Boutique rug trade event COVER Connect grows to 37 high-end rug brands, with an expanded design offering.
NEW YORK -- The upcoming third edition of boutique area rug trade event COVER Connect New York, running Sept. 9-11, will showcase an expanded roster of top-tier international area rug exhibitors featuring their latest designs. A total of 37 luxury rug labels are participating in the event, with all of the more than two dozen brands involved in the 2022 edition returning and being joined by approximately 12 area rug newcomers.
Organized by COVER and open strictly to trade visitors only, all twenty-two returning brands will be back in the same positions they occupied in the Metropolitan Pavilion last year. With demand for space high, and in order to offer buyers a greater choice of outstanding rugs from a more varied group of brands, show organizers expanded into the neighboring venue, The Altman Building, where the 2021 edition took place. With one entrance and connecting internal doors, visitors can enjoy a seamless visit to conduct business in the collaborative and celebratory atmosphere that has come to define the show.
Says Erica Gregorio, with Boston's Steven King Decorative Carpets, "We look forward to the show every year. We are always on the hunt for new and interesting products to show our clients. This year's exhibitor list has all of our top vendors. Having them all under one roof is an efficient way to shop."
HRI participates in COVER Connect for the first time, bringing its brand-new Milo collection to the event. Shown, DD-282
The third edition of the boutique trade show adds 12 first-time rug exhibitors, including several well-known and highly respected companies, among them Jan Kath Design, a designer who purposely breaks with conventional styles. Bringing technical textural interest are Paulig and Rebel Carpets; from the US West Coast, Sahar and Rug Icon; also New York-based Harounian Rugs International (HRI) and Eliko Rug Gallery, well-established sources for the city’s interior designers. Rhyme Studio also participates in its first COVER Connect, showcasing its contemporary hand-tufted rugs crafted of Irish wool. Pacific Collection will offer excellent Afghan production while Asia Minor Carpets has a Turkish selection with a different look from that of show regular, Oushak specialist Anadol. Bokara Rug Company will showcase a selection of its massive inventory, and longstanding Nepalese producer Tibet Rug Company (which participated in the inaugural COVER Connect Las Vegas in January) heads to the Manhattan show too.
The German rug studio Paulig debuts at COVER and will showcase its latest pieces, including additions to its felted wool Star series.
"After visiting in 2022, we realized that COVER Connect New York has become one of the leading rug showcases in the US for high-end handmade modern design rugs. We believe that Paulig’s style of handwoven carpets fills a key gap, and that our carpets complement the offerings from the other exhibitors. We hope that both existing and new customers will appreciate the diversity and selection that Cover Connect New York has to offer." said Theresa Paulig, CEO.
Exhibitors are currently preparing their new lines and samples for the show: for example, Pampas Leather’s new collections feature light earth and champagne tones and organically shaped rugs. Knots Rugs will launch fresh non-linear rugs too, while French Accents will add a new line to its popular and growing Deconstruction collection. Among the other returning exhibitors are Harcourt Collection, Lapchi, Battilossi, Wool & Silk, Creative Matters, Samad, Tamarian, Kirkit Rugs, New Moon, Stark Studio Rugs, Sumaq Alpaca, Rug & Kilim and Zollanvari. In addition to area rug brands, Label STEP, an organization committed to weavers and workers rights and sustainability in the carpet industry, will be on site to discuss its program, as will Jade Industries, a manufacturer of high-quality rug pads.
Knots Rugs debuts a range brand-new linear rugs at the fall COVER Connect, including
Nettle Cactus Stripe flatweave.
2023 RUG EXHIBITORS
Rug exhibitors are : Anadol Rug Co., Ariana Rugs, Asha Carpets, Asia Minor Carpets, Battilossi, Bokara Rug Company, Caravan, Creative Matters, Creative Touch, Design Materials Inc., Eliko Rug Gallery, French Accents, Harcourt Collection, Harounian Rugs International, Jaipur Living, Jan Kath Design, Kirkit Rugs, Knot & Co., Knots Rugs, Lapchi , New Moon, Pacific Collection, Pampas Leather, Paulig, Rebel Carpets, Rug & Kilim, Rug Icon, Sahar Samad Rugs, Stark Studio Rugs, Sumaq Alpaca, Tamarian, Tibet Rug Company, Tissage, Wendy Morrison Design, Wool & Silk and Zollanvari.
Tamarian returns to COVER Connect with plenty of new hand-knotted pieces, above Rattan PW in Nightlife, woven in Nepal
Says Elizabeth Vehko, principal of Denver's Shaver-Ramsey Fine & Custom Rugs, "I am planning to attend CCNY 2023 because the exhibitors that are showing represent a core percentage of the offerings we have at our showroom. Of the 35-plus exhibitors that are showing thus far, Shaver-Ramsey has done business at some point with 24 of them. I am thrilled that the show is in Manhattan -- It is a real draw to attend the show because of its location."
Registration to visit COVER Connect New York is free and open now. The trade show is open to industry professionals only. Register at www.thecoverconnect.com/ccny23-register. Learn more about the event, hotels and special events, here.
FALL RUG HIGHLIGHTS
Anadol, a go-to source for one-of-a-kind Oushaks, returns to COVER with fresh styles.
Milanese rug studio Battilossi returns to New York for the third edition and will showcase its textural Veldt collection.
Toronto rug studio Creative Matters showcases its subtle geometric Rubato hand-knotted rug from the Sonance collection.
German rug atelier Jan Kath joins the COVER Connect lineup debuting the Insert Coin collection, inspired by the work of
Frankfurt artist Raphael Brunk. Shown, Game Over
Bespoke rug studio Knot & Co., with showrooms in New York and Las Angeles, participates in its first COVER Connect.
New Moon will introduce shoppers to its latest earthy geometric designs full of texture that are hand-knotted in Nepal.
Pampas Leather showcases its latest Argentinian-crafted pieces, including the Basketweave shearling rug at the fall show.
Rebel Carpet will participate in its first COVER Connect show and feature its Adam carpet collection.
RHYME STUDIO
New York-based interior design atelier Rhyme Studio debuts its handcrafted rugs, made of Irish wool. Shown, Trinity
LA-based Rug Icon heads to its first COVER Connect show offering not just its signature graphic B&W designs but
new looks like Idyllic.
Sahar will showcase a broad range of styles including transitional looks that rework iconic motifs.
Samad returns to COVER Connect and will showcase the latest additions to its popular Bohemian collection. Shown, Rebel
Tamarian returns to the show to feature scores of fresh styles for COVER Connect attendees. Shown, Jinx PW Discus