LAS VEGAS -- Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019, Oriental Weavers set the bar high with product development and design innovations in the first and second quarters, unveiling even more at Las Vegas Market.
Buyers were introduced to seven debut new collections at OW's Vegas showroom, including Lilihan, which premiered the industry's first cross-woven Axminster, and Capistrano, a high low texture emulating hand-carved designer rugs. Both new lines illustrate machine-weaving techniques that achieve high-end hand-knotted looks at affordable price points for a broad swath of consumers.
Intoducing Lilihan
OW's Lilihan collection (design 41H, shown), features richly colored and densely worked classic motifs in a new cross woven Axminster weave.
"This is a completely new construction -- actually an industry first -- which took us over 20 months to perfect," said Angie Shook, director of marketing at OW. "Lilihan is a classic Axminster woven rug, but it's cross-woven. And in addition to the new weave construction, we developed a new yarn dyeing process that is less defined like that of an original antique rug."
Shook said the new cross-woven technique allows space-dyed striations to appear horizontally, not vertically. "And the cross-woven construction allows for an incorporated fringe," she told RugNews.com. To complement the high-end details packed into the weaving and dyeing processes, OW designers wanted Lilihan rugs to be super-versatile in styling. "We wanted them to feel at home in a formal setting as part of a traditional decorating scheme, and also in more modern or casual spaces filled with collections that reflect a well-traveled life."
A whimsical adaptation of a traditional classic, Lilihan 2061V by Oriental Weavers exudes bohemian flare and illustrates new weaving and space-dyeing techniques.
Power-loomed in Egypt, the OW collection is named for the Persian rugs originally crafted by Armenian weavers in Lilihan, a village in the Arak province of Iran. Indeed, examples of antique Lilihan carpets have been recorded as far back as the 16th century. But for its 14 debut designs, Oriental Weavers took inspiration from vintage pieces found in consumers' homes today.
And while the colors and patterns of the new rugs are traditionally Persian, they are updated for contemporary tastes with global bohemian flare. The new 16-color designs look like hand-knotted carpets, but OW's Lilihan rugs will retail for $499 in the 5'3" size and $999 for the 7'x10" size.
Capistrano Debuts
Oriental Weavers introduces the Capistrano collection in a range of high low textural designs and a new muted pastel color palette. Shown style 536A
Another OW debut at Las Vegas Market, Capistrano is machine woven in the USA of space-dyed polypropylene with shrink polyester yarn creating textures in patterns from abstract art looks to traditional medallions and transitional overall designs.
Shook explained that the polypropylene is formulated for a super-soft hand while the polyester is imbued with shrinking capabilities. "Together they create a dimensional high low effect that is pleasing to the touch," she said.
A close-up of the abstract design 536A from Oriental Weavers' new Capistrano collection shows a high low texture that mimics hand-knotted design.
Capistrano's color palette features cool neutrals and a mix of muted pastels including green, coral and pale grey-blue tones. Bridging the designs is a textured "solid non-solid" with an interesting washed ombre effect utilizing all of the colors in the collection's creel. The solid makes it easy for consumers to coordinate rugs throughout open plan rooms while keeping the color pattern consistent, Shook explained. Retail is $299 for the 5'3" x 7'6", and $500 for 7'10" x 10'10".
Updated with the Capistrano collection's muted pastel palette, this traditional medallion design (511E, above) is shown in detail (below) to illustrate its high-low texture.
Xanadu's Popularity Continues
A display featuring Oriental Weavers' popular Xanadu collection includes style 42X on the back wall, style 8020H in a roll at left, and style 70X on the right. Xanadu 93W is on the floor and 561J is the runner on the console table.
A best-seller since its introduction in January 2019, Oriental Weavers' value-priced Xanadu collection remained high on the shopping lists of buyers at summer Las Vegas Market.
With 15 designs from 70's pop art motifs drenched with color, to traditionals with a global look, as well as plaids and prismatic geometric patterns, the line is machine woven in Egypt of space-dyed polypropylene treated with a soft wash.