ESPY Awards
The lower back tattoo has always been a fraught symbol in fashion history. After receiving the misogynistic “tramp stamp” moniker in the early aughts, it became synonymous with bad decision making and high-profile promiscuity. In recent years, however, things have started to shift. Charli xcx’s Brat-era lyrics romanticized lower-back art, while the ongoing indie sleaze revival celebrates the sexiness of reckless body adornments. Once regarded a mark of poor judgement, the lower back tattoo has been reclaimed as a stylish symbol for alt It girls. No one better embodies this than skating superstar Alysa Liu, who used her latest red carpet appearance on Wednesday night as an opportunity to show off her ink.
At the 2026 ESPY Awards—an annual ceremony celebrating top athletes—Liu donned a custom Louis Vuitton dress with a skin-baring silhouette. The slinky chocolate brown design featured a dramatic halter with a plunging backless cut. Liu, who is an ambassador for the brand, accessorized with a beaded rosary cross that hung down her back. Just below it was her tattoo: a symmetrical design comprising bat wings and a rose. Though she had never shown it off publicly before, the star has previously revealed that she and her best friend got the tattoos together when she was 18 years old. It was drawn by their mutual friend, making it all the more sentimental.
It makes sense that Liu chose this occasion to debut her body ink. Later in the evening, she was awarded as Best Breakthrough Athlete and took to the stage to acknowledge how far she has come. “I’ve been in my sport since I was five years old,” she said. “I had some really rough times in it—I took two years off. And so, for me, it really feels like I broke through in my own way.”
Fashion is certainly part of Liu’s breakthrough. With her signature striped hair, statement gum piercing and grungy costumes that push back on figure-skating norms, the 20-year-old has become a budding icon of unrestricted self-expression. A lower back tattoo on full display only adds to this legacy.
