
Jeweler Kristen Crawley’s Pop-Tastic Family Home
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Maria Del Rio
Kristen Crawley certainly lives the life. The Midwestern-born girl can be often be found flying around the globe with her husband Don (Kanye West’s long-time manager), making pit-stops in Chicago to check in on the conceptual retail space RSVP Gallery (of which she’s a co-owner) and Paris to sit front-row at Dior, or showing off her brand-new emoji-inspired jewelry line KDIA. No matter what she’s doing, however, being a devoted mother to her nearly 6-year-old son is always top of mind. And now with a second baby boy on the way, the pregnant beauty cooled her heels in her new Los Angeles home long enough for us to snap a few pictures and chat.
- “It’s pop art for sure! We love colors and Japanese anime and whimsy and fun!” Kristen wears a Balenciaga dress and Manolo Blanik heel.
- “Probably my office or my front room. I just love the colors in each room and all the trinkets in my office make it really special.”
- “My blue Arper couch from ABC Home and my Kelly green, vintage Pierre Paulin chairs from Wright Gallery in Chicago. Of course, our art is nice, too. It makes me smile to look at Marilyn every morning.”
- Oh, hello, Marilyn.
- “We’ve been here for a year. It’s temporary. We’re in the process of building something really special and I can’t wait!” Don wears a Bape shirt and H&M shorts.
- KAWS everywhere.
- “Tomboy chic? I love wearing pants, but like Balmain pants! I am starting to dress more womanly. Skirts, fitted dresses, etc. I feel most comfortable in jeans and sneakers though.”
- “Not really. I’m not the type of person to wear heels during the day or every day for that matter, only when I go out at night. During the day I like to be comfortable with or without my son.”
- “I like small bags. I love my new Dior bag–it’s super small and cute. I really only need my card case, cell phone, and lip balm in my purse. I’ve been wearing the heck out of my Yeezy Boosts. They are insanely comfortable. And I have a few pairs of skinny distressed jeans and vintage band tees from the Rose Bowl. This is my everyday outfit. I like to dress it up with jewelry.”
- "Ripped jeans, sneakers, and a band tee for everyday or black leggings and a black tank top from James Perse and sneakers. At night I’m usually wearing the Wolford Fatal dress–not much else fits me right now!” Kristen wears a Wolford tank, Rachel Zoe for A Pea in the Pod pants, and KDIA jewelry.
- “Raf Simmons for Dior. Raf can do no wrong and Dior is such an iconic house. He’s bringing a real energy to it. Nicolas Ghesquiere at Vuitton is killing it right now, too!”
- “I like to online shop. I barely shop here in LA. Only NYC and Paris. I like Net-A-Porter for online shopping or Barneys. They’re both pretty fast and easy.”
- “For me, I have a never-ending list of must-haves. For my son, not so much. He’s a kid, after all, and I don’t think kid fashion needs to be taken so seriously.”
- “I’m a fine jewelry designer.”
- “Hard work. I’ve really just started and I have a long way to go.”
- “Getting picked up by Colette and Browns my first season (and now second) was really awesome. When you mention those stores people respect that.”
- “Not really. Maybe after this baby comes it will. It will be hard to have a baby and a 5-year-old and a business.”
- “It’s been fine. He’s older and he’s very independent. He can entertain himself if mommy needs to work and I try to get everything done while he’s in school during the day. Doesn’t always work out like that, but for the most part it does.”
- “The creative process. I love to bring my designs to fruition. I love it when people buy my jewelry and send me messages about how it makes them so happy to wear it.”
- “Not really. I’m just doing my thing. I may be opening up a U.S. account, maybe not. Just trying to take one day at a time. I want to do this for 20-plus years, and at this point I’ve just scratched the surface.”
- #Shelfie.
- “Well, for one, I cherish family time. Before it was all about going out, partying, etc. Now I love spending time with my boys. We have game nights multiple nights a week and movie nights on Fridays and Saturdays. I’m so content with my little family, nothing makes me smile more than my son and husband.”
- “How hard it was in the beginning and how no one really told you! Motherhood is really tough! I’m always making mistakes and questioning if I’m doing it right.”
- “Watching my child grow and learn and having fun with him. We have so much fun!”
- “When I wonder how my child will turn out. Will he be everything I hope for? Will he be happy?” Kristen wears a Balenciaga band tee and Isabel Marant track pants.
- “Fun and vibrant–just like him!”
- “I love his original Jellyfish Eyes painting by Takashi Murakami, his orange cowhide rug, and all of his pillows. His room is so cool. I wish I would’ve had something like that as a kid!”
- “Absolutely! It is his room, after all, I want him to be happy and comfortable in it.”
- "He’s named after his father and grandfather, both Don. Two really great men!”
- “Everything. He’s the sweetest little boy with a heart of gold. He’s so thoughtful and kind.”
- “He goes to school in the mornings, then we have lunch together. Usually I’ll take him somewhere fun or we’ll run errands, like grocery shopping. If we stay home, we’ll play either with Legos or board games–he loves board games!”
- “His sense of humor! He’s so funny! He’s so smart, too. It amazes me what he can comprehend at this age. He’s just the best!”
- “We are very much alike. My mother did a lot of arts and crafts with us when we were little. She also read to us a lot. I try to read to my son as much as possible, it’s super important. We are different in ways of diet and stuff like that. It has more to do with the age gap than parenting skills. Twenty-plus years ago people didn’t know what was healthy and what wasn’t.”
- “I don’t focus on other women and how they raise their children. I know what I want and what works for our family. I just try to be the best mom I can be.”
- “Take all the help you can get. Try to read as many books and watch as many movies as you can on baby’s first year and don’t forget that everyone has hard times, we just don’t talk about it–unfortunately!”
- “Now that my son is five, it’s much easier. On the airplane I bring lots of different snacks and a fully charged iPad. I also bring crayons and workbooks and his favorite blanket.”
- “Hawaii is great. Maui has an awesome Four Seasons Resort that’s great for traveling with kids. New York and Paris are wonderful for kids when the weather is nice. There are so many museums and fun activities! We love tropical destinations the most. What kid doesn’t love to play in the sand?!”
- “I don’t read blogs in general. I have my own style and my own way of doing things and I don’t usually care for a stranger’s opinion. All bloggers think they are experts in something, but usually have no formal training or background on their subjects. Books–yes! I just read The Smartest Kid On The Block and The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up. I loved both and highly recommend!"
- “I’m a good ol’ Midwestern girl.”
- “I first moved when I was 19 for school, stayed for a few years, then moved back to Chicago when we had our son, and now we are back for the second time. “
- “L.A. is nice because of the weather. It’s great to not have to worry about snowsuits and ice storms and the beach is close by! California in general is really cool because you can travel the state and see so many different things–mountains, beaches, deserts…”
- “Chicago will always be home. We will probably end up settling there, we just wanted a break from all the nasty weather. Chicago as a city is amazing. Vibrant, cultural, and feels like a real city. Like NYC, but cleaner!”
- “Sure! I’m not stuck on any one place. I’d totally be down to live abroad, too. I think it’s important to see the world, to experience it. How cool would it be to live in Tokyo for a while or London? I’d really be down for that.”
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