Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Anders.
Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in very rural southern Iowa as a bit of an outcast. Growing up very rural and in farming communities, there were not many that shared the love of body modification as I did. I like to tell people if there is any indication of the validation of past lives to me, it is my fascination and appreciation for body modification and its history.
I grew up in a very religious household with very little outside influence to the modification world but at the age of eight, I found an earring and thought it belonged in my nose, so I put it there. At that age, I didn’t know what my drive was or how I would have seen that before but I knew how it made me feel. That was the beginning of me adorning myself and my infatuation with body modification. In a lot of ways, it was really hard growing up and being “different” but I couldn’t imagine not being able to do and be exactly what made me feel unapologetically me. It was also then that I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. I knew how these adornments made me feel and I wanted to spend my life facilitating that feeling for others. To remove boundaries and challenge other people’s perspectives of what body modification meant.
I started piercing professionally 13 years ago in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2012 my husband and I packed up and headed to Los Angeles for the prospect of greater opportunities. From the start, we were fully entwined in all that Los Angeles had to offer. I worked at a highly respected studio, establishing a list of clientele (that I truly could only have dreamed of) for about four years before taking the plunge and opening our very own studio called Royal Heritage Tattoo and Piercing. We are now five and a half years into owning our studio and we have grown and expanded into a beautiful space on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. I have also expanded my skill set and am now a designer and jeweler. We own a gold company and create the highest-end fine jewelry available in our industry.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. I do feel there are ways in my early career that I did have a great support team that really helped shape and nourish me as a young piercer, but I also was coming up in a very heavily male-dominated industry and as mentee or subordinate, which came with its own predicaments and challenges and afflictions. There was never a point that I stopped pushing to achieve the next level. There was constant work and hurdles and learning and growing and trial and error (and I anticipate there always will be) but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. When it came to our business, we firmly believed that there is a decent amount of (fairly) calculated risk necessary to grow. And we pushed that continuously over the past five years. To be honest, we are just starting to feel somewhat comfortable and a bit less stressed. Buuuut I’m still continuously pushing so I imagine that will change again quickly.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So, I am a piercer and jeweler and the owner of Royal Heritage Tattoo and Piercing. I am mostly known for curating ear projects and making custom jewelry. I make everything from piercing jewelry to engagement and wedding rings and everything in between using solid 18k gold and genuine stones. I love creating unique curations that really highlight the anatomy that makes each person different, that makes each person special.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Our industry has already shifted and opened up so much it really is truly amazing. Now piercings and tattoos aren’t just for the delinquents, criminals and soldiers. Piercings and tattoos are so much more accepted than they have ever been. Piercing now for many isn’t about modifying the body but more about having more available real estate for beautiful jewelry. And I see more and more of the general population exploring this and even pushing boundaries with this. and it is so beautiful.
Pricing:
- Piercing fees range for $25 and up
- Jewelry starts at $40 for basic titanium
- 14kt gold jewelry is going to start around $80
- 18kt gold and genuine diamond jewelry is going to start around $200
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: royalheritagetattoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanie_andersxo/
Image Credits:
Luminaire foto Sam Valezquez Naill O’Brien
