THE BEST OF THE RUG SHOW DIARIES: BUYERS AND VENDORS WEIGH IN, PART 1
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NEW YORK -- RugNews.com stopped by the busy Amer Rugs booth at least three times before Tanuj Gupta, president, could break away to talk about the show. "We wrote a lot of orders -- got a lot of business. And next year, we're hoping to see even more new faces," Gupta said.
Amer's booth wasn't the only one that had buyers stopping by to purchase some of the world's most beautiful rugs. In fact the Rug Show saw its largest attendance yet, with more than 70 rug makers participating, and attendees visiting from around the world.
At the Art Resources stand, for example, co-owner Jack Simantob had just finished meeting with an Italian client that the L.A.-based rug company had opened at Domotex in January. "He traveled to the Rug Show New York to meet with us here and expanded his business with us on opening day," Simantob said.
Asked what motivates buyers to come to the show, Amer's Gupta said, "They are looking for the next new thing. For the next two years, it will be all abstracts." But, he said the abstract trend is moving from subtle colors to a bolder palette -- which is reflected in Amer's Javits best-seller, the hand-knotted wool and silk Mystique collection. Not only were buyers impressed with the quality and design, they liked the sharp price points: approximately $3,999 for an 8x10. "Retailers and designers in the mid-range love it," Gupta said.
Also enthusiastic about the response to his new assortment, Ori Wilbush of S&H Rugs said the company opened five new accounts at the show despite having cancellations of appointments with clients from Florida, Georgia and Texas who were affected by Hurricane Irma. "Our new collection of pure silk and oxidized wool was on the higher-end of anything we've ever done, and it was very well received. We try to be unique, with very special colors and designs. That's what sets us apart," Wilbush explained.
Designers like Jacqueline Cox, owner of high-end Tapis Décor in Minneapolis, relished the idea of meeting her vendors all in one place and getting to spend time with them at the show.At least half of the area rug suppliers listed on her website exhibited at the Javits this year, she said.
In this exclusive two-part series, you too can tour The Rug Show New York with RugNews.com as we uncover the latest trends and innovations. We begin with companies Alan Pourvakil to Ketenci in Part 1 below. Don't miss Part 2 for companies Kirkit to Zollanvari (
read story).
ALAN POURVAKIL
On everyone's must-see list, Alan Pourvakil turned heads with this best-selling design inspired by its namesake - the Riviera. The carpet transitions from a blue-black Mediterranean Sea to the sand of Cote d'Azur beaches.
"The time is right for daring modern abstract designs, especially this one with the white ground," explains the designer for the eponymous Alan Pourvakil collection. "Now is not the time to play it safe," he says of this top seller.
AMER RUGS
Raj Choudhary of Amer Rugs poses with Dana Razipour and Adam Razipour of Araz Rugs and World of Rugs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania., John McCaul of Amer, and Bahman Kimiachi of Boston Rug Company in Brookline Massachusetts, and Tanuj Gupta of Amer.
The Amer Rugs stand at The Rug Show NY displays a variety of contemporary and transitional designs including the best-selling, hand-knotted Mystique collection.
ART RESOURCES
Max Moussavi of Art Resources finishes a line review with Erik Humphry, Aaron Prieskorn and Brian Shanley of Hide Park Fine Rugs in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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Texture was the big hit at Art Resources, where the Souf collection maintained its position as the company's top-selling line.
ASAD USA
Akbar Asad of Azad USA takes time out for a photo op with Robert Kashou of Kashou Carpets in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A new collection of 3-D art rugs was a showstopper at Azad USA, including this one with a life-like montage of fallen rocks.
BEREKET HALI
Above and below, Bereket Hali of Istanbul, Turkey, shows off its weavers' expertise with rich natural wool textures, powerful ethnic motifs and bold colors at the Rug Show New York.
CARAVAN RUG CO.
Drawing a crowd looking for its iconic pale-colored subtle reworks of Oushak and other classic designs, Caravan Rug Co. of Beverly Hills, California, and principal, Jay Nehouray put on a show for Rug Show shoppers.
CREATIVE MATTERS
Laura Gauthier and Kia Gardener of FIT stop by the Creative Matters' Rug Show NY exhibit to chat with Amie Suttie of the Toronto-based rug company. The students walked the show prior to attending the Art Day interactive workshop led by Creative Matters designers.
Creative Matters grabbed attention with the Architexture collection's hand-knotted rug of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk in linseed and rust, the colors spelled out on the carpet itself.
CREATIVE TOUCH
A best-seller for repeat exhibitor Creative Touch at this year's Rug Show New York, this lustrous textural design from the Bosphorus collection ranked high, as did the company's abstract designs by artist Carol Benson-Cobb (foreground).
DUE PROCESS STABLE TRADING CO.
Steve Codella welcomes Rug Show New York shoppers to the Due Process Stable Trading Company stand, which was brimming with custom and programmed possibilities for its broad range of private label and wholesale customers.
EMMA GARDNER / TAMARIAN
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Emma Gardner of Emma Gardner Design and Michael Pourvakil of Weavers Art in Toronto pose at The Rug Show NY on the designer's new Shade rug produced by Tamarian (read full story).
FRENCH ACCENTS
Danny Shaffian, pleased with traffic at his Javits Center booth, told RugNews.com that Rug Show shoppers were particularly drawn to a new soft gray Oushak rug, which he declared the company's best-seller at The Rug Show.
GLOBAL CRAFT
Neel Panthi and Salesh Adkikary of Global Craft in Houston, Texas, flank buyer Ali Khaledi of First Rugs Inc., of Danvers, Massachusetts, at The Rug Show, where new Indian Oushaks (back, left) were launched with positive response.
While traditional hand-knotteds and menswear textures were among Global Craft's best-sellers at the show, the company reports brisk business with its new raw silk flatweaves in soft fashions colors, favored by shoppers for their fresh new texture.
H.O.C. DESIGN
First-time Rug Show New York exhibitor Peter Hens, founder of H.O.C.Design (Hens Oriental Carpets) shows his modern designs to Sean Ansari of Rug Company & Carpets of Fairfield, New Jersey.
The lavishly-textured Atmosphere collection rug in sky blue with accents of pink, yellow and white is hand knotted in Nepal and a top seller for Belgium-based H.O.C. at The Rug Show.
HRI (HAROUNIAN RUGS INTERNATIONAL)
Above and below, HRI's undisputed best-sellers at The Rug Show New York were its abstract contemporary designs, including the Expressions and Rosewood collections, both hand knotted of New Zealand wool with finely-spun viscose accents.
JAIPUR LIVING
Solomon Basalely of Eliko gives a thumbs-up to Jaipur's award-winning Unstring collection by Kavi, as Yogesh Chaudhary of Jaipur shows him the company's latest designs.
Although much photographed, flat images can't capture the depth of detail and layering woven into Jaipur's standout Unstring design, which in person appears to be a fabric montage of raised embroidered lines and stitches.
KALATY
At Kalaty's debut stand at The Rug Show New York, the company's Kamran Kalaty, Ramin Kalaty and Joseph Kalati flank Maria Wahab of LGI Oriental Rugs, Houston, Texas.
In its expansive Rug Show display, Kalaty presents every look from traditional Oushaks to its growing line of abstract modern designs. A best-seller was the Juno collection rug (back wall) made of 100 percent Silkette and hand-knotted in a Tibetan weave.
KETENCI RUGS
Sertac Cakim of Landry & Arcari in Boston tells RugNews.com he is particularly impressed with Murat Kencteci's new selection of pale Oushak carpets at the Istanbul-based Ketenci Rugs stand at The Rug Show New York.