Maria Tash

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Maria Tash
Maria Tash
FormerlyVenus Body Arts
TypePrivate
Industry
  • Jewelry
  • Piercing
  • Ear curation
Founded1993; 28 years ago (1993) in East Village, Manhattan, New York
FounderMaria Tashjian
Headquarters
New York
,
United States of America
Number of locations
  • 5 concessions
  • 3 freestanding
 (2021)
Area served
  • New York Metropolitan Area
  • Greater Dublin
  • Greater LondonMetropolitan City of Rome
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

Maria Tash is a New York-based luxury piercing and fine jewelry brand founded by designer Maria Tash.[1] The brand specializes in body piercing, ear curation,[2] and fine jewelry design. Originally founded in New York City in 1993, Maria Tash has since expanded globally.[3]

Early years and education[]

Originally from West Islip, New York and raised in New York City,[4] Maria Tash (birth name Maria Tashjian) attended Columbia University[5] and the Fashion Institute of Technology.[6] She also attended King's College in London, England.[6]

Career[]

She opened her first studio, Venus Modern Body Art, in 1993[5][6] in Manhattan's East Village, specializing in navel piercings and jewelry. Tash's work, under her eponymous brand, has combined elements of mainstream piercing culture with fine jewelry, coining the term “Curated Ear”[7] to refer to an ear pierced with fashionable intention and under the direction of piercing experts.[2]

Tash's first shop was originally called Venus Body Arts[8] and then Venus by Maria Tash.[9] Eventually Tash decided to use her own name for the shop eponymously. While first specializing in navel jewelry,[10] the shop later become known for a variety of ear piercing styles.[11][4]

Tash launched a line of international stores with its flagship location opening in New York City in 2004.[6] In 2016, the brand began expanding globally with the opening of a shop at Liberty London.[12] Maria Tash has since opened permanent locations in Rome,[13] Dublin,[14] Harrods London,[15] and Dubai.[16][17]

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.[18][19]

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.[20]

Design and cultural impact[]

Tash modified several industry standard methods of assembling jewelry to create pieces that better fit the wearer.[2] These include a “threaded” style earring backing and "invisible set" diamonds, which are notched and set below the crown.[21] Tash's designs are often smaller and more subtle than the traditional punk-style heavy piercings that were popular in the early 1990s,[22] when Tash began piercing.[6]

Her designs have been worn by Hailey Bieber, Rihanna, Ashley Graham, Queen Rania and Maritta Hallani.[19]

References[]

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