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]
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]
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]
