02122015 WONZ Debuts Aulana Rug; Obeetee Makes Midas Rug

LONDON - At January's Domotex 2015 and Surfaces shows, Wools of New Zealand debuted rugs featuring Aulana technology, a proprietary process that combines pure wool and genuine gold to create dye-free ultra-luxe carpets. Dubbed the Midas Rug, the first-ever hand-knotted Aulana rug was crafted by high-end weaver Obeetee in India. Also shown were hand-tufted Aulana rugs from International Carpet of Hong Kong.

Designed by Milan-based Italian design house SoFarSoNear in the shape of an earring from the British royal jewels, the Midas Rug was intended to be a show stopper portraying the opulence of Aulana. Obeetee crafted the rug in three pieces, including a large teardrop shape from which two smaller circles "dangle".  In early February, the rug went on permanent display at the luxurious SoFarSoNear Grosvenor Place interiors showroom in London.

"It's a cliché but if you have to ask the price, you can't afford Aulana," says UK-based Steven Parsons, head of market development and innovation at Wools of New Zealand, which has spent years developing textiles that use gold, not dyes, to impart color to wool. "We are talking about real gold, so yarns will be hundreds of dollars per kilo to color, and rugs will be many hundreds of dollars per square meter."

"Obeetee is proud to be working with Wools of New Zealand to commercialize the Aulana technology and we are excited to be included in such ground-breaking innovation," says Vimal Kumar, New York-based vice president of sales and marketing for Obeetee. "We were chosen to be a part of the Aulana project for hand-woven rugs in recognition of our expertise, reputation for quality, our commitment to social and environmental responsibilities, and our long standing partnership with Wools of New Zealand," he continues.

Indeed, all Aulana branded products for home furnishings and apparel will be crafted exclusively from top of the line Laneve-labeled wool from Wools of New Zealand, which provides the purest color and can be traced back to the farmers who grew it, all of whom have signed on to an integrity program. 

"Obeetee have displayed excellence in corporate social responsibility, and like Wools of New Zealand, shows the provenance of their products," says Parsons. "They are a very good fit with the brand values we are building into Aulana.  Every Aulana piece will be fully transparent and show the weaver and the farmers of the wool. There will be a label for rugs and garments, which will carry the Aulana brand, as well as unique serial number, which can be tracked online to show the provenance. The label will also carry a unique DNA marker as an anti-counterfeit measure and to give the owners of Aulana pieces absolute assurance that theirs in an authentic Aulana heirloom piece," Parsons says.

Not only does Aulana cater to the bespoke trend playing out throughout the home design segment, it also addresses the desire by consumers to be surrounded by natural products crafted in an eco-friendly, socially responsible manner.  The process uses colloidal dispersions of gold within the pores of the wool fibers, in a manner similar to the early alchemical process used to create the color in stained glass windows of gothic cathedrals. The technology, created by Nobel Bond Ltd., provides yarns in a range of colors in shades of pink, mauve, grey and blue.

"Some people wonder where the gold is, as its shows as purple not yellow, and it can take some explaining.  But the people who get this really love the story, the uniqueness and the romance.  The Midas Rug was designed to tell the story of a precious item, we could have made a pink rectangular rug but we needed something that is more eye catching and dramatic," Parsons says.  

"The shows (Surfaces and Domotex) were used to gauge the market's response, which was very positive, so now we are developing the sales merchandise.  We have had requests to show Aulana at luxury yacht and private jet shows and are following through to make this happen. We are keen to work with distributors and showrooms to the luxury interiors market," Parsons explains.   

02.12.15