What does jewelry look like when it’s more than simply decoration? When it carries stories, captures memories, reconnects materials? At YCCIJ, jewelry is treated as a talisman. An object that stays close to the body, for life. YCCIJ stands for “You Can Call It Jewellery”. Since 2018, Franziska Vogt has been working on her designs, reworking existing pieces, and consistently using recycled materials. The label stands for raw, timeless pieces that don’t just want to be pretty, but become relics of an attitude. Franziska studied jewelry and objects of everyday culture in Pforzheim and has worked for Scott Wilson in London, Tanel Veenre in Tallinn and Maison Margiela in Paris, among others. I got to know Franziska during her residency at the Technikmuseum Berlin, where she started to found YCCIJ. The label emerged from a student project and has now launched its seventh collection. In addition to her collections, Franziska dedicates herself to reworks: heirlooms or unworn jewelry are reframed and elements are added. Individual pieces are created in exchange, through discussions, prototypes and joint decisions.

With her seventh collection “pars pro toto“, Franziska continues this approach. The focus is on the classic jewelry set — necklace, ring, earrings — broken into fragments. Each piece stands on its own and is intended to be deliberately separated, but remains internally connected. Small to medium-sized creoles, a signet bracelet with space for engravings, and a handmade chain. What began as a memory of the cool weight of jewelry, and its play of light, is transferred into a new, timeless form with this collection. It’s a study of fragmentation and connection — it’s all in the details.

Text: Robyn Steffen / Photos: Franziska Vogt, Rachel Israela

YCCIJ, Nogatstr.15, 12051 Berlin–Neukölln; map

@yccij