The Artistry of Carla Shaw

At her boutique in Newton Centre’s Piccadilly Square, jewelry designer Carla Wahnon, professionally known as Carla Shaw, has created a space rooted in meaning, heritage, and a deep respect for the natural world. Every piece she designs begins as a real plant, harvested by hand in Brazil and transformed into wearable art through a slow and intentional process.

For Carla, the brand represents a return to purpose. After a career filled with twists and reinvention, she explains, “I finally landed here and I found my soul. This is what I was meant to do.” Choosing her professional name was equally meaningful. “Shaw flows much better, but on a personal level it felt like a second way to say I do to my husband,” she says.

Her artisans in Minas Gerais harvest each leaf and flower with an understanding that nature dictates the pace. “We respect the ecosystem of every plant,” Carla explains. “Some can only be harvested once a year." Each plant is dried, strengthened with copper and silver, and finished in 18-karat gold or rhodium. No two pieces are ever identical, something she celebrates. “A pair of earrings, they will never match 100%, because they're the same plant, but different leaves. It's made with a lot of skill, love, and time. ”

One of the most distinctive parts of her brand is the experience she creates inside the store. Carla likes to say that clients do not buy jewelry. “They adopt pieces of nature,” she explains. Each piece leaves with “adoption papers” that describe the plant, the materials, and the process. Clients even take home a real dried leaf. “I call it the ultrasound,” Carla says. “I am the godmother of every plant that leaves my store.”

Her collection features plants with powerful stories and symbolism. The Cerrado leaf, her signature, pays homage to Brazil’s vast savanna. She often shows customers an uncoated leaf so they can see its delicate skeleton. “People see that underneath each piece of the collection has a real leaf,” she says. The Sempre Viva flower, which symbolizes resilience and everlasting beauty, is harvested in a process so unique that the United Nations has recognized it as a cultural monument. “I watched a documentary about it and I was deeply moved,” Carla says. “Families camp for months to harvest these flowers with such care. It is beautiful.”

One plant holds particularly deep meaning for her. “The Grace Herb is very special to Brazilians,” she explains. “It protects you from bad energy, envy, bad luck. Nowadays in the world, we need more and more Grace Herb in our lives."

Carla’s creativity expands beyond jewelry. Her handwoven corn-husk clutches, a th

ree-way collaboration between her and groups of female artisans, feature detachable botanical brooches. “They are versatile pieces. You can wear the brooch on your sweater or bathing suit and then put it back on the clutch for an event,” she says.

Building a sustainable brand is both rewarding and challenging. “When some people hear sustainability, they don't know what it is,” Carla explains. “It is education, cost, time, and respecting nature. It is slow fashion because every step is done by hand.” Still, she embraces the work. “I feel that I am doing something to save this beautiful planet for the next generations.”

What inspires her most are the people who wear her pieces. “My intent is not to sell a bracelet,” she says. “but make you feel gorgeous and that you got a beautiful piece of jewelry to enhance your outfit and also spread the word and support sustainability. Nothing brings me more joy than a client coming to the store and leaving super happy, looking super beautiful.” Carla says. “That's what I'm here for”

As her brand grows, she remains guided by purpose. “It is not a business based on numbers,” she says. “It is a business based on a mission.”

Explore her work and the stories of each plant at CarlaShaw.com.