Every piece is an offering. A small object you can hold, return to, hand down. The wearer is the story; the piece is the companion.
Materials are chosen for what they remember — the energetic and physical properties of stone, the longevity of solid metal, the way a line of gold catches a moment of recognition.
The work is grounded in three things.
Pieces are built with the idea of configuring and reconfiguring. Stripping them down to the most basic elements and combining into elaborate designs. The interchangeable elements can be stacked, paired and re-imagined as the wearer moves through life. The pieces ask to be lived with.
Metals and stones are ethically sourced and repurposed wherever the design allows. Production happens between Los Angeles and Austin, in the United States, with artists Cristen knows by name. Each piece is finished by a team of talented jewelers she has intentionally selected.
A portion of every sale goes to a service partner Cristen selects each year. The work is part of a larger body of giving.
A percentage of all sales from Architect of the Wild will go to Blue Action Lab, a non-profit organization that builds resilient, restorative and sustainable communities.
Blue Action Lab is a non-profit organization that implements climate resilient technologies and ecosystem restoration projects.
Blue Action Lab develops climate nature-based solutions specifically tailored to low-lying islands, where the impacts of rising sea levels and extreme weather events are detrimental. Through innovative science and technologies, they aim to enhance the resilience of these vulnerable islands, safeguarding their ecosystems, communities, and infrastructure from the adverse effects of climate change.
