Our staff has worked in many world-class studios across the United States. They have brought their passion and knowledge of body piercing to the tri-state area to offer a new level of quality. All of our piercers constantly research medical parallels to body piercing, as well as attend annual continuing-education opportunities.
All piercers, even guests, are members of the Association of Professional Piercers, and so are other of our staff!
Kelly Carvara. Owner + Piercer
Kelly (she/her) studied biomedical engineering in college before deciding to pursue piercing as a lifetime career in 2009. She then honed her skills under the watchful eye of the former APP President Jef Saunders at the world-renowned Rockstar Body Piercing in Providence, Rhode Island. After successfully completing her apprenticeship, she pierced at Rockstar for several years before migrating south.
She has visited and pierced alongside many of the country's most well-known piercers and received numerous certifications during her continued education and work — including her completion of both basic and advanced piercing technique intensives led by one of the most notable figures in the body piercing world, Fakir Musafar.
Kelly is a self-proclaimed “plant mom”, “gym rat”, and The Office fanatic. She also trains as a competitive arm wrestler in her spare time. Kelly is wild about her pets, Bossman, Lacy, and Janet. Ask about them to see her light up — and she’d love to see pictures of your dogs!
Rhett Mercury. Jewelry Specialist + manager
Rhett (he/they) returned to the Chattanooga area after receiving his Bachelor’s in Identity Studies & Writing from Bryn Mawr College and doing a bit of traveling around the East Coast. When he learned a studio had been opened by an APP member nearby, he immediately had to check it out. Kelly hasn’t been able to get rid of him since.
In addition to his work at Monarch, Rhett has visited and worked at a number of the country's top studios and received multiple piercing certifications, including completing the basic Fakir piercing intensive.
Rhett lives with his partner, their rambunctious cat, and their lazy dog. Outside of work, he enjoys tabletop and video gaming, as well as some involvement in activist and grassroots organizations focused on minority/marginalized populations.
Courtney “Corky” Pagleno-brewer. empress of admin support
Corky (she/her) was born and raised in the Chattanooga-area. While new to the piercing industry, Corky is hardly new to gorgeous and quality jewelry; specifically, she had long been a customer at Monarch before joining the team in 2021.
When you first arrive to the studio, or when you reach out via phone or electronic means, Corky is usually the bright voice to greet you. And, since she is the Queen of Selfies, Corky also manages much of our social media.
Corky lives with her husband, Patrick, and their bratty cat, Misha. In their spare time, they collectively enjoy binge-watching TV shows or playing video games. Corky's favorite way to spend alone time is at a restaurant patio with a good book on a nice day. She will definitely wow you with random trivia. Always feel free to ask her about her fandoms and/or Taylor Swift!