|
EMMA GARDNER LAUNCHES RUGS PRODUCED BY TAMARIAN AT THE RUG SHOW NY, DETAILS MULTI-TIER STRATEGY
Paige Sowden of Interior Resources in Dallas and Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design, pose on the Shade rug in the Blue Dusk colorway at the Tamarian stand during The Rug Show NY.
|
NEW YORK -- Reminiscent of a step-and-repeat photo booth at a celebrity gala, must-see new rugs by Emma Gardner became a popular backdrop for photos of the designer alongside retailers and interior designers attending the September 2017 Rug Show New York.
With just three full-size rugs and a rack of corner samples on show at the Tamarian booth, attendees curious about the new partnership between Emma Gardner Design of Petaluma, CA in Sonoma County, and Tamarian Carpets of Baltimore, MD, stopped by -- and actually wrote orders.
In this exclusive interview, RugNews.com gets the scoop from Gardner, creative force behind the eponymous Emma Gardner Design LLC, and Patrick McDarrah, company president. "Although at this point it's just a sneak peek introduction, we'll have a lot more coming over the next months into January," explained McDarrah, noting that the rugs will be shown at Tamarian's showroom at the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, Jan. 10 - 15, 2018.
Ned Baker of Tamarian and Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design review a sample of the new Shade rug, fresh from Nepal.
"Working with Tamarian is a great opportunity for Emma to design and for us to get into programmed rugs. As a designer-driven, made-to-order brand that has always been something we have had to wrestle with. From a business standpoint, the real growth potential is stocked goods," McDarrah continued. Initially, the line includes four new designs and six existing designs in new colorways, all handmade by Tamarian's weavers in Nepal.
Gardner further explains, "Programmed hand-knotteds have never been part of our model, and we've always lost a lot of business to that. What's great about the Tamarian relationship is we share a lot of dealers already, so it is an easy transition. Now we'll each have access to more dealers and designers."
Shade, the first design by Emma Gardner in Tamarian's proprietary Phoenix Weave of pure wool, shown here in the Honey colorway.
Customers stopping by the Tamarian space at The Rug Show received the news of the new partnership positively, Gardner said. They're saying, 'I've always loved your work, and now you will now be able to have rugs in stock'".Previously, 90 percent of Emma Gardner Design sales have involved customization with designers. "As we work with them going forward, we can mention that we have in-stock rugs and we have this relationship with Tamarian to give them more options when they need something quickly or at a lower price point," she explained.
McDarrah adds, "What Emma is able to do now that we haven't been able to do before in terms of price points and manufacturing opens new doors -- it's great for hospitality and a wider dealer network that we will have access to. What we bring to Tamarian is a unique designer point of view -- they bring to us a large weaving and distribution network.
Emma Gardner Design will continue to grow its own to the trade line with its current mills with top of the market luxury looks and materials made in Nepal. And it will continue its licensing partnership with Surya, reaching an even wider audience with tufted rugs and more affordable handmade offerings.
Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design, and Michael Pourvakil of Weavers Art in Toronto at The Rug Show NY.
As a designer, Gardner says she's intrigued with Tamarian's techniques. "This isn't a whole new manufacturing process, but what I love about design is learning new techniques. Tamarian has patented its Twisted Knot and Phoenix Weave qualities -- their proprietary qualities are so much more varied than our weavers can offer.When our designers want that variegated look, we usually do abrash because our arsenal is more limited.We have developed things with our mills, but Tamarian has really done deep research and development, and now we have access to that."
Ned Baker of Tamarian and rug guru Michael Pourvakil of Weavers Art in Toronto walk over to the Emma Gardner rug samples, where Pourvakil gravitates to the Asian floral rug called Spray. "That is beautiful," he declares. "That's a gorgeous rug, too," he says pointing to the Shade rug in Blue Dusk. He offers advice on the pile heights of some of the designs. "We'll make it however you want, Michael," Gardner replies.
Spray by Emma Gardner design was presented in Tamarian's proprietary Twisted Knot weave of wool and silk in a new Lead colorway at The Rug Show,
On Designing for Three Market Tiers
Price points on Gardner's Tamarian-produced rugs will be approximately 25 percent lower than those for Emma Gardner Design's own production in Nepal, McDarrah said.
Asked how she designs for three distinct groups of customers, Gardner says she's been giving that a lot of thought. "The lower you go in price point, the more you focus on trends.I think that the higher you are in price, the more long-lasting the rugs have to be. And people at the higher end work with designers nearly all the time.
"I have always tried not to give so much weight to trends, especially at the high end. These rugs last forever, so I want to make designs that are enduring and timeless. The same goes for colorways:I try to find colors that are gorgeous - and I trust that other people will find them beautiful. too.
But with our designs for Surya, and even with Tamarian, you have to be aware of what everyone else is seeing and buying and gravitating toward. Of course, you have to stay true to your own vision and inspirations -- otherwise there is nothing. That said, you have to know what trends clients are asking their designers for.
"If I am going to incorporate a trend like emerald green -- which I happen to love anyway -- I'll take a bit of that color and I'll make a palette that is unique to me and build around it. I won't use too much of it so that it will be more long-lasting. If you build around a trending color it will last, rather than using a solid emerald that that will look like yesterday's news next year."
Husband and wife duo Patrick McDarrah and Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design are ready to move the brand to the next level.