Introducing Carla, our next Erstwildian to be 'In the Spotlight'.

An avid collector for many years, Carla has recently been approached to display some of her collection at the Canberra Museum and Gallery. How fabulous is that! As the proud owner of over 500 brooches, we thought Carla was the perfect candidate to ask a few questions about the world of collecting and what Erstwilder means to her.

How and when did you first discover Erstwilder? Which design was your first piece? 
I’ve always been attracted to quirky jewellery and been known to wear colourful/fun earrings and necklaces. However, brooches were not part of my usual attire. That was until I was on a trip to Thredbo with friends and I came across several lovely Erstwilder brooches in a shop display cabinet. I saw Brida the Botanical (Louise Camille, 2011) and she had to come home with me. She was quickly followed by many more pieces and my collection has steadily grown since.

Do you like to collect any specific designs or themes?
I tend to lean towards flowers, birds, Australiana, and a heavy sprinkling of May Gibbs and Miffy. I really love pieces that spark memories, reminding me of trips or friends. I’m enjoying the collaboration collections with Australian and International artists. It’s an honour to be able to wear and share their artwork.  

Which design gets complimented the most? 
All of them!!! Though I do find animals or birds do get the higher rate of interaction and requests of ‘where did you get that?’.

Which design do you find you wear the most? 
My very favourite is ‘The Wondrous Wombat’ Brooch from the third Erstwilder x Peter Cromer collection in 2021. He’s such a happy brooch that matches so many outfits, occasions and brings me joy to regularly wear. I misplaced him at one point and quickly bought two more to ensure I am never without if I lost him again. I now have three Wondrous Wombats in my collection! 

Why do you like to wear brooches / wearable art?
Wearing brooches brings me such joy. I love how they encourage people (friends, colleagues, strangers) to chat to me and share what the brooch I’m wearing means to them. I’ve often heard stories of childhood memories or that my brooch of the day has made them smile. I like to wear brooches to celebrate occasions such as birthdays (often ‘One Wish’ Sally Land, 2016, and a brooch that reminds me of the birthday person – bugs for my son, a rosella for my Dad), known holidays (Christmas, ANZAC Day, Easter etc), to personal holidays – (Red Centre,  Elena Leong, 2016, to see Uluru) and to bring me luck during the day. I used to be a Joey Scout Leader and my Scout name was Lizard. As my troop were 5 – 7 year olds, I would wear Outback Jacko (Elena Leong 2018) as part of my uniform. It was an easy way for the Joeys to remember my name.

If you could choose any design to include in a future Fan Favourite release, what would it be and what colours?!
I am a big fan of the older Erstwilder pieces and of lizards. I would really like to see Outback Jacko recoloured to something wild. Maybe dark blues and have his frills patterned to subtly show the night sky or his main body dirt red with his frills showing a glowing desert sunset. If I could also sneak in lizard collection in the future featuring bearded dragons and thorny devils I would be a very happy lady!

Your collection is being displayed at the Canberra Museum & Gallery later this year. How amazing! Can you tell us more about how this opportunity came about and what it involves?
Canberra Museum and Gallery have two dedicated spaces to show collections of items that have shaped our nation or passions of local Canberrans. I attended the opening of ‘Platypus: A Curious Creature’ showing a personal collection of platypus items from a collector of 20+ years. I was wearing my Peppy Platypus Brooch (Pete Cromer, 2019) and got talking to the museum collections manager. She asked if I collected anything…. ‘Only 500 or so brooches’ I replied!
 
This led to a discussion of showing my collection. Many emails, photos, catch ups and time writing notes on specific pieces later, a curated display of my brooches will open 13th September 2025 and run until 1 February 2026. I am really looking forward to giving a talk and sharing my brooch joy with so many people. Never did I think I would end up here almost 15 years ago when I picked up my first Erstwilder piece!

Top 10 EW brooches of all time?
I have over 250 Erstwilder pieces in my collection. Picking just 10 was really hard. Each one I’ve picked holds a special place in my heart and a memory shared with loved ones.

•    The Wondrous Wombat
•    The Peppy Platypus
•    Bib and Bub
•    Outback Jacko
•    Anouk’s Lost Letter
•    Timeless Tulips 
•    The Big Red Car
•    Bulbous Baobab Tree
•    House on the Harbour
•    Wondrous Warbler