Jewellery

<em>Jewellery</em>
My first jewellery collection is inspired by traditional baked goods from different regions of Poland. It’s a reinterpretation of my favorite childhood flavors and forms. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been impressed with food that had a surprising shape – as if a beautiful or funny form completely changed the flavor of what I was eating. — Zofia Chylak

“Chałka”
Earrings

USD 535

Collection

“Chałka”
Necklace

USD 945

Collection

“Chałka”
Barrette

USD 320

“Chałka”
Brooch

USD 435

“Chałka”
Bracelet

USD 670

“Chałka”
Barrette

USD 320

Collection

“Sękacz”
Pendant

USD 470

“Kogut”
Brooch

USD 435

“Sękacz”
Earrings

USD 535

“Chałka”
Brooch

USD 435

“Sękacz”
Brooch

USD 435

“Kogut”
Necklace

USD 945

“Chałka”
Bracelet

USD 670

Chałka

The chałka originally comes from Jewish cuisine, where, as “challah,” it serves a key role during Shabbat and major holidays, symbolizing manna from heaven. The Jewish diaspora in Poland was for centuries a numerous one and the two cultures would intersect, placing the chałka also within the Polish culinary tradition. In the latter, it has come to represent hospitality.

Sękacz

The “sękacz” cake (the name means “knotted,” because of its tree-like rings) has a long history in eastern Poland, where it has been prepared for special occasions, holidays, and weddings since at least the end of the 15th century. To make it, layer after layer of batter is poured over a spit rotating on an open fire, creating the signature "tree knots" in the cake's cross-section. Thanks to its unique, ornamental shape, it served as an adornment for the festive table.

“Kogut”
or Rootster

The “kogut,” or rooster from Kazimierz Dolny, a storied town in eastern Poland, is a hand-formed yeast bread with a buttery flavor. It gets its unique shape from a local legend about a rooster that saved Kazimierz from the devil’s designs to settle in town. The treat, baked in Kazimierz for generations, became a symbol of the town. For this collection I took inspiration from one part of the baked rooster: the curved, four-feathered tail.

I’m fascinated with the history of food and customs around eating, whether it’s recipes that are handed down from generation to generation, dishes that are typical to a country or to a region, or flavors that always transport us to our childhoods and to our family homes. Nothing makes me happier than cultivating these traditions, taking care that they endure.

Zofia Chylak

List of Figures

fig. 1 Unidentified bakery, author unknown, between 1947 and 1950, from the collection of the National Digital Archives

fig. 2 Baking sękacz cakes before the Christmas holidays. In the foreground, confectioner Stanisław Bożek, photo by Jan Trembecki, Lublin Gastronomic Establishments, Lublin, 1970, from the collection of the Polish Press Agency

fig. 3 Krystyna Zorena with sękacz cakes she prepared for the upcoming Christmas holidays, photo by Stanisław Moroz, Kalskie Nowiny, 1985, from the collection of the Polish Press Agency

fig. 4 Master Zbigniew Sarzyński making roosters from Kazimierz Dolny, Kazimierz Dolny, 1977, from the Sarzyński family archive

fig. 5 Sarzyński Old Bakery in Kazimierz Dolny, Krysia Sarzyńska, from the Sarzyński family archive

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Pearls

In the Heritage collection inspired by elements of the traditional outfit of the Lemko people, an ethnic minority in southeastern Poland we’re showcasing hand-knotted necklaces. “I’m particularly enamored by the way Lemko women arranged multiple layers of cascading strands on their necks and décolletage. Thus the motif for this collection became natural pearls, which we decided to use to adorn our accessories.”

Lace

Those handmade linen thread brooches are part of our Chylak Heritage project inspired by the rich tradition of bobbin-lacemaking from Bobowa, a small town in southern Poland. Bobowa lace is known for its fine, airy structures, intricate floral and geometric designs, and the use of high-quality linen threads.

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© 2026 Zofia Chylak