EXCLUSIVE SHOWROOM TOUR: HIGH POINT MARKET PEOPLE AND PARTIES
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High Point, N.C. -- High Point Market rug showrooms set the stage for a star-studded roster of parties, celebrity licensing debuts, glamorous events and serious CEU seminars, as well as a steady stream of buyers anxious to see the newest releases from a segment that has become the home furnishings industry's category leader for fast fashion.
At last week's fall market, buyers and designers lined up to see much-anticipated premieres of rug collections from coveted names like Christopher Guy (Nourison), Rachael Ray (Kaleen), Libby Langdon (KAS), Erin Gates (Momeni) and Anthony Baratta (Capel). New showroom celebrations and ribbon cuttings were scattered across the High Point campus, from Couristan at Showplace to Exquisite Rugs at IHFC, and Company C in InterHall.
In this exclusive feature, RugNews.com takes you on a tour of showrooms to see what piqued the interest of buyers and designers. Stay tuned for even more in-depth insider photo essays of the October 2017 market's A-list events.
Amer
Alicia Lambros of online retailer, Gilt, reviews Amer's hot collections at High Point Market with Cherie Sheahan, the rug maker's director of e-commerce and social media. Behind them are hand-knotted collections Dazzle (left) of wool and raw silk, and Mount Route of wool and viscose.
Art Resources
Eddie Simantob of Art Resources poses in front of the plush new Atlas collection hand-knotted in India with wool warp and weft at the company's Market Square showroom. "Designers like the simplicity - you don't see any design, and not much color: just texture," he says.
Capel
Capel caps off its year-long 100th anniversary commemoration with a party and unveiling of its new rug line by interior designer Anthony Baratta (right), shown above with John Magee, Capel president and CEO.
Couristan
The Couristan team cuts the ribbon for its brand new Showplace showroom brimming with new looks and amenities for High Point shoppers. From left, Charles Romano, Len Andolino, Ron Couri, Lynn Dunn, Steve Couri, and Larry Mahurter.
Exquisite Rugs
At the grand opening celebration for the new IHFC showroom for Los Angeles-based Exquisite Rugs are David Beck of Exquisite Rugs, Jessica Hill, Leasing Manager of IMC, with Hershel Bani-Esraili and Daniel Bani-Esraili of Exquisite Rugs.
HRI (Harounian Rugs International)
Lee Harounian of Harounian Rugs International poses with Melissa Neirman of Rococo & Taupe in Menlo Park, California, and HRI's Lynn Edmeyer and Greg Jordt, all standing in front of the company's richly textured Rosewood collection, a hit with market shoppers.
Jaipur Living
Michael Callaghan and Ron Adelman of Jaipur Living flank Kelly Woodyard of Blufish Design in Avalon, N.J. who reviewed the rug maker's newest indoor-outdoor collections at High Point Market following the company's 'Get Painted with Jaipur Living' henna tattoo event and tour of eco-friendly products.
Jaunty
Kami Navid of Jaunty poses with Jerri Woodie and John Hanna, designers at J&K Home Furnishings in North Myrtle Beach, S. C. and Jaunty's Karen Plaehn during a line review at the company's IHFC showroom.
Kaleen
The Rugs Direct team meets Rachael Ray at the beloved celeb's rug collection premiere at Kaleen's Showplace showroom. From left, Adrienne Wooddell and Chris Long of Rugs Direct, Rachael Ray, Bill Martin of Rugs Direct and Monty Rathi of Kaleen at the launch party for Rachael Ray Home rugs.
Karastan
Sidney York and Natalya York of Carpetland in Flint, Michigan, and Kokomo, Indiana, pose with Karastan licensing partner, Sarah Willett, founder/president of Patina Vie. They're standing in front of one of Willett's favorite rugs at a party in honor of the newest iteration of Patina Vie rugs: the debuting Vintage Tapis collection.
KAS
Rugs as Art of Sarasota, Florida, celebrates with KAS Rugs its new Libby Langdon collection at a 'Redesign with Rugs and Rosé cocktail party at the KAS IHFC showroom. From left, Hari Tummala of KAS; Jesse Murse and Lucy Murse of Rugs as Art; designer Libby Langdon, and John Murse, Rugs as Art.
Loloi
At Loloi, Cyrus Loloi poses with international interior and furniture designer, Adriana Hoyos, of Quito, Equador, who told RugNews.com she "buys a lot of rugs from Loloi." Hoyos created a buzz with the opening of the first-ever Adriana Hoyos Furnishings showroom in InterHall at the October, 2017 High Point Market.
LR Resources
Beqir Potka, owner of International Oriental Rugs in Nashville, Tenn., takes a break in the "outdoor oasis" display with Mike Thompson at LR Resources' Showplace showroom. From left are rugs from the Sanibel, Captiva and Naturals collections.
Momeni
Ali Rejaee and Amy Foster of The Showroom at Furniture Row in Denver pose in front of the debuting Erin Gates by Momeni collection with Reza Momeni and Hannah Levine of Momeni at the area rug collection's elegant High Point Market launch party.
Nourison
At the Nourison launch party for its licensed collection for lifestyle brand, Christopher Guy, are Jon Spurlock and Christopher Guy Harrison of Christopher Guy, and Andrew Peykar and Jonathan Peykar, principals of Nourison. They are standing in front of the Fleurs rug, which is hand-knotted of New Zealand wool and silk.
Rizzy Home
Molly Mays and Kevin Von de Bur of Rizzy Home, Heidi Townsend of Creative Interiors & Design in Vancouver, Washington, and Rizwan Ansari of Rizzy Home pose in front of the rug maker's best-selling new Dune collection.
Safavieh
Darius Yaraghi and Ashley Yaraghi flank Lauren Delucia of Boston-based e-commerce giant Wayfair, who's reviewing vibrantly-colored new designs from the Merlot collection of face-to-face heat set woven rugs.
Surya
John Haste of Surya, Allison Homs of Arhaus and Tara Henderson of Surya stand in front of a display featuring designs which are right in sync with renewed fashion emphasis on Persian classics at the Surya Showplace showroom.
Trans-Ocean
Charles Peck, principal, and Trans-Ocean's newly appointed vice president of business development, Stephen Hoberman, take time out for a photo op in front of an on-trend tip-seared textural design from the hand-tufted, cut and loop wool Corsica collection by Liora Manne for Trans-Ocean.