Down the Track – Eugen & Cristina

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

Wild Wagon Co is a stationery design studio in Auckland, founded by Cristina Viscu and specializing in hand-painted cards, prints, journals and stationery with a well-traveled aesthetic that takes design inspiration from the places Cristina has lived, which include Moldova, Nashville, New York and Auckland.

CRISTINA — I got a BFA in Fine Arts from Nashville and then moved to New York to pursue fashion photography, something I have always done as a hobby, throughout my studies. It wasn’t until I left New York and moved back to my hometown in Moldova that I met Eugen, on my first day at a new job. We had a quirky chat, and I remember thinking he was really funny and we had similar interests. Eugen proposed at the airport a year and a half later, and we were married in Auckland shortly after that.

I have always been drawn towards creating things but knew I wanted creative freedom away from any hierarchy. Fate stepped in to help out with that when my computer crashed, just as I had begun sending out job applications. This gave me the chance to get back into drawing. I’ve always had this idea of illustrating things I love and then creating products based on those designs, and I finally found the courage to start my own company and develop a line of stationery products, something I had always dreamed of doing. Eugen played a big part in that decision because he is such an encouraging and supportive partner.

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

With a background in photography, I knew I could easily style and shoot whatever I designed, so I began illustrating and drawing products, working from a camping chair in our home studio for the first few months, because we couldn’t afford any furniture. I had very little understanding of the New Zealand market and no industry contacts, so there was a lot of reaching in the dark, but it never discouraged me from doing what I love.

Eugen truly loves learning. He is constantly discovering new ideas and information, which means we have the most engaging and challenging conversations. The hardest part of living and working together is moving the conversation away from work at the end of the day, because we love to bounce ideas off each other.

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

EUGEN — Our relationship progressed quickly. We got engaged in September and were married two months later, a few days after moving to New Zealand, so in some ways, it has felt like a never-ending honeymoon. I didn’t know we would end up working together but I have never regretted our decision. In fact, it has been invaluable to have such different backgrounds, because we complement each other and can look at the same challenge from a new perspective. Since Cristina founded Wild Wagon Co, I have taken responsibility for creating and maintaining the e-store and online presence of the brand using my background as a web developer and IT consultant. When you run a small business, it is inevitable that you will play many roles, and in our business, that means both of us working on the marketing and overall direction of the Wild Wagon Co brand. There are so many things I love about Cristina. In our work life, I love that she can find inspiration in almost anything, including everyday objects — that is something I am still working on.

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & CristinaCategories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & CristinaBecause we spend a lot of time together, we make a conscious effort to manage our time and plan things depending on our needs. Being self- employed gives us the freedom to work on the days we feel inspired and take time off when we need it, whether that means taking a Wednesday off or working on the weekends. It also brings with it the challenge of finding a balance between our work and our personal lives. We often find ourselves behind our desks until midnight. I don’t think there are any real secrets to having a good partnership.

There isn’t some special club with a secret that only the members know. Every couple is different, but for us it has been about maintaining spontaneity within our relationship and surprising each other — staying creative. I love Cristina’s sense of humour and that is something both of us value in each other. I don’t believe you can have a successful partnership without being able to put a smile on the other person’s face. We also both value our personal space, and since we work from home and spend a lot of time together, we have decided to make a conscious effort to have interests outside of each other. Playing our individual sports at the end of each day is one way for us to recharge ourselves and have time away from each other and our work.

Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & CristinaCategories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina Categories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & CristinaCategories: Inspiration-Down the Track - Eugen & Cristina

Wild Wagon | Interview, Madeleine Walker | Photography, Delena Nathuran