Bokja Design is an interior design brand from Lebanon. In addition to interior design, Bokja also produces fabrics, accessories and fashion designs that have special and charming characteristics. The design uses new and recycled materials for creation, but what is more amazing is that they make embroidery, fabrics and traditional techniques for storytelling.
There are many stories told in their designs, travel stories, stories of family traditions, stories of the country, and the story of the city of Beirut where Bokja Berada’s studio is located. The city is a real creative center where it converges from various inspirations, both local and international.
Bokja is proof of how many aspects that sustainable fashion can have, that they are actually a series of aspects of ethical modes ranging from recycling to upcycling, from slow design to handicrafts. Everything is made with the added value of multiculturalism which is expressed in the colors, textures, and shapes of objects created.
Bokja Design and the Story Box
This label was formed in 2000 by Huda Baroudi and Maria Hibri suddenly as a manifestation of their love of furniture and fabrics. The company they founded has now grown with vision and sound while managing to maintain the same spontaneity and passion as when it was first established. They try to create a different aesthetic that can surprise the public but remains loyal to its design philosophy.
For Huda and Maria, Bokja is an exploratory collected through trade and travel. They collected patterns, shapes, and textiles, then integrated them into the Bokja design process. Juxtaposing objects and surfaces that are different from each other is common to the Bokja team. They collect reclaimed materials and new materials as well, depending on the project being done.
Bokja Design products are made by a group of highly talented artisans and village women trained in the manufacture of Bokja goods. Bokja artisans come from various countries, some from Iraq, Syria, Kurdistan, Egypt, and of course Lebanon. Each of them has a unique traditional textile capability that is used to create unique pieces.
All products produced by Bokja are made by hand carefully and in detail. There are at least 14 hands behind each design and sometimes more than a hundred years of tradition in one piece of cloth. They deliberately combine the history of the workers and the material used to make the design has more meaning.
The Meaning of Bokja Design
The word Bokja is taken from the Turkish language which means bundles or pieces of cloth used to wrap one’s belongings. It is a familiar tradition, Bokja’s characteristic is always related to the touch of hand embroidery from different family members.
Bokja Design retains the essence to remain the same as storytelling through textiles. While storytelling, they try to preserve the local cultural tradition of textile identity in a contemporary voice.
This company is always proud of the story of the past. Designs that are made begin with the desire to share the neglected beauty in its simplest form, but still, capture the essence of its original meaning and guidance. In its way, Bokja coats history and memories while inserting deep meaning and dialogue in their work.
Each piece of Bokja has a story that is told and resonates in the contemporary world. With social conscious intuition, they interpret the future as full of possibilities. By leveraging the legacy of past traditions, new legacies can be created to be passed on to future generations.
Thoughts like Bokja are able to evoke the spirit of creating something that is sustainable. In fact, old things can be overhauled into something new and beautiful. Therefore, do not get rid of old things because they might just give birth to new products that are more valuable, as recycled just like Bokja Design.
