Minimal Magic from Jewelry Brand Yū Mono

It’s a classic story of girly meets boyish.

April 5, 2017

Natalie Schack,

You’d rather go to kickball than to winter ball.

Your idea of makeup is war paint on your cheeks, during soccer season.

Dresses? Does an extra-long jersey count?

So you’re not the typical thrills-from-frills female, but we can tell that the girl power is still strong with this one. And you deserve a stylish way to layer your look that fits the unique lady that you are. Enter Yū Mono, our favorite new minimal jewelry brand designed by local self-proclaimed tomboy Keiko Akamine.

photos: courtesy of Yū Mono

Akamine’s first love is sports, with 25 years of training and competing nationally and internationally in jiu-jitsu, wrestling and judo under her belt. A current graduate student in sports psychology, Akamine found herself at a creative crossroads last year when injuries kept her out of both the classroom and the dojo. What’s a career athlete to do?

She turned to her second, less-nurtured passion—art—and was quickly hooked. First beading and wire-wrapping, then soldering and, now, Akamine’s crafting sleek, industrial-chic rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets that reflect her own uncompromised, unconventional sense of style. With the dawn of 2017, she decided to go full-steam-ahead with this heretofore-side-passion.

What’s got us hooked on Yū Mono? Not only are the pared-down pieces totally versatile, they exude an architectural fortitude that makes the she-wolf in us howl. Think a sterling-silver ring with a single floating bar atop, spanning your fingers like some womanworthy version of brass knuckles. Geometric threader earrings in staple, horseshoe and open hexagon shapes come in silver, gold and rose gold, and would add some seriously effortless edge to any ensemble. And, Akamine’s got a delicate-meets-tenacious side, too: Take her choker design, featuring a small, simple and unassumingly elegant chevron charm in understated silver.

Oh, and the big news? She’s having a 30-percent-off spring sale.

Yeah. Maybe it’s time to stop reading now.

$27–$180, the Yū Mono Etsy Shop.