weekly Objet library

some backstory about the 3 of us [Objet’s founders]. or how 18 moves across 4 continents in the past 15 years made us more intentional with the objects we carry in our lives.

I am seeing a similar thing with ESPRIT—GenX comes to our stores and shares their stories of growing up with ESPRIT, and GenZ does the same from a nostalgia perspective. I want to connect with our fans through both of these sentiments.

Rolf Haubl, sociologist and psychoanalyst, insists that the role of objects is to carry memories. The real meaning of the thing then is within its mnemonic value. In a way, the chair becomes a sort of transformational object, gaining more significance after the passing of its owner. Granny Puckett’s essence and memory have been absorbed into it, especially for those left in her wake, who recognize the chair as an experience of remembrance.

We depend on the chair to bring back memories of Granny Puckett. Those who knew or heard stories of her experience the chair in different ways that deepen our connection to her. These stories create a history around the object, signifying the biography of the object itself, which “is no longer simply a dead or inanimate thing,” as Clive Dilnot proposes. “It possesses—or we attribute to it in our imaginations—sentience and power.”

By their nature, heirlooms tend to carry extra significance. The chair as a family heirloom is now a device that conjures memory and connection across time.

The biography of an object should not be restricted to an historical reconstruction of its birth, life and death. Biography is relational and an object biography is comprised of the sum of the relationships that constitute it.

First of all, there’s something to be said for the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi—embracing authenticity and appreciating things for being unique and imperfect. A rare, well-worn leather jacket from the 1970s is a hell of a lot cooler than a brand new one from a standard label bought at a department store, right?

The Japanese approach to cherishing and maintaining one’s possessions—a concept known as mono wo taisetsu ni (cherish your things)—ensures that vintage luxury pieces are often in excellent condition. This cultural respect for belongings translates into a robust market for vintage luxury, where the condition of items remains paramount.