As legacy retailers struggle, Studs’ Anna Harman breaks down what today’s piercing customer actually wants, and why. Photo by Tory Williams/Courtesy of Studs

This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. As legacy mall staples falter and consumer expectations reset, the jewelry and piercing sector is undergoing a quiet yet consequential transformation, driven less by price or trend cycles and more by experience, trust and self-expression.

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Few brands sit closer to that shift than Studs. Founded to modernize ear piercing for a new generation, the company has helped reframe what was once a commoditized, often rushed service into a design-forward, hospitality-led experience. At the center of that evolution is Anna Harman, co-founder and CEO of Studs, who has built the business around needle-based piercing, rigorous training standards and a deeply researched understanding of how Gen Z and millennials approach identity, style and retail.

Harman’s perspective comes at a moment of inflection. Claire’s recent bankruptcy filing has reignited debate about the health of the commercial jewelry industry, but as Harman explains, the decline of one dominant player doesn’t signal a shrinking market. Rather, it underscores a generational handoff. Today’s consumer is older, more informed and far less willing to compromise on safety, materials or aesthetics. They arrive armed with terminology learned online, references saved from social feeds and a clear expectation that piercing should feel personal, celebratory and well-designed.

Under Harman’s leadership, Studs has leaned into piercing as a long-term creative practice, popularizing the idea of “Earscaping” and building systems that support consistency at scale. The result is a business model that sits at the intersection of jewelry, beauty and lifestyle, shaped as much by digital communities as by in-person experience.

Claire’s bankruptcy filing has put a spotlight on the jewelry and piercing sector. What does their collapse reveal about the state of the commercial jewelry industry today?

The ear piercing market is actually booming, it’s just incredibly fragmented. Countless national retail chains and local boutiques offer ear piercings with guns (sometimes called “hand-pressurized devices”). Claire’s is still where a lot of people have their first nostalgic piercing moment, and that’s important. But once the customer ages up, typically into their late teens and twenties, they’re looking for a more elevated and personalized needle piercing experience. That’s where Studs comes in.