ALL ABOUT MARIA

On being fashion’s favourite fine jewellery designer...

I’ve been in the jewellery industry for decades and have dedicated my life to creating the MARIA TASH brand. I think the fashion industry knows the brand is a unique amalgamation of beauty, fashion, and jewellery. I fused features of these three fields to create looks and fits unique to the wearer with an inherent edginess.

On the Maria Tash piercing experience...

We pride ourselves on delivering a personalized 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 jewellery selection. In addition to the quality of my pieces, we are piercing experts having developed patented piercing techniques. We use state-of-the-art modern piercing equipment, tools, and sterilization, as well as my forward-facing piercing method. If an ear piercing is desired, time with a stylist includes utilizing our Curated Ear® service—to add either a single piece or a full look—before getting pierced by our expert piercers.

On the popularity of ear curation...

I think it’s more popular now as the pieces are very beautiful and fit close to the body so that the effect is gorgeous and comfortable. I also think it is easy to create a unique curation through layering, and that the process is very fun. This evolution is starkly contrasted with the shock effect ear curation had years ago. Now clients say that they did not intend to get a new piercing until they saw the jewellery and wanted to find a place for it. People now more than ever appreciate the merits of new artistic and unexpected piercing placements like the Tash Helix, Tash Hidden Rook and Tash Rook, and adorning them with fine jewelry. The designs retain this timeless ‘cool factor’ that resonates with people.

On her must-try pieces

I always recommend starting in one of two places: either with a piercing location you love and then finding a piece that fits that spot, or by falling in love with a piece of jewellery and thinking about the best place for it. I think the Tash Rook is a very versatile piercing location, in the cartilage and perfect for small or larger pieces. I think some iconic pieces are my lotus diamond studs and invisible set eternity rings.

On her must-haves from her new collections...

An assortment of my most iconic pieces available in vivid green emeralds are coming very soon, which my team hand-picked to make sure the green hues all layer together beautifully and complement each other. Emerald is a wonderful deep and bright green hue, and some of my favourite emerald pieces are reversible with white diamonds for two looks in one piece of jewellery. Tiger's Eye is a fun gemstone whose 'eye' adds dimension and warmth to a multihued brown natural gemstone. Browns are great for daily wear and are very gender neutral. I thoughtfully cut iconic spikes so that the eye moves horizontally and in sync with the wearer. The three-spike eternity in Tiger's Eye is a great use of the stone in an iconic MARIA TASH style.

On getting your ears pierced for the first time...

I cannot overstress the importance of getting a good angle to your piercing. I developed the forward-facing piercing technique, so our piercers make sure the jewellery works to flatter the wearer. I believe in previews, not just seeing a dot on your ear but understanding in three dimensions how close multiple pieces on the ear can live together (if you get more than one). A good rapport with a great stylist who can help you pick jewellery that best represents your personal style and complements your anatomy is a must and it goes without saying that one should be very comfortable with their piercer, have all questions answered competently, and all tools properly sterilized.

On how accessorizing ears fascinates her...

Earrings can last a lifetime and really reflect where you are in life. The earrings I wear today are different from the pieces I wore 30 years ago, but I still use many of the same ear piercings I had then with different styles. It's still very fun. Earrings flatter the face and can elongate it, widen it, draw attention to eye colour, serve to match or colour block with apparel, illustrate asymmetry or symmetry, and detract from any perceived scars or skin flaws. There really are infinite ways to layer, combine, and custom fit earrings to create an individualized look, or even tell a story with how pieces relate to each other.

On her favourite celebrity ears...

There are so many to note but some of my favourites are Rihanna, Ashley Graham, Charlize Theron, Blake Lively, Dua Lipa, and Maluma.

On her favourite celebrity ears...

Discover MARIA TASH on Level 2 of our Dublin store. The Emerald and Tiger's Eye Collection is coming soon. Stay tuned to @officalbrownthomas for more.

THE CURATED EAR

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