05202013 Rug Vendors Bring Their A-Games to International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF)

By Lissa Wyman

NEW YORK -- Rug vendors brought their A-games to this Spring's International Contemporary Furnituire Fair May 18 to 20 at New York's Jacob Javits Center. While the rest of the show fell fairly flat, the rugs on display were innovative, colorful and in some cases, downright revolutionary.

There is no doubt that the Jan Kath Erased collection represented a radical departure from the world of traditional rugs by using classical designs in a post-modern way. A hand knotted base of  an archetypal rug pattern is then over-woven in a seemingly random pattern. The result has the disturbing effect of an antique rug that has been viciously defaced in an acid attack. It's the rug industry's expression of the current punk revival.

Design from the Jan Kath Erased/Heritage collection

The Erased collections are hand knotted in Turkey of silk and wool in a multi-level texture. Price is approximately $225 per sq. sq. ft.

Kyle Clarkson, who represents the designs Jan Kath through the U.S. firm of Kyle & Kath, said Jan Kath has been operating in Europe for 15 years, but has been in the US for only a year and a half.The company is based in Germany.

The Jan Kath Erased/Heritage and Erased/Classic collections were introduced in January 2013 at Domotex-Hannover.

Even when rug companies are not so aggressively radical, it's obvious that change is on its way in the world of cutting edge contemporary rugs.

Malene Barnett's  Brooklyn-based Malene B Carpets is bringing a couture aesthetic to several different audiences. Barnett began primarily as a designer of luxury rugs for both the consumer and hospitality markets.

In the past year she has become a licensing partner of Surya's. She has produced a hand tufted wool collection called Destinations and a flatweave group called Voyages. Those rugs retail at approximately $599 in 5x8. and wee prominently featured at the ICFF. Coming up next is a Malene B hand knotted collection for Surya, she told Rugnews.com.

Many of the rug collections displayed at this season's ICFF presented refined painterly effects, demonstrating the  rug weavers skills in seeming to blend and merge colors. Depending on the designer, the rug ranged from deamlike blends of subdued hues to bold swirls of bright colors.

French Accents was showing at the ICFF for the first time and exemplified how the growth of the contemporary mood has penetrated all levels of the rug business.

"This is our first time at the ICFF," said Danny Shafiian, a French Accents principal. "We're trying to do more in contemporary looks and in unique textures that the luxury market has not seen before."

Nepalese textures have long dominated the contemporary luxury market, but Shafiian said that is due for a change. "Our main draw is the unique textures we bring to the market. They are fresh and give the designer and architect something new to offer clients."

"People's tastes are changing. We are still commited to traditional looks, but in many cases, we are also  interpreting them in unique ways. For example, we have a collection called Retro Serapi designs with shadowed effects."

Classic Rug Collection is a long-time participant in the ICFF show, and Barbara Barran, founder and president of Classic, noted that her business has been growing and changing.

"I see a real need for fast delivery, even in the world of high end custom furnishings," she remarked. "People in the luxury market are no different than anyone else, they want it right away."

Barran said Classic Rug is now offering six-week delivery on a broad variety of customized rugs.

Classic Rug is still committed to hand knot Nepalese sources, but Barran said the company is now offering a line of dense hand tufted rugs made in China.

"We're bringing the design ideas of the world outside of rugs into the rug industry," said Mark Karimzadeh, a principal of M&M Design International. That's nothing new for M&M, which also introduced such fashion designers as Missoni and Gianni Versace to the rug business.

But brothers Joel and Mark now have a totally different modernist approach, inspired by the playful and colorful art of Rai Alexandra.  The hand knotted wool and wool-and-silk rugs  are made in Nepal and transform the bright streaks and splashes of colors of Alexandra's canvases into art for the floor.

Michael Mandapati, principal of  of Warp & Weft, has brought his serene sensibility to the ICFF show for several years. He noted that business in 2012 and 2013 reflects the recovery pattern in the general economy.

"We opened a new 3,000 sq. ft. showroom in the New York D&D building and that has already proven to be a good move," he said. The company also maintains its 5,000  showroom on Madison Ave. in the 30's. "We need the space," said Mandapati.

Warp & Weft has had several events for designers and architects at the D&D location since opening its doors four months ago. "We had our third event last week and it was totally jam-packed," said Mandipati.

Also on the move is Apadana, which has opened a 9,800 sq. ft. packaging and shipping operation in Norwalk, CT, in addition to a 6,000 sq. ft. retail store in Greenwich.

"The New York showroom on 31st Street was much too small. The new facility allows us to ship and process rugs using the most modern distribution techniques," said Mike Alidadi, a company principal.

Apadana is known for its fine antique rugs, but even that is changing. "My first love will always be antique rugs, but we also have an important commitment to the contemporary market," he said.

Kyle Clarkson of Kyle & Kath with a Jan Kath design from the company's radical Erased Heritage collection, representing a deconstructed approach to traditional styling.

Mike Alidadi and Rachel Sinay Alidadi from Apadana. The company recently moved its headquarters to Norwalk, but still retains a presence in New York City's rug district. Mike and Rachel are expecting their second child. A-w-w-w-w.

Warp &Weft"s founder Michael Mandapati, center, with colleagues J. Semikina (left) and Richard Kalley.

Brothers M. Joel Karimzadeh, left, and Mark Karimzadeh from
M & M Design International.


Danny Shafiian of French Accents

 Barbara Barran of Classic Rug Collection.

Shahram Nazar and William Sefchick of Tibetano

Malene Barnett, design director of Malene B designs contemporary rugs for a broad audience from luxury residential and commercial interiors to mid-market consumers. She's shown with a style inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge from her Destinations collection for Surya.

Malene B design from the Voyages flatweave collection
 for Surya.

Tibetano Storm design is hand knotted in Nepal using Tibetan weave construction.

French Accents Retro Serapi

Classic Rug is expanding into finely woven hand-tufted collections from China, such as this design.

Apadana Modern Kilim is hand knotted in Turkey of wool

Warp & Weft Drift is made in Nepal reflects the trend in the luxury market for dreamlike blends of color.

 
Design from the Rai Alexandra collection for M&M

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