PIERCING GOOD LOOKS

Maria Tash slipped into NorthPark Center this summer, transforming the elevated piercing market with her distinctive style and the Curated Ear. Patron caught up with the celebrity-followed designer vis-à-vis her new boutique.

Patron (P): What drew you to NorthPark as your first location in Texas? Maria Tash (MT): I’ve wanted to open in Dallas for several years after doing a couple of successful pop-up locations but was waiting to find the right home. I always wanted NorthPark, as it is such an important center, with great luxury representation and footfall. We were then offered an optimal retail location within NorthPark, near Vuitton, and a nice, large space that will enable us to expand product offerings as the brand grows. P: Please talk about the boutique’s design elements of travertine, leather, metallic accents, and matte finishes. MT: The NorthPark store design finishes are gorgeous and reflect the themes and aesthetic of the jewelry. I work very closely with my head of store design, and he is very integrated into the product-design process. I think this is an important collaboration, the result being a wonderful coherence in overall feel and takeaway effects of the brand. There are matte metallic effects throughout the space, echoing the three types of gold colors available to choose from for any given style of ring or stud. The matte effect of the larger interior design metal touches creates a warm metal effect, which makes the rose- and yellow-gold metal interior design elements more readable than their polished counterparts, and these finishes are hence not competitive with the primarily polished metal of the jewelry. Less prominent leather touches add a soft texture, which contrasts nicely with the larger expanses of custom back-painted glass walls. Travertine is another important design element, with its veins and marbling. The interior design layout at NorthPark has a more open flow effect than other Maria Tash stores, which enables clients to view the collections easily. P: We’d love to know more about your Curated Ear and your signature pieces.

Maria Tash brings her savoir faire to NorthPark with signature jewelry.

MT: Many of my signature pieces relate to the Curated Ear, a term I developed and own as a registered trademark. The concept is about choosing a style of jewelry that agrees with one’s personal aesthetic, selecting a metal tone or mix of tones that best complement the skin of the wearer, and then employing fashion principles of layering and fit to best create a scheme of how the sizes and locations of the pieces relate to each other and reflect the uniqueness of the wearer. Some of my signature styles include those with invisible-set diamonds, specially developed comfortable threaded mechanisms, and newly developed ear-piercing locations. Iconic styles include invisible-set clickers and different sizes of gold and diamond spikes. P: Please describe your process in creating invisible-set diamonds. What makes this process flush to the wearer’s body? MT: I’ve always loved flush-set and recessed architectural modern lighting. I see diamonds akin to light and found a way to create a type of jewelry setting that is as low rise as possible while keeping maximal brilliance to the diamonds. I entered the jewelry world via body jewelry, where keeping the jewelry as flush with the body as much as possible is of primary concern. This principle is important so that pieces will not catch on apparel, hair, or towels, and will be comfortable for continuous wear for a modern lifestyle. I also always thought that many engagement ring styles stuck off of the body in a way that was uncomfortable. I worked on creating invisible settings for many shapes of diamonds, and rings made of lines of diamonds. Now this is a signature design element of my brand. P: Is there a universal language among the Maria Tash customer? MT: I think the universal language is one of the love of certain styles and curations that thankfully is not confined to any region of the world. Maria Tash styles shown on Instagram disseminate very quickly all around the world, where they are received and integrated by our global audience. That means style choices are no longer confined to a region. And on the piercing front, there are universal commonalities as to why someone would get pierced. Celebrating milestones, personal accomplishments, and relationships are just some of the reasons, and they give all of us joy. P