Maria Tash

Maria Tash (born Maria Tashjian in West Islip, New York) is a jewelry designer and retailer. Tash founded the eponymous Maria Tash, a New York-based luxury piercing and fine jewelry brand.[2] The brand specializes in body piercing, ear curation,[3] and fine jewelry design. Originally founded in New York City in 1993, Maria Tash has since expanded globally.[4]

Maria Tash
Maria Tash
FormerlyVenus Body Arts
TypePrivate
Industry
Founded1993 (1993) in East Village, Manhattan, New York
FounderMaria Tashjian
Headquarters
New York
,
United States of America
Number of locations
  • 7 concessions
  • 5 freestanding
[1] (2022)
Area served
Products
OwnerMaria Tashjian
Number of employees
~200 (2019)
Subsidiaries
  • Maria Tash Financial Group Inc.
  • Maria Tash Limited (U.K)
  • Maria Tash Ireland Limited
  • Maria Tash S.r.l. (Italy)
  • Maria Tash Middle East Jewellery Trading LLC (U.A.E.)
Websitemariatash.com

Tash's work, under her eponymous brand, has combined elements of mainstream piercing culture with fine jewelry, coining the term “Curated Ear”[5] to refer to an ear pierced with fashionable intention and under the direction of piercing experts.[3]

Early years and education

Originally from West Islip, New York and raised in New York City,[6] Maria Tash (birth name Maria Tashjian) attended Columbia University[7] and the Fashion Institute of Technology.[8] She also attended King's College in London, England.[8]

Career

Tash opened her first studio, Venus Modern Body Art, in 1993[7][8][9] in Manhattan's East Village, specializing in navel piercings and jewelry. Venus Body Arts[9] later became Venus by Maria Tash[10] until eventually Tash decided to use her own name for the shop. While first specializing in navel jewelry,[11] the shop later become known for a variety of ear piercing styles.[12][6]

Tash launched a line of international stores with its flagship location opening in New York City in 2004.[8] In 2016, the brand began expanding globally with the opening of a shop at Liberty London.[13] Maria Tash has since opened permanent locations in Rome,[14] Dublin,[15] Harrods London,[16] and Dubai.[17][18]

In November 2018 she opened her second freestanding location outside New York City with a 2,000 sq. ft luxury boutique in The Dubai Mall.[19][20]

In 2020 during the Corona-Pandemic, Maria Tash began to offer complimentary virtual appointments through FaceTime and Google Hangouts in English, Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic.[21]

Design and cultural impact

Tash modified several industry standard methods of assembling jewelry to create pieces that better fit the wearer.[3] These include a “threaded” style earring backing and "invisible set" diamonds, which are notched and set below the crown.[22] Tash's designs are often smaller and more subtle than the traditional punk-style heavy piercings that were popular in the early 1990s,[23] when Tash began piercing.[8]

Her designs have been worn by Hailey Bieber, Rihanna, Ashley Graham, Queen Rania and Maritta Hallani.[20]

References
  1. "Store List".
  2. "About the Designer | Discover Maria Tash". Maria Tash. Archived from the original on 2019-10-03. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  3. Kale, Sirin (2019-07-03). "The curated ear: why delicate, decorative piercings are the new tattoos". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  4. McCall, Tyler (May 2018). "How Maria Tash Went From Piercing Her Friends' Ears at Home to Launching a Global Jewelry Line". Fashionista. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  5. OConnell, Edaein (6 September 2019). "#CuratedEar: What it is and where you can get one". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  6. Caroline, Hamelle (September 2019). "Des petits trous, des petits trous...". Grazia France. 508: 50–51.
  7. Angrilli, Linda; Matthew Nadelhaft (2004). "Piercing Analysis". FIT Network Magazine
  8. QAPP. "15th QAPP (The Association of Professional Piercers) Annual Conference & Exposition Handbook" (PDF). QAPP. p. 34. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  9. "Body Piercer to Christina Aguilera Comes to Avenue A". localeastvillage.com. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  10. Staff, Racked (2013-02-05). "Noho Piercing Shop Venus by Maria Tash, Sketched". Racked NY. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  11. Top Fastening Navel Jewelry Technique, retrieved 2019-10-03
  12. "The piercing trend gets an upmarket makeover: how Maria Tash made the 'curated ear' a style essential". Independent.ie. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  13. "Celebrity piercer Maria Tash opens permanent London shop at Liberty". Evening Standard. 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  14. "Come si portano i piercing d'estate: i consigli dell'esperta". Glamour.it (in Italian). 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  15. ODonoghue, Niamh (6 September 2018). "A permanent Maria Tash pop-up is coming to Brown Thomas this October". IMAGE.ie. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  16. Ma, Fiona (2018-08-06). "Piercing Princess Maria Tash Joins Harrods' Fashion Lab with New Boutique". WWD. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  17. "This Celebrity-Beloved Jeweler is Opening up a Dubai Boutique". Vogue Arabia. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  18. "مصممة الأقراط المتعددة المفضلة لدى الملكة رانيا تفتتح بوتيكها في دبي مول!". Gheir. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  19. "Celebrity-approved piercer Maria Tash to open boutique in Kuwait". Arab News. 2020-02-05. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  20. "Exclusive: Celebrity-Loved Jeweler Maria Tash to Open a Boutique in Kuwait". Vogue Arabia. 2020-01-30. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  21. Sidell, Misty White (2020-04-24). "Maria Tash Offers Virtual Piercing Checkups During Lockdown". WWD. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  22. "Pierced to Perfection: An Interview with Maria Tash". About Her. 2019-07-29. Retrieved 2019-10-03.
  23. Punk : a directory of modern subversive culture. Bradshaw, James. [U.K.]: Holloway Contemporary Art. 2007. ISBN 978-1430321545. OCLC 713202876.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
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