Mending the Broken

One of the Selvedge World Fair exhibitors, upholsterers Bokja, are from Lebanon, based in Beirut. Following the tragic explosion in the city last month, we wanted to share a message from their team: “We gratefully share with you that all our team members are safe. Thank you for the outpour of support that we received in the wake of the blast. Every call, every email and every message warmed our hearts. In the aftermath, Bokja has assumed the role of preserving memories by helping rebuild homes. As dedicated menders and fixers, we are offering to repair and re-upholster the damaged home goods from the most affected areas; we are receiving them with open arms at our workshop. A signature suture is being used to stitch the pieces back together by our team of specialized artisans. For the time being, our emptied showroom has been transformed into a community center, a space to empower and engage the community. All mending and fixing will occur live from our showroom located in the city’s downtown area.”

“We’d like to thank you for your continued support over the past two decades ago. We are back on track and here to stay.  We owe it to our team of dedicated artisans, our growing legacy and most importantly, the future of our craft. Nothing is lost, everything is transformed.”

Established in 2000 and founded by Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri, Bokja was born from the female duo’s shared passion for furniture, textiles, art and design. While Baroudi has spent her life collecting fabrics from the Silk Road, Hibri is an expert in antique pieces of furniture with a hidden beauty. The two married their expertise and knowledge of traditional craftsmanship and started out Bokja reupholstering vintage furniture found in antique stores and flea markets in Lebanon with precious fabrics from the region. Combining artisans, carpenters and designers, behind every Bokja design is a team of 35 specialised artisans from 10 countries such as Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan, Egypt and Lebanon.

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