LAS VEGAS - Retailers shopping for fresh designs and creative new textures will find updated traditionals in exciting new modern color ways, innovative approaches to distressed vintage looks, and news in fibers and yarns from softened polypropylene to colorful space dyed jute. Gleaned from buyer and rug company reports at The Atlanta International Rug Market, this guide to product introductions by Las Vegas Market exhibitors gives you a fashion-at-a glance summary of the "it rugs" of summer 2015. Rug importers and manufacturers are going wide and deep in their assortments and price points, creating fashion for consumers of every budget. Consumers want grey and blue color palettes, and rug companies oblige with a spectrum of new tones from teal to slate. But the market is moving toward jewel colors, and emerald is making its way into the rug scene.  Click to read Part 1 of this two-part story.

AMER RUGS

Amer brings its hit collection Kanoka to Las Vegas following the Atlanta launch of the innovative hand-tufted loop range. Made of New Zealand wool with art silk motifs and crafted with a tie-dyed technique, the line follows on the heels of the successful Shiburi collection. Made in India, Kanoka retails at $299.  "Las Vegas Market is going to be pretty similar to Atlanta.  We hope the attendance is comparable - summer markets are not quite as robust as winter shows," said vice president Joe Barkley. 

In the hand-knotted sector Amer will show Joy, a fashion-forward Soumak weave that combines hand spun wool and raised art silk in lustrous two color rugs with intricate motifs ($1,999 in 6x9). The Joy collection builds on the momentum of brightly colored lines introduced in January with great success.  Other collections include: Naturals - hand loomed jute and cotton ($399 for 8x10); Zola - hand loomed jute and rayon ($399 for 8x10); Elana - a flat weave of blended wool ($499 for 8x10); Bella - a hand woven dhurrie of wool and cotton ($599 for 8x10); Amber - a hand woven dhurrie wool and sari silk ($899 for 8x10); and Mount Route - a hand knotted collection of New Zealand wool and art silk ($4,999 for 8x10). Amer Showroom, B-431.

AMERICAN RUG CRAFTSMAN

American Rug Craftsmen (ARC) introduces a super-plush shag collection named Berkshire to retailers at the July edition of Las Vegas Market. Featuring 11 contemporary designs ranging from abstract to transitional and floral, the line pairs a palette of soft neutrals with sun-washed hues. Woven in .9-inch pile height on Van De Weile looms of EverStrand recycled polyester fiber. $278 in 5x8.  

ARC will also show the traditional-minded woven Davenport collection with patterns from ornamental florals to medallions in a palette of updated colors ($599 in 6x9).  Naples, a cut pile printed rug collection of nylon, proves an aesthetic counterpoint to Davenport, with its bright colors and playful designs of stripes, tonal florals and medallions. ($99 in 5x8).  American Rug Craftsmen Showroom, C-312

CAPEL

A comprehensive summer roll out from Capel spans the gamut from luxurious vintage-style hand-knotted patterns to soft, double-washed Persians and easy care nature-inspired outdoor rugs. The company's latest introductions include the addition of three new colorways to Eloquent Garden, Capel's best-value tufted rug collection, with a retail of $449 in 5x8. Hand tufted in India, the series offers classic floral motifs rendered in pure wool that is washed for added sheen.  

Capel adds a colorful Montauk II collection handcrafted from pure wool in six new colorways: seafoam, lichen grey, coal, cloud, denim, and cream.  Montauk is backed with heavy canvas for extra stability ($349 in 5x8). The new nature-inspired Daisy Chain collection by Kevin O'Brien for Capel features stunning floral pattern crafted in India with a loop pile and cut pile mix. The feminine and bold designs are made from 90% wool and 10% viscose in three colorways: dusty yellow, castle grey and red ($699 5x8).  

The new Bloomsbury design makes a bold statement with multi-tones of purple, pink, red, yellow and teal in a tufted 100% wool rug crafted in India ($449 in 5x8). Capel's oval Nu Way collection, in which rugs are sewn tightly for maximum durability, features a modern, next-generation look. Offered in five brilliant colorways - straw, green, blue, red and tan - Nu Way is made in the USA in North Caroline from polypropylene and nylon.  A 5x8 oval retails for $249. Capel Showroom, A-226 

DYNAMIC RUGS

Dynamic Rugs will present 12 new collections and add to the color and pattern assortment of several of its best-selling lines at Las Vegas Market. The Casual collection features an exclusive new construction with a tight loop surface across the rug to create a resilient pile with sustainable jute fiber, while bringing durability and performance to the natural fiber category.  Offered in four patterns and six colorways, Casual includes designs from transitional to global-inspired. (MSRP $11/square foot).  

Included in Dynamic Rugs' introductions is the Flair collection, a machine-made, plush pile polypropylene range with a high sheen in abstract designs and fashion colors. Debuting in four patterns and seven colorways, the line features a modern color palette with an emphasis on blues and greys. Flair has an MSRP of $400 in 5x8.  Click here, for more on the many introductions.  Dynamic Rugs Showroom, A-432

FEIZY

Feizy comes to Las Vegas with hundreds of one-of-a-kind rugs and a wealth of new designs and textures, beginning with Goshen, a collection of hand woven Soumaks inspired by timeless classics, but presented in a contemporary color palette. The line is expanded with two new colorways: dark gray/charcoal and smoke/grey. Hand woven in India of premium wool, each piece is reversible - one side showcasing the chain stitch weave, the other a smooth traditional loop.

The Marbury collection is a plush shag pile of pure polyester which is hand-tufted in China and offered in four colorways: steel, pearl, silver and sky blue. Feizy's new Marin collection updates traditional Persian patterns with subdued tone-on-tone colors, including sand, cashmere and smoke grey.  Hand knotted in India of viscose from bamboo, these pieces offer a luxurious hand and feel at affordable price points.  

The Eaton Collection is a celebration of classic artistry, displaying the rich heritage of Persian and Indian designs. In this collection Feizy designers wanted to capture the qualities of rugs that define weaving destinations like Tabriz and Agra, but in hand tufted rugs that pay homage to heir opulent palettes and time-honored designs. Feizy's Nizhoni collection is crafted of hand spun wool in a range of subtle geometrics with transitional, casual elegance. Made in India, these rugs feature multi-tonal patterns with a natural abrash in graphite, mist, mushroom and olive colorways. Feizy Showroom, C-399

HRI

HRI expands on its spring and summer market hits, with its Rustic Lux and Blues trends, two important looks that are increasingly popular with designers and consumers.  The company adds to the best-selling Canterbury ($799 in 5x8), which is hand knotted in India of 100% fine Bikaner wool. The series updates traditional designs in trending hues. The classic, all-over borderless design Logan ($1,499 in 6x9) in camel features a thick dense pile.  Crafted in India, it is hand knotted of hand spun New Zealand wool. 

Another popular HRI collection, Vogue adds several new colorways in trending blues and grey. This transitional range, which features updated elements of traditional Persian designs, is hand knotted in India of New Zealand wool with an opening price of $2,799 for the 6x9.  From the successful Blues collection is Elegance, a hand knotted collection from India ($1,939 for 6x9). 

HRI adds Willow - a high/low combination of linen and art silk. Willow ($899 in 5x8) includes six geometric designs in soft washed colorations and is also available in 8x10. HRI beefs up its best-selling promotionally priced hand-knotted Antique Natural, a range of rugs that use a special sheering and finishing wash process to produce a vintage, distressed look. Hand knotted, from India of 100% wool, the series retails at $599 for 5x8. HRI Showroom, B-420

JAIPUR

The big news for Las Vegas is Jaipur's launch of two licensed collections, one for celebrity designer Nikki Chu (click here for story), and another for children's playthings brand Petit Collage.  This follows the introduction in April of Jaipur's line of rugs, pillows and poufs in a licensing partnership with the National Geographic Home Collection. 

With designs inspired by the National Geographic magazine photographic archive, the extensive Jaipur collection includes 36 rugs, 34 pillows and also coordinated poufs. The collection has a range of constructions in the following suggested retails for a 5x8: flatweaves are $369; premium flatweaves are $489; tufted rugs are $459 and premium tufted are $659. Based on the magazine's rich archives, the rugs feature designs ranging from animal hide prints to florals and microscopic elements. For example, Organism ($1,169 in 5x8) is a premium hand-tufted wool rug in the Microscopic line; Ocelot ($802 in 5x8) is crafted of hand-tufted wool and is part of the Big Cats line. 

Jaipur is also adding to its updated transitional Devine collection with Leo and Taurus, both hand-tufted of polyester ($554 in 5x8). The Etched collection ($902 in 5x8), made of hand-tufted wool, features a new construction that blends flatweave and tufted; and the machine-made indoor/outdoor polypropylene Mobile and Scrolled ($295 in 5x8) get added to the Bloom collection, characterized by bright colors and made of a looped construction for a softer feel. Jaipur Showroom, B-424

JAUNTY

Jaunty brings glamorous new textural looks to summer markets with its Dimensions collections hand crafted in India of wool pile with accents of viscose.  This multi-dimensional line has a neutral palette featuring tones like silver and smoke grey ($799 for 5x8).  

The company is also introducing Tuscany, a hand-tufted line from India with wool pile and viscose accents in traditional classics such as a damask medallion in fashion shades such as silver and turquoise ($699 for 5x8).  The Capella collection, also of wool pile with accents of viscose and hand tufted in India, rounds out the summer offerings at $649 for 5x8.  Jaunty Showroom, A-455

KALEEN

With lots of new area rug collections and a full line of wall-to-wall handmade broadloom to show, Kaleen is looking forward to a successful Las Vegas Market. Luminary is luxe new solid color rug collection targeting a handmade wool price point of $299 to $399. A ribbed motif gets a punch of glamour with touches of viscose blended with wool for extra luxury. A range of fashion hues takes a bold approach to color ($399 in 5'x7'6"). 

Handmade in India of a combination jute and soft felted wool, Colinas ($299 in 5'x7'6") is a fresh twist in the natural fiber category with a touch of luxury, though still organic and "green." 

In response to growth in the outdoor segment, the company is adding the reversible, flat woven all-weather Brisa collection in 100 percent polyester (5"x7'6", $249). Made in India, Brisa has debuting styles in fresh interpretations of Moroccan, and geometric designs in high fashion colors.  Another vibrant all-weather collection is the transitional Five Seasons, which is machine-made in Turkey with a high-low textured pile in polypropylene (5' x 7'6", $129). Colorful, geometric Escape indoor-outdoor rugs are handmade in China of polypropylene, and come complete with Kaleen's "K-Stop" non-skid backing (5' x 7'6", $269). 

Kaleen will showcase several additional indoor rug collections, each with multiple designs and colorways. The Casual collection, with vivid over-scaled ikat designs, is hand woven in India of pure wool (5'x7'6", $319). Helena is another wool collection hand-made in India, but with airy, extrapolated Persian and Oushak motifs for a transitional look in fashion colors (5'x7'9", $399). Kaleen Showroom, C-405-407

KARASTAN

Karastan will present its limited edition Mystic Garden wool Axminster rug in Las Vegas next week after a hit debut in Atlanta (click here for story).  The company will also showcases its Pacifica and Euphoria collections this summer. Ten new designs, including updated colorways of existing designs and new casual traditional patterns, are added to Pacifica ($400 in 5x8), a range woven of the company's recycled polyester EverStrand fiber on Van De Weile looms. Designs include modern paisleys, geometrics, lattices, ikats and palmette patterns. The Euphoria collection ($400 in 5x8) adds 16 designs in fresh colorways in existing designs and new traditional looks. Crafted of SmartStrand Silk, a fiber with built-in stain resistance, the range offers softness and sustainability in a selection of transitional and relaxed patterns: fretworks, suzanis, Persian designs and florals.  Karastan Showroom, C-312

KAS

A stellar lineup at the KAS showroom during Las Vegas Market is headlined by an Outdoor Deck Party with Donny and Debbie Osmond on hand to greet customers and discuss the new line Escape indoor/outdoor collection (click here for details and story). 

KAS Rugs, with its headquarters in Somerset, NJ, plans to introduce a number of rugs and pillows this market following successful debuts in Atlanta. Made in India and hand-tufted of wool the Chelsea collection ($299 in 5x7) features hand-tufted wool designs such as Delaney and ivory Medallia for an updated on traditional motifs with a touch of glamour. Gramercy ($249 in 5x7), a hand-tufted 100% wool hook construction from India is offered in simple geometrics and transitional designs such as Visions, Serenity and Herringbone.  

The machine woven transitional Anna collection ($299 in 5x8), is crafted of chenille and viscose from Turkey. New pillows include the faux fur Exotics ($50 in 18" square), with double-sided plush pile, and Black Blossom ($35 in 18" square), a polyester cover with a silver foil printed pattern in 18" square.  KAS Showroom, B-175
 

For more Las Vegas premarket coverage, click here to read Part 2. 

07.28.15