From the Series
Kamila Iżykowicz is a Polish designer who graduated cum laude from the School of Form at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Poznań, Poland. Heavily inspired by the sense of smell and its various facets, as well as what she considers to be jewellery’s intimate connection with the body, Iżykowicz created a range of jewellery pieces called RITU that emits scents matched to individual phases of a woman’s cycle.
Considering herself a poetic designer with multidisciplinary interests, Iżykowicz draws upon personal experiences to create working processes that are a balance between skill, knowledge and intuition. Driven by questions of function, Iżykowicz bases her work on the effect of the senses and an individual understanding of time. The unique nature of RITU expertly blends aspects of sensory perception with qualities of performance.
Iżykowicz’s range features three different pieces that range from small, medium and large in size. Each is filled with one of three aromatic substances chosen for specific reasons: garden sage to denote the cleansing nature of menstruation, musk to signify the sexual nature of ovulation, and clary sage to alleviate some of the symptoms of pre-menstrual syndrome.
The scents emerge when the wearer engages the piece in specific ways including rubbing the pieces into the skin or via an internal string. The smells are directed at the user, reminding them to pay attention to their body and shifting temperament.
RITU – which means ‘monthly’ in Sanskrit – was ultimately nominated in the international contest for young designers Make me! at the Lodz Design Festival. It was also exhibited at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven.
