A new wave of luxe spots are picking up where Claires left off.
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If you wanted your ears pierced before, say, 2018, there werent many options.
The pickings were slim, but we made do in the name ofjewelry.
More recently, however, another option has emerged: the grown-up piercing parlor.
Then, the lightbulb moment: We were like, has anyone taken on ear piercing?
says Harmans best friend and Studs co-founder Lisa Bubbers.
They realized no one really had, at least not at scale.
Then theres the space itself, which Lewis feels is half the appeal.
The studios are all highly photogenic and the branding is extremely unique.
And like shopping at Glossier, going there is a bit of a flex.
She first had her ears pierced as a preteen at her moms hair salon.
Studs’s piercing parlors are defined by neon lights, bright colors, and elevated piercing jewelry.
Studs was very cool and I loved their jewelry, she says.
So for her next one, she tried Rowan.
They were marketing to moms, she says.
I dont have kids but it felt more my speed.
A third piercing took place at a local tattoo parlor, which confirmed she preferred the previous experiences.
You go to a tattoo parlor and they think youre going to sit for four or five hours.
Lewis says she had a great experience at a recent Studs appointment in Brooklyn.
Astrid & Miyu takes a similar decorative approach, but in shades of pink.
Within the growing demand for high-end piercings, prices can range even more.
[Our customers] really want solid gold.
They really want diamonds, Bubbers says.
If it isnt clear, piercing is big, big business.
Meanwhile, Rowan aims tonearly doubleits locations by the end of 2024.
Mejuri now has 29 piercing studios in three countries.
Banter plans toroll outneedle piercing to 200 locations by 2025.
I feel like its a different clientele.
Both Rowan and Studs were way better than anything else Ive ever had, she says.
Im very much in favor of more and more when it comes to these [kinds of places].
With so many businesses on track for growth this year, that shouldnt be a problem.
That is, so long as there are enough lobes, helixes, andconchesfor piercing.
The influx makes me wonder how often women are getting pierced.
Enough to sustain all of these locations?
Maybe so, Lewis says.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens in the next few years.
Skip the shampoos, glosses, and treatments.
The late monarch was “not a foodie,” but kept her meals simple and fresh.
