Fashion’s Favourite Fine Jewellery Designer Maria Tash On Expanding Her Empire, One Curated Ear At A Time…
From a new store location in Dubai to developing piercings, she reveals what it takes to create a perfectly “stacked” look
Personalised ear piercing has been having quite the moment. Artful ear adornment with multiple studs or delicate hoops, that have been carefully planned to work together have taken over our Instagram feeds, all key to achieving the perfectly “stacked” ear. But what exactly is ear curation and how can you achieve a flawless aesthetic that is both edgy yet elegant?
Fine jewellery and luxury piercing brand Maria Tash (who’s founder originally coined the term “curated ear”) has announced a new store location in Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, making achieving that effortless cool-girl look easier than ever before. The new shop, which spans over 2,000 square feet and marks the second store in Dubai, promises a modern aesthetic, featuring a grand 11-meter tall shopfront, house four piercing rooms, and a private women’s only lounge.
“I am very proud of our presence and continued growth in the Middle East. The customers in Dubai consistently inspire me with their passion for bold and unique jewelry as well as interesting piercing curations. Our new store in Mall of the Emirates will represent the scope, mood, and style of future Maria Tash stores globally and will help us to service even more clients. We look forward to welcoming local clientele and tourists alike,” says Maria Tash, the mastermind and creator of the brand.
The label, founded in New York City in 1993, has perfecting the art of incorporating multiple studs, hoops, and piercings into a “look,”all strategically placed on different parts of the ear to create an individualised aesthetic that harmonises with each client’s aesthetic, skin tone and personal style. The brand’s highly personal approach and quirky designs has a cult following of celebrity clients and fashionistas alike, including big names like Rihanna, Zoë Kravitz, Chanel Iman, and Blake Lively.
Bazaar caught up with Maria Tash herself to discuss the new store opening, how to mix different piercing styles to achieve an aesthetic stacked ear, and the trends we can expect to see in 2021.
Harper’s Bazaar Arabia (HBA): What makes getting a piercing at Maria Tash a special experience?
Maria Tash (MT): We pride ourselves on delivering a personalised experience for each client. Our stylists are trained to consider skin tone, anatomy, personal style aesthetics, and any prominent visual feature to carefully advise on jewelry selection. In addition to the quality of my jewellery, we are piercing experts having developed new soon-to-be patented piercing techniques. We use state of the art modern piercing equipment, tools, and sterilisation, as well as my forward-facing piercing method. If an ear piercing is desired, time with a stylist includes utilising our Curated Ear® service—to add either a single piece or a full look—before getting pierced by our expert piercers.
HBA: How will the Mall of the Emirates store be unique from other Maria Tash stores? Will there be any exclusive pieces/jewellery available at that particular location?
MT: Our new location will be one of our largest stores to date spanning over 2,000 square feet and it will feature a grand 11-meter shopfront which is unique to this location. This location will carry my latest Fall/Winter collection which features the largest assortment of new pieces I have ever introduced in one formal campaign. I plan to design and release new jewellery that is exclusive to the Middle East regularly.
HBA: Can you tell us more about the “ear curation” process. How does Maria Tash ensure that clients leave with a curated ear that is both elegant yet edgy, without looking over-the-top or “scruffy”?
MT: Our stylists consider several factors during the ear curation process. The trick is to balance three forces: the skin tone, the client’s personal aesthetic, and the weight and style of the jewelry that live next to each other. Layering of jewellery in the ear is an art, and we’ve registered the mark Curated Ear® after decades of work in the field. Each piece should look balanced within the anatomy in which it lives and be in balance with the pieces they live next to.
Each hoop earring and stud style is available in many sizes and metal colors and custom fit to the client, which makes many pieces worn together fit well and look thought out, and ideally can include a matching theme to the jewelry elements. The choice of many types of earrings helps to create combinations unique to each client. Additionally right and left ear assemblies do not have to match. They should be related, but the pieces do not have to be purchased in pairs and hence worn identically on both sides. My forward-facing piercing methodology ensures the angles on multiple piercings are parallel to each other which creates cleanliness and readability to the curation.
HBA: What sort of piercing trends can we expect to see in 2021?
MT: I think my soon to be patented piercing technique used in the Tash Helix℠ and the Tash Hidden Rook℠ will continue to be very popular. It’s rare to develop a new piercing technique that is easy to heal and versatile, and those locations fill that criteria. I’ve designed jewellery specific for them as part of the Autumn/Winter collection, and I have been working on more styles for those two locations to be released in 2021.
I’ve always been impressed and inspired with the creativity of our Middle Eastern clients in their choices of pieces and how to wear them, evidenced when I have worked behind the counter in the region. I think we will also be seeing more curations with inventive ‘floating’ effects of jewellery suspended in the ear as well. Threaded piercing charms in bold diamonds around the ear coupled with my invisible set diamond styles in hoops, climbers, studs, and charms I expect to be popular, well curated, and glamorous.
Images supplied. Interview by Laura Kell. Words by Andrea Jacobsen.
Lead image courtesy of Instagram/@angelcandices and @daneeda_t via @mariatash