The Ruggist: Now in More Places!
Ladies and gentlemen of the world of rugs and other ardent consumers of the esoteric niche of rug industry press I bring you great and …
Ladies and gentlemen of the world of rugs and other ardent consumers of the esoteric niche of rug industry press I bring you great and …
‘Now everything is back to normal.’ are the words that remain vivid in my mind. They had been spoken by a Nepali carpet maker as we discussed the current situation in Nepal. A mere (4) months hence from The Great Quake of Nepal and everything is back to normal. Despite the somber loss of life, the destruction of sites historic and otherwise, and the untold problems currently facing those in Nepal, everything is normal. Normal. He is not entirely wrong. Everyday people get up and go about their lives, perhaps differently than they did prior to 25 April 2015 perhaps not, but living their lives none the less – including of course making carpets. It’s a simple reminder that while the toll – human and otherwise – may have been severe, it could have been far worse. For those now in Nepal, life must move forward, infrastructure must be repaired or rebuilt, work must continue. As we find ourselves at this arbitrarily defined anniversary of sorts we must now wade into a discussion of what role the carpet industry plays in genuinely helping the Nepali people rebuild their country by asking: are we the well intentioned partners we imagine ourselves to be or are we modern day carpetbaggers?
The annual GoodWeave Raffle is now underway! The popular and successful fundraiser – which is a perennial favourite – began on 10 August 2015 and …
It’s a conundrum of sorts. How is it that a rug and carpet news and opinion source that now sells advertising space (For those not …
Recycling, waste diversion, repurposing, upcycling, and the like are all great buzzwords to describe the noble cause long ago embodied in the proverbial phrase ‘waste not, want not.’ While the idea is far from new, the wealth – and occasional excesses of the west – has far removed us from what is an ordinary and necessary way of life for much of the world, including for those in countries that produce the carpets we so love, as well as for those less fortunate closer to home. It’s not even solely a matter of economics, but also one of respect for the resources and materials we as humans choose to consume. If we are to take from the planet, should we not offer it a degree of respect in return? Jürgen Dahlmanns from Rug Star says ‘Yes we should!’ by producing one-of-a-kind versions of his firm’s carpets in their ‘eco’ execution, which utilizes surplus yarns from their ordinary production to create these extraordinarily unique versions. I just could not pass up showing you this amazing one-of-a-kind version of Rug Star by Jürgen Dahlmanns’ ‘Heart’, because love is love whether it is for me, or you, our fellow man, or for mother earth.
Recently, there has been a disproportionate amount of mock outrage cast in the media (social or otherwise) about hunting for sport. We purposely choose the …
The 13th installment of the ICOC will take place 6 August – 9 August 2015 at the new Textile Museum in Washington, DC. Registration is …
For the entirety of my life, including but not necessarily limited to my career in the world of rugs, the position of the United States toward Iran has shifted numerous times. Waffling somewhere between a cozy unorthodox trade arrangement leading to unpunished imperialistic hubris (Iran-Contra) and the ostracization of an all-of-sudden-we-cannot-talk-to-you-because-lame-reason now and then pariah State, the treatment of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the West can best be described as a school yard pissing contest where the later wins because it has managed to curtail the supply of fluids to the former. The Iranian embargo has done far more to foment resentment toward the West than to encourage popular (read: acceptable to the West) change, and overall has been decidedly unkind to the people of Iran and by extension the Iranian carpet weaving industry. With the recent announcement of the deal struck between Western powers and the Government of Iran however, it once again appears as though trade of Iranian made carpets will resume. Rug and Carpet dealers rejoice!
Just one (1) day ago I wrote about the ‘Grand Imperial Style’ of lounging and relaxing with rugs and carpets when I (potentially) introduced you …
Some things are better left unsaid; swept under the rug as it were. Throughout our lives there are many times when we would rather not …
There is a penchant to be had for period films which depict a certain grandeur of dinning alfresco in some Imperial British mode de vie. …
And that ladies and gentlemen is what great (timeless) design is about: self-expression. Three (3) years hence and I am still thinking about the collection and in particular the above design 1608 (I know, I know, it could have a slightly better name) wondering what kind of amazing living room this carpet would complete, when the so-called article Print Play: The History of Madras Plaid scrolls across my Facebook timeline. Aside from chortling at the use of the word history, I also had a hearty laugh at the idea of Madras Plaids being back en vogue or as we have to say these days: ‘On Trend.’ This is not a fabric that is trendy, this is a staple. Sure its popularity waxes and wanes in the common downmarket world of H&M (How else would you sell new clothes each season?), but in the nicer prêt-à-porter boutiques of say the preppy, Brooks Brothers wearing, summering in the Hamptons crowd, Madras Plaid has never gone out of style. It remains a superior example of design that is both aspirational and establishment, timeless and popular, subtle and bold, ‘Go to Hell’ even!
Amongst his various talents as an artist and designer Dan Golden makes Shiddy cartoons. No, seriously he does! Contrary to the expectations (low or otherwise) …
As the son of a successful carpet dealer who was raised traveling to and from the Middle East buying unique pieces for his father’s shop, his knowledge of the industry and rug construction is both time learned and extensive. Accordingly his sense of craftsmanship, refinement, and quality is one of extremes. And with the look, the style, and the je ne sais quoi that for reasons unbeknownst to us gives some carpet makers the success they so rightly deserve, if we were (and I guess we are) nominating an archetypical nouveau carpet maker he would likely be it. So what motivates Mr. Van Renne? The Ruggist reached him via telephone in his Ghent Belgium showroom to find out and we begin somewhere in the middle of our conversation…
Tukenkian Artisan Carpets has announced that their initial matching funds of $15,000 (USD) for Mercy Corps have been exceeded with contributions to date well in …