INTERVIEW: MARIA BLACK
Piercings have become a key element of self-expression, giving everyone the opportunity to create a completely individual look. Jeweller, Maria Black, is at the forefront of this empowering trend. Her delicate minimalist, supremely comfortable pieces have found a huge global fanbase.
We caught up with the founder & designer to learn more about the expansion of her piercing universe to Selfridges with the launch of her store and piercing studio /
Tell us about the journey from the initial idea and how the piercing studio has evolved?
In 2015 we had a team Xmas party and we always try to have an activity together, an adventure of sorts. That year I hired 2 piercers to join the party and they brought jewellery and equipment with them. It was a hit. Everyone got a piercing, asked questions, were super excited and I was amazed at the buzz it created. The following Monday morning the whole team were like, can we provide that in the store as a service? Can we make piercing jewellery?
I reached out to one of the piercers and he has guided me through the process of creating piercing jewllery and is today working with us as our Head Piercer.
“There is a pure childish excitement connected to piercings, which is a unique and rare experience as an adult.”
Creatively speaking, what can you do now as a piercing designer that you couldn’t do as a jewelry designer?
I only design for the ear when it comes to piercing and the process is vastly different. Before I had to come up with all sorts of earcuffs to engage a bigger part of the ear than the lobes. Now I can look at the ear as a canvas and start painting. To me it’s a whole new world that has opened up and I see the curation and placement of the jewellery as important as the design. On the technical side there is a whole set of rules and regulations we wanted to comply with so our jewellery has the best quality. Sadly a lot of piercing jewellery out there isn’t appropriate for a new piercings.
How has the opening of a piercing studio impacted the rest of your brand?
It’s been a great synergy form the start. I’ve always been heavily into earrings so the leap into the piercing world made so much sense. Piercing is a great tool to express individuality and we work closely with each person to a look that expresses who they are. Our style is very minimalistic so the styles has been adopted by a lot of guys.
Do you feel like consumers are looking for more immersive experiences?
Definitely. We all spend the majority of our time in front of our screen now and there is a real craving for experiences. Piercing touches on so many points. It’s self gifting, you need to educate yourself before you do it, it’s self expression and you can share the experience with friends or family. A lot of people book double appointments and get piercings together. In our Selfridges store we have a styling bar where you can sit and test different placements and receive advice form our piercers before you make a decision. This is as much part of the experience and excitement as the actual piercing. One thing that gets me every time is the pure joy people have after having their piercings done. There is a pure childish excitement connected to piercings, which is a unique and rare experience as an adult.
“My designs are quite strong, which appeals to style and not gender.”
What would you say sets aside the Maria Black piercing and jewelry from other brands with a relatable concept?
My designs are quite strong, which appeals to style and not gender. I don’t design for gender, creed or age. I believe the traditional selfimposed consumer boxes are breaking down (thank god) and that is a very unique stand point to have within the jewellery world. I actually once sat down and consciously designed a mens collection and I was horrified at how generic it became. It got me thinking about the boxes we put men in in terms of what guys can and cannot wear. A number of guys were already wearing my jewellery and from that point we decided to be all inclusive for all genders. We style men in pearls and women in heavy chains to push the socially defined norms. We work with the ethos that we inspire, but it’s you who have to explore your selfexpression.
How do you curate the perfect ear?
First we look at your style and any number of piercings you might already have. Each ear is unique so we also take into account your ear shape and future wishes in terms of other jewellery you might like to wear. Piercing jewellery is unique because we can do placements on the ear that has a defining impact on your look. The pieces are designed for ultimate fit that also looks good from the back which is important when you have your hair up or have short hair.
What would you say is the most popular piercing trend currently?
I don’t like the term trend, it implies that it will come and go. I believe multiple piercings is the new normal. The new piercing look is much more diverse and refined. It’s not about rebellion anymore, but rather about self articulation. That being said I’ve noticed a lot of guys are leaning towards stacking and grouping in 2’s. When you stack, you place 2 piercings on top of each other vertically. Grouping is when you place 2 piercings very close to each other. This works with 2 plain hoops or 2 small diamonds. The placement is super important for both looks. Grouping looks fantastic further up your lobe and a stacked placement looks great with other piercings.
Whats next for Maria Black?
I’m thrilled that our gender narrative has been pushed so much in the last years. Looking back at the turn of the century we kind of regressed into girl vs boy mode when it came to dressing. That was kind of devastating after the 70’s glam rock and the 80’s club kids did so much for self expression and fluidity. I now see a real shift in the mentality of our society as to what is considered socially acceptable. I can’t stress enough how much cooler guys look than girls when they take that extra leap with their piercings. We plan to support and further this movement.