Eduardo Chavarria (He/Him)
I am the owner of Safe Harbor Body Adornment.
I am the proud son of Salvadoran immigrants and am eternally grateful for the sacrifices my parents made to ensure their family a better life. I am honored to know I have made them proud and that everything they did for their family was worth it.
I have been an Association of Professional Piercers (APP) member in good standing since 2006, I’m a former board member, instructor and a current member of the APP conference committee and assist in organizing its yearly educational conferences. My journey into body piercing started in 1996 when I received my first piercing and sensed right away that it was the beginning of something really special for me.
My interest in piercing led me to help start a performance art troupe that offered shows based upon piercing and inspired by body mortification rituals from around the world. In 2001, involvement in performance art led me to a piercing apprenticeship and to becoming a body piercer whose practice has consistently met and surpassed industry standards.
In 2006, I accepted my first job outside of the shop where I had apprenticed and that is when the real journey began. Following this, from 2008 through 2011, I was fortunate to travel across the country as a guest piercer working at some of our nation’s top piercing studios. Then toward the end of 2012, I accepted a piercing position in Philadelphia where I found “home.”
After a few years, I realized that the next step of my career path was to open my own shop. So, in 2017, I began to take on the challenge of opening my own studio with focused attention while again traveling the country guest piercing. At last, I found my brick and mortar location in the lovely Borough of West Chester, PA and the doors of my shop opened on January 2, 2020.
Despite the challenges of a world wide pandemic, with steadfast positivity, lots of work and incredible supports, my shop, Safe Harbor Body Adornment, has flourished. Growth, business responsibilities, personal responsibilities and (I hate to admit) aging have shifted my focus to the back end of business. Learning to be a fair employer as well a good boss and mentor have taken the place of facilitating piercing experiences. I have now entered a new world of learning and challenge and accept it with grace and humility.
I am forever grateful for the help that I have received. Shop success would not have been possible without family, friends and you.
Esse K (they/she)
Esse (pronounced as “ESS-ee,” /ˈɛs.i/) is a mixed, queer, fat femme who was born and raised in North Carolina. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina Greensboro in December 2010, majoring in Media Studies with a focus in Film & Video Production and a double minor in Radio and Psychology. After college, they moved to New York for three years before settling in Philadelphia in 2013. In Philadelphia, Essie worked behind the counter of a world-renowned piercing shop from 2014-2017 where Eduardo was the head piercer before leaving the industry for more traditional work in logistical operations and the non-profit sector.
Over the past few years, Esse has picked up shifts behind the counter at Safe Harbor Body Adornment while the regular staff were attending the Association of Professional Piercers Conference or doing guest work. In the summer of 2025, Eduardo contacted Esse directly to offer them a temporary position as the Front of House Staff Trainer. However, with her enthusiasm, knowledge, and skillset, the role quickly transitioned into a full-time permanent position as the Front of House and Operations Specialist.
More than “just” a counter person, Esse aims to make sure clients get the most out of their piercing experience. Esse helps them find their perfect piece of jewelry, answers a plethora of questions, handles the majority of shop communications and maintains the atmosphere of the studio. Esse is passionate about the work that they do and the clients who enjoy their time with Esse as much as their time with their piercers.
Outside of the piercing industry, Esse is a multi-disciplinary artist with over twenty years of professional performing experience. She is a self-published author, serial craft hobbyist, intersectional feminist advocate, and tarot card reader. You can learn more about her writing and performance work on her website.
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