October 14, 2004
SHAW LIVING DEVELOPING KATHY IRELAND RUGS BASED ON GEE'S BEND QUILTS
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Lazy Gal from the Gee's Bend quilt exhibition which recently completed a tour of museums all over the world.
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HIGH POINT, NC-- Shaw Living is developing a collection of Kathy Ireland machine made rugs based on Gee's Bend quilt designs. The machine made rugs, retailing at moderate price points, will be introduced in January, according to Kathy Ireland and Jeff Meadows, vice president of the Shaw Living division.
The Shaw Living rugs are part of a wide-ranging licensing partnership between Kathy Ireland World Wide and Tinwood Alliance, which owns reproduction rights to The Quilts of Gee's Bend. The first Kathy Ireland Gee's Bend products were introduced at The New York Home Textiles Market this week by Arrow Home Fashions, which manufactures bed linen items such as sheets, comforters, duvet covers, throws and quilts.
"The Gee's Bend designs are unique. They represent a traditional American craft, but at the same time they have a bold, contemporary look. The new top of the bed products look great, and I think these designs will lend themselves very well to rugs,€VbCrLf said Ireland.
"One of the best aspects of the program is that part of the proceeds of the sale of Gee's Bend products goes directly back to the Gee's Bend community. It's a great feeling to know that everyone wins in this situation, "she added.
"The Quilts of Gee's Bend€VbCrLf exhibition traveled world wide in 2003 and 2004. It contained quilts made from the 1920's to the 1990's by an African-American women's collective in rural Alabama. Michael Kimmelman of the New York Times called the Gee's Bend exhibition and books "some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced.€VbCrLf