When a shopping trip to High Country Western Wear in Arvada unexpectedly sparked a new idea, Cristine Magerowski had no idea she was about to discover the next chapter of her creative journey.
Shopping with a friend in 2022, Cristine tried on a Western hat for the first time and instantly loved it. As she admired the traditional horsehair hatbands on display, her friend turned to her and said, “You should…” At the same exact moment, they both finished the sentence, “Make hat bands.” Cristine went home that day and made her first one. That first hat band was the beginning of Rose Rust, a handcrafted luxury brand known for jewelry, hat accessories, and now fragrance.
Growing up on the East Coast with a roll-top desk overflowing with craft supplies, glitter, and beads, Cristine was always creating something with her hands and that creative side of her never left. After moving to Colorado in the late 1990s, Cristine began making handcrafted jewelry, including hand-hammered brass cuffs that remain a part of her collection today.
Every piece from Rose Rust is built with a focus on quality and is handcrafted in Arvada by Cristine using carefully selected natural stones, metals, and premium materials. She oversees every aspect of the business, from design to customer service, ensuring her commitment to quality never wavers.
“Rose Rust is rustic luxury,” she says.
Cristine finds inspiration all over. Sometimes from Colorado’s landscapes and textures, other times, it’s while she’s fulfilling orders with a Hallmark movie playing in the background. One afternoon, a movie about a woman traveling to Europe to recreate her grandfather’s signature perfume caught her attention. “I thought to myself, Rose Rust needs a perfume,” and so she created that as well. Partnering with a fragrance expert on the East Coast, Cristine brought Western Velvet to life, an all-natural fragrance made with high-quality ingredients. "It is a beautiful bright, yet woodsy scent".
Today, Rose Rust can be found in 27 boutiques across the country, including Yellowstone Club Outfitters in Montana. Seeing photos from wholesale partners of happy customers wearing her creations never gets old.
“For people to wear my pieces as a part of their aesthetic and their expression of their style is just so amazing to me,” she says.
To Cristine, success isn’t measured by how big the business becomes. “It’s feeling good about the product I’m putting out into the world while making sure I still have time for the people I love.” For her, protecting time with her husband, three children, and church community will always remain her priority.
Above all, she hopes her children learn that it’s possible to build a life around doing what you love. “There is always an opportunity to find your own niche,” she says. “Be open to trying new things, even if you fail. This whole journey has been a God thing, and I’m so grateful for it.”
What started with trying on one Western Hat has grown into a business that reflects Cristine’s creativity, craftsmanship, and willingness to try something new. Follow Cristine's journey on Instagram, @rose.rust.jewelry.
“I still can’t believe people love my stuff,” she says. “It’s just so cool.”
“It’s feeling good about the product I’m putting out into the world while making sure I still have time for the people I love.”