Rug Rendezvous: Maison & Objet Miami 2016

 

MIAMI -- The second annual Maison & Objet Americas counted more exhibitors -- 300 from around the world, including more showing rugs -- than in the inaugural event last year. Held back-to-back with competing ICFF in Manhattan, and squarely in the middle of NYCxDesign (a two-week umbrella event that encompasses smaller curated exhibitions, visits to designer showrooms, retailers and artisan studios throughout every borough of New York City).

Such stiff competition affected traffic at the Miami event, which appeared significantly down from 2015, according to show exhibitors (final stats were not released by press time). Still, rug vendors made lots of news at the fledgling event and many remain optimistic about its potential despite some obvious growing pains.

Unlike New York, where several high-end name brands with vanity stores in chic areas of the city no longer participate at ICFF, many of the exhibitors at M&O (L'Appartement, The Rug Company, Roberto Cavalli, to name a few) took booths to promote their local showrooms in the Miami Design District and in Wynwood.

Following is an exclusiveRugNews.com photo essay featuring the must-see rugs at Miami's Maison & Objet.

ZOLLANVARI REWORKS MADE IN IRAN

Reza Zollanvari, group managing director of Zollanvari Intl., stands in front of a new Iranian-made Gabbeh at the company's debut exhibit at Maison in Miami. A regular exhibitor at the M&O Paris shows, Zollanvari says he and his global team are happy to be selling Iranian carpets in the U.S. now that the embargo has been lifted. "I have been happy with the Indian line we sold here during the embargo. But now we again have two legs to our program: the Indian line and the Iranian rugs.  It's not only one leg and that is nice." (Below is a rug from the Designer Isfahan collection).

WARP & WEFT'S CONTEMPORARY ART

Michael Mandapati, founder of New York based Warp & Weft, makes a mesmerizing minimalist statement with Twilight, a new collection conjuring images of works by the late conceptual artist Michael Asher. Behind Mandapati is Twilight Circle. Displayed left to right below are Kia Sar, Twilight Circle, Twilight Square and Lori Twilight.

THE RUG COMPANY'S WHO'S WHO

For its first-ever U.S. trade fair, The Rug Company created a jewel-box setting for a who's who of designer rugs at Maison & Objet. James Seuss, the company's new CEO, takes time out to review the line with RugNews.com, pointing out the Calypso design behind him by company co-founder Suzanne Sharp. Arriving directly from Nepal, rugs from a new collection by Vivienne Westwood debuted in Miami, featuring designs like the show-stopping Thistle Gold, shown below.

 

L'AMOUR AT FRENCH ACCENTS 

Though Danny Shafiian and his new bride, Irina were married in April, that didn't slow down a whirlwind spring tradeshow tour that included High Point, M&O and ICFF. The pair is standing on a graphic flatweave in Miami colors, with a Highland Plaid hand-knotted wool rug in a new blue-brown colorway in the background.

ARIANA PROVES LESS IS MORE

Alex and Ahmad Ahmadi of Ariana Rugs in California pose in front of its market piece de resistance, a subtle yet dramatic geometric kilim. "The Barchi collection, made from tightly spun wool is doing very well and our sheared Polonaise (lower left) is once again expected to be a best-seller," Ahmad Ahmadi said.

  

GAN PLAYS THE COORDINATION CARD

Mapi Millet, creative director for Valencia, Spain-based GAN, the rug division of outdoor furniture maker Gandia Blasco, gives RugNews.com the scoop that outdoor rugs are on the horizon. In a display featuring coordinating rugs and accents by design superstar Patricia Urquiola, Millet is sitting on a pouf ottoman with interchangeable envelope covers.

VAN RENNE BRANCHES INTO ACOUSTIC PANELS

Belgian Thibault Van Renne introduced his first acoustic fabric panels at Maison & Objet Americas, in plain textures as well as patterns adapted from his award-winning rugs. I created a textile with a thread that retracts when it comes in contact with steam. The weave is much bigger before we steam it. Then it retracts and becomes a 3-D fabric for acoustic panels. We treat it for hospitality, and we give it a five year non-flammable guarantee. At left and below are wool and silk Star Border rugs.

PEOPLE'S 'SEXIEST ARTIST ALIVE' DEBUTS RUGS

Designing women at M&O were abuzz over Javier Gomez,  not just as one of the show's 2016 Rising Talents but for his status asPeople Magazine's Sexiest Artist Alive. The Panama native tells RugNews.com his debut rug line has already been ordered by Roche Bobois. His color-centric abstract works also appear in wall art, and a new bed linen collection, JG home, launched in 2015. 

ILLULIAN'S RISKY BUSINESS

Bothers Davis and Bendis Ronchetti of Illulian Milano show off the company's rug weaving talents at Maison Americas. Designs ranged from a tightly knotted all-silk butterfly design to intricate textures and a provocative rug with a four-letter word in its message.  The design (below, right) says Davis, has been a hit with U.S. designers since its release.

LOLOEY SETS SIGHTS ON U.S.

Tony Loloey, of the eponymous Milan-based family carpet and rug company, introduced U.S. designers to a vast range of custom capabilities for high end residential and hospitality projects at the Miami show. "We are targeting high end designer shows in the U.S.," said Loloey, who also exhibited at the recent HD Expo hospitality show in Vegas. The carpet maker also has the license for rugs designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind (shown below).

L'APPARTEMENT'S FRENCH CONNECTION

Emmanuelle Bernard (aka Manue M) opened the chi-chi L'Appartement Concept Store in Miami's Wynwood district in February 2016, and tells RugNews.com she handpicks every item to recreate the elan of an authentic Parisian apartment. Her rug selection, from hand tufted geos to hip Tibetan tigers, is growing.

 

ATELIERS PINTON'S SAVOIR-FAIRE

Based in France near Aubusson, Ateliers Panton is a fifth generation family business known for classic and contemporary art tapestries woven on low warp looms reminiscent of those used by Aubusson artisans since the reign of Louis XVII. Lenoir-Grieser, international sales director (right) and his colleague say the company also produces hand-tufted rugs in wool, bamboo, leather and rubber, some with silver studs.

 

TUI PRANICH ADDS STAR POWER TO RUGS

Thai-born Tui Pranich, an interior designer and architect who has designed top hotels worldwide and homes for the likes of J-Lo, Shakira and Francis Ford Coppola, is now on a mission to bring the best craftsmanship and quality of Thailand's artisans to the U.S. The Miami-based Pranich has created a line of 20 rugs for Carpet Maker Thailand, which he will also market to trade showrooms and designers. Shown is the Stone collection translated from his photos of marbles, each with unique textures.