Weekender: Tattoo and piercing studio to open in city centre

The Merrion Centre in Leeds city centre is set to welcome Rude Studio’s new flagship tattoo, piercing and body jewellery shop.

The new studio, which is due to open in May, will be the third in Rude’s portfolio across Leeds.

Operating from a 784 sq ft retail unit, the shop will comprise of a tattoo studio, an enclosed private body piercing room, sterilising room and a welcoming waiting area.

Creating two permanent jobs, Rude Studio’s newest shop will offer custom tattooing, semi-permanent make-up, microblading, laser tattoo removal and body piercing by celebrity artist, Samantha Myers.

The studio will be the largest tattoo and piercing shop in the city and also feature the widest range of body jewellery in the north of England, along with its own in-house goldsmith, Emily Rhoden.

Samantha Myers, owner of Rude Studio, said: “As Rude Studio continues to expand, we’re extremely excited to be bringing our concept to the Merrion Centre; with strong footfall and enviable location close to the universities, it continues to be a great place to shop, eat, drink and socialise.

“We look forward to growing our brand alongside the new direction of this area of the city, and further complimenting the diverse mix of tenants in the ever evolving Merrion Centre.”

Darren Brookes, operations manager for the Merrion Centre, added: “We’re very excited to welcome Rude Studio’s to the Arena Quarter, contributing further to the Merrion Centre’s existing eclectic mix of local, specialist and niche offerings.

“Rude Studio already have a brilliant reputation as a leading piercing studio in Leeds, and we are thrilled they have chosen the Merrion Centre as the location of their new store. There are many new and dynamic developments within the immediate vicinity, and as their brand continues to expand, we have no doubt that they will enjoy every success on the back of this as we welcome even more customers in 2019”.