Reach for the Skye

by anne-marie pritchett

photos by christopher kolk

styling by jennifer daniels

hair and make up by alexia richmond & melissa evans

Skye Hall

Instagram @skye.hall28 and TikTok: Skye..hall

Introducing 2022’s Inked Cover Girl, Skye Hall! Raised on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota, this enchantress is proud of her heritage. She honors the spirits of her ancestors in many ways, from dancing at powwows across the U.S. and Canada to memorializing them on her body. “I’m indigenous and proud!” she says. “I love to spread laughter to people—I feel it is so healing. I’m living in love and light.”

Hall’s spirituality plays a prominent role in her life, so it’s no surprise that she has always been drawn to roses—they represent healing, blooming and the divine feminine. To her, ink is all about self-expression. “[After the roses] I went right into the wings on my back,” she says. “It’s the biggest one I have. I had a near-death experience when I was young and felt like I was protected. I was grateful not to have lost my life so young.”

Her favorite, though, is her chest piece. “The owl honors my grandmother who passed away, and it also helps me see my way through the darkness,” she explains. “In Native teachings, the owl is a messenger of the night, but he also brings forward warnings. So, many people within the Native American culture are apprehensive of owls. When they see mine, I have to remind them that it’s just a picture. I’m not bringing them bad news.”

Hall’s bewitching spirit is infectious. She’s never been one to fit into the standards of what beautiful is. She lives her life by doing what makes her happy.

Clara Inzinna

TikTok: the.clumsy.Clara

Never underestimate the power of a small-town girl with big vision. Clara Inzinna is a spitfire, fearlessly determined to live her best life no matter the challenges. “I’m a very driven individual,” she says. “I don’t let much keep me back from what I desire, and I thrive on what people say to be impossible for me to do. However, even being so self-driven, I enjoy the simplicity in life—the smallest things can mean the most.”

Inzinna is young in age but wise beyond her years—an old soul, if you will. “I should have been born in the ’60s or ’70s,” she laughs. “Everyone says I just want to be a stay-at-home wife and mom.” Inzinna grew up in western New York and now lives on a 53-acre property in Swain near the famous ski resort. She enjoys all aspects of country life—hunting, riding motorcycles and four-wheelers and fishing—with her boyfriend and 4-year-old son.

One of Inzinna’s passions is immortalizing her story in ink. She has put a lot of hours into her collection, and almost every one has a special meaning. Her favorite is the hibiscus flower with a quote on her spine. “It reads, ‘Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire,’” she says. “I truly live by that and love the meaning that goes along with it.”

Inzinna is thankful for all her supporters on TikTok and in her local community. “I’m very fortunate and grateful for everyone who helped,” she says. “I grew up in a town with a population of 5,000, and now I live in an even smaller town that is very community-oriented. When someone is thriving, they show enormous support.”

Ashley Irey

Instagram: @ashleyirey573

Your “different” is your beautiful—wise words from Ashley Irey, who took third in the competition. “I am huge on encouraging people (myself included) to be confident in their skin,” she says. “What makes you different absolutely makes you beautiful and is why you are special. This is so important to understand.”

Irey is a fun-loving, bubbly beauty who draws comparisons to Elle Woods. She’s from San Antonio but over the last 15 years has built a home in Jackson, Missouri. As a wife and mom to a blended family of five kids, she’s also a talented singer, adventurer and a photographer who loves to style high school seniors.

This doll is new to modeling, but you would never know it. In front of the camera, her sweet-as-pie personality turns into a sultry stare that has a degree of fierceness only experienced models typically reveal.

Irey’s tattoo journey has only just recently blown up. Within the last five years, she finally found herself and the confidence to be who she is. Irey’s ink has been instrumental to her growth as she breaks the stereotypes that often come with having tattoos.

Larelle Olmstead

Instagram @Larelle_official

With a mixed heritage of Black, Puerto Rican, Mexican and German ethnicity, Larelle Olmstead is determined to help bring media representation of women of color to the forefront. Growing up in an underserved community in San Jose, California, she had a difficult childhood and has come out on the other side as a successful businesswoman, social media influencer and bombshell tattoo model. It hasn’t always been easy, but everything was a stepping stone to becoming the strong woman she is today. “The stereotypes of people with tattoos, especially minority women, can be negative,” she says. “I’ve never done drugs. I don’t drink. I have degrees in both political science and social and criminal justice. In this generation, we’re proving the common stereotypes completely wrong—we’re parents, educated, and/or small business owners. It’s important to show that tattoos don’t define you, they are just part of your story.”

Olmstead’s floral pieces on both hips honor her sister’s memory and serve as a reminder to live life to the fullest.

Another part of Olmstead’s story is her dedication to keeping kids safe. “For the past several years, I’ve been a child abuse investigator,” she explains. “It’s important for me to give back because I was one of those children, so it lights my fire. It is part of my passion.” She is currently studying for the LSAT to pursue a Juris Doctor (JD) degree to practice criminal law with the hope that she’ll one day prosecute crimes against children.

Olmstead would like to thank her mother, children, fiancé and fans worldwide for helping her thrive in the Inked Cover Girl Competition.

Grab your copy of the November Issue over at InkedShop.com now! And if you want to make sure you get every single issue of Inked, which is definitely something you want to do, subscribe here.Photos by Christopher Kolk