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The Story of a Chair

The Story of a Chair

During a recent photoshoot, we were graced with the company of an extraordinary piece of furniture—a beautiful grandfather chair.

This colorful chair is truly original, and that’s exactly what drew Blue Fish founder and owner Jennifer Barclay to it in the first place.

A one-of-a-kind piece

Jennifer came across this horseshoe-back chair many years ago at a world furniture importer in Philadelphia, where she was hosting a Blue Fish fashion show.

The chair was part of a set, with each handmade piece being similar in ways yet completely unique, each with its own feeling and flavor. She was drawn to this eclectic quality and knew she had to have them right away.

“They are beautiful, and each is unique as it is handmade and quite old,” Jennifer said. Upon seeing the chair ourselves, we all had to agree with her.

Imbued with spirit

Perhaps the most charming thing about furniture like this is how its unique appearance is a reflection of person once owned it.

“I love the grandpa chairs because they are made for one specific person who would use this particular chair for years and years.” said Jen. “It would become almost a part of them and capture their essence, conform to them in some way.”

Rather than wearing out, this chair only became more of a treasure as time progressed, as it became soaked in the spirit of its "grandfather" and the souls of the other people who have sat in it over the years. Its well-worn spots suggest a storied past and make us wish that it could talk.

At our photoshoot, this chair got to be part of the Blue Fish story, serving as a place for our models and photographer to rest and becoming the star of some of its own pictures... Just another story added on to its surely iimpressive history.

Made to last

One striking aspect of the chair is its durability. It was made with love and attention, as you can see it every beautiful detail. It has aged exceptionally well—the mark of something that’s well made—and has a timeless beauty that's hard to replicate.

We like to think that our clothing is just like this chair, getting only better and better as time goes on and picking up the wearer’s spirit in just the same way that the chair did.

“Even though this chair was made for a specific person, the clothes become that,” said Jen. “They are not specifically tailored for each person, but they work differently on each person and become entirely yours over time. And that’s why the clothing feels so good!”


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