1. Who are you and what do you do?

I’m Kristen – an artist + community choreographer. I look at what I do as bridging work – weaving together worlds, communities, ideas, ways of Being. Ultimately I’m called to curate spaces and create work that brings people back to a deeper connection with the earth and spirituality. I’m currently digging into a storytelling project called Whole – exploring what it means to embody holistic ways of being while healing through these crazy times of transformation.

On the daily, I run a playschool for kids, a space to guide future earth warriors. I’m a founding member of Conscious Minds Cooperative – a youth led and run co-op for young people passionate about building communities that are climate change resilient. I’m also part of Kapwa Collective, a collective of artists, healers, teachers, and activists focused on reconnecting to Filipinx indigeneity, while unravelling what it means to be Filipinx in the diaspora. My fire is channeled towards learning how we can better care for this wild planet.

2. What do you like to wear closest to your skin?

Linens. Soft soft cottons. Silks. Natural fibres. + Lace! Pieces that allow for movement and flexibility.

3. What does feeling beautiful mean to you?

I feel the most beautiful when I feel the most myself. I feel the most beautiful when I’m alone in the forest, feet in the water, singing. I feel beautiful and at my happiest when I’m running barefoot through the woods, touching trees and plants and dancing alongside dragonflies and bees. I feel the most beautiful when I’m honouring the Wildest parts of my Being – when I feel supremely attuned, and little signs and synchronicities show up in abundance. Making room for solitude and playtime in nature is my alchemical combo for magic and beauty.

I think feeling beautiful also lives in the space between confidence / vulnerability / humility / acceptance / owning our inner power. Ultimately, feeling beautiful is about feeling connected.

4. What do you wear to feel most like yourself?

I love wearing pieces that I’ve inherited from my mum or dad or from loved ones – that’s when clothing really becomes armour for me. Threads that protect you, hold you, and make you feel close to the loved ones they belonged to before. When I need an energy boost, I usually go to the pre-loved pieces in my closet. It’s cool to know that these pieces carry memories and stories beyond you.

I also love wearing clothing made locally and by womxn I respect (Hoi Bo, Horses Atelier). I know that we have power as consumers. Ripple effects are real! Where we invest our money / energy matters. Supporting makers with strong ethics that prioritize sustainability makes me feel empowered. Radical statements made subtly through bodily expression.

I definitely go through cycles with the kinds of clothing I wear – sometimes loose and baggy and cozy and all black makes me feel most like myself, sometimes it’s a crazy mix of patterns and colours. I feel like I’m constantly transforming, so what I adorn myself in shifts and adapts to mirror those many selves.

5. When do you feel most confident?

When someone really hears me – deep listening is a gift.

Walking in public, entangled with a lover. Red lips.

After seeing angel numbers (11:11 1:11 3:33 4:44)

Standing alone while being rocked by the waves of the ocean.

After organizing an event + all my favourite peoples from different realms show up and are exchanging vibes. That feels good.

6. What makes a place feel like home?

Plants!!!! Trees! Diversity. Growing up in Toronto / Tkaronto means diversity has become crucial to me. I look for it when I travel. It makes me feel safe. Someone somewhere once said “Home is where your mom is” – when I’m feeling most raw, this aphorism is Truth. I’m a Being of the Earth learning how to be adaptable like water so that anywhere can feel like home. Fluidity and openness is resilience.

7. Are there any self-care rituals that are important to you?

Lemon water, learning how to ask for help from community when / how I need it, monthly New Moon Circles to get in sync with cosmic cycles, learning how to say No, singing, sitting quietly in solitude in nature, writing without judgment, running, deconstructing + rearranging my space. Going to shows, dancing, screaming, crying crying crying.

8. How does wearing Fortnight make you feel?

Putting on Fortnight makes me feel like I’m stepping into the Womxn I’m meant to be!!! Gentle, + a powerhouse. Like a blue flame. I used to be a burn-your-bra-er, but the Vega Flora Demi underwire bra has transformed me. Wearing the full set makes me feel grounded and in control, which is super helpful grounding while I navigate life-path changes. The pieces hold me so that I feel like I’m able to swim through the unknown with more beauty and grace. Donning the bodysuit makes me feel like I’m dripping, like a Knife.