|
LOS ANGELES - Dealers attending The Rug Show in L.A. which ran March 29
to March 31, 2015 at the L.A. Convention Center, found a focus on luxury
design, one-of-a-kind works of art, and custom rug programs offering
proprietary patterns and cutting edge fashion. A host of design stars -
both buyers and exhibitors - peppered the booths, giving West Coast
buyers an opportunity to see the newest looks from European shows, and
to preview rugs set to debut in two weeks at High Point Market.
The show nearly doubled in size to almost 30 exhibitors who displayed
their upscale rugs gallery style in expansive booths. Buyers also grew
in significant numbers and said they were impressed with the newness and
quality of rug lines on display. According to Ramin Mobayen, an
organizer of the show, that was the number one goal. "We wanted
exhibitors with the most innovative and interesting products. Our focus
has been on building strong customer relationships and providing the
highest quality area rugs from around the world. I feel good about the
growth of the show," Mobayen said.
A feeling of camaraderie among vendors contributed to the experience,
dealers told RugNews.com.
Following is our exclusive Part 1 coverage of visitors and exhibitors
attending The Rug Show in L.A., which will be followed by The Rug Show@
Javitz in New York in September. Stay tuned for Part 2.
Anadol Rug Co.
Known for genuine Angora Ushak rugs hand-knotted with only local wool
and the traditional weave, the company's collection is a blend of Angora
wool and high plateau Anatolian wool. "There are only two factories left
in Turkey getting these rugs from 150 villages," said Emre Serezli,
wholesale coordinator.
Another hit at the show was the Vintage collection and in particular the
3D Fusion quality. Old Anatolian carpets are carved down to zero pile
and then metallic glitter is heat applied for subtle glamour. "This
look is very popular in Europe," Serezli told Rugnews.com. The carpet
shown was sold before the show ended.
|
Showing off a pale ivory example from the
exclusive Angora Ushak collection are Murat Domac, Suat Izmirli
and Emre Serezli of Anadol Rug Co.
|
|
A hand carved old-Anatolian carpet is refreshed
for today's consumer in the Vintage 3-D Fusion collection with
metallic glitter on the pile.
|
Art
Resources
Though
Los Angeles-based Art Resources took home the Domotex 2015 award for
Best Traditional Design for its Classic Revival design, the presentation
in L.A. was dramatic, modern, and brimming with buyers. "This is our
fourth time at the show; we bring artful luxury rugs to the show because
of the dealers we are reaching here. In High Point we will be showing
our lower-priced programmed rugs, a new hand-loomed viscose rib program
[which was also in L.A.], and kilims," said Max Moussavi, a company
principal.
At the
Art Resources booth, dealer Harry Messerian joked, "I am so confused.
I've been in the business for 25 years and there is so much to choose
from, I can't decide." He said he was shopping for the geometric type of
designs that are trending in Pasadena.
|
David Neishabori of Azadi Fine Rugs in
Scottsdale, Max Moussavi of Art Resources and Harry Messerian of
Messerian Oriental Rugs in Pasadena pose with an Ottoman
Collection rug hand-knotted in Pakistan.
|
|
An intricate silk rug hand-knotted in India drew
further study from observers at the Art Resources space.
|
|
The Art Resources booth featured a gallery-style
display of many new colorful high end silk rugs.
|
Ayka
Design
Karen
Michelle Evans of Ayka Design shared exhibit space with The Creative
Touch at the Rug Show in L.A. as part of a new collaboration. She said
two rugs from her new collection will be unveiled by Creative Touch at
the upcoming High Point market. The balance of the collection, another
22 rugs, will be presented at The Rug Show @Javitz in New York. Evans
explores five new themes in 2015. The faces woven into designs in her
2014 City Landscapes rugs are now less obvious in a series called
Hidden. "It's human camouflage set against nature," she says.
|
K. Michelle Evans of Ayka Design with her Parede
Collection rug called Gesso at The Rug Show in L.A.
|
|
Ayka Design's Circles of Life rug, made from
hand-spun silk in a Tibetan Weave won for Best Innovation at
Domotex 2015.
|
Azad Rug
Company
Azad Rug
Company showed a gamut of handmade rugs from Peshawar and Chobi to
programmed modern rugs. "The west coast wants light, pastel-colored
rugs while the east wants a lot more color," said Ali Azad, principal,
who had both looks on display. Azad featured a show-stopping series of
bamboo silk and wool rugs from India in fashion shades of mauve or grey
with distressing and color striations which premiered here prior to
making their Atlanta debut this summer. "This is our third time at the
L.A. show and we've had many retailers come in already," said the Los
Angeles-based Azad.
|
Ali Azad of Azad Rug Company with his new
programmed bamboo silk and wool rug in shades of grey.
|
|
The Azad Rug space at the 2015 Rug Show in L.A.
with a variety of transitional and classic designs.
|
Azad USA
Akbar
Azad of Azad USA was already packing a stack of rugs within two hours of
the show opening on Sunday morning. Specializing in custom design and
sizes, Azad USA showed a broad range of new rugs from Pakistan and
India. Visiting at the space was dealer Jimmy Mohaber of Jimmy's Gallery
of Fine Rugs, who was looking for fresh new designs and found it in a
new geometric with a harlequin patch effect in Azad's collection.
|
Akbar Azad of Beverly Hills-based Azad USA with Jimmy Mohaber of
Jimmy's Gallery of Fine Rugs, also of L.A.
|
Banu Home
Founded
by former ABC Carpet & Home exec, Alex Kimia, Banu Home made its
official west coast debut at the Rug Show in L.A. Kimia modernizes old
and familiar motifs with a refreshing take on floor covering design, and
patterns with dramatic color and scale. The bespoke brand presently
offers eight collections: Moroccan, Tibetan, Transitional, Traditional,
Modern, Solids/textures, Shags and Hides. Kimia specifies the proper
weaving technique and finishing for each piece, and he says one hundred
percent of production is one of a kind.
|
Alex Kimia, founder of bespoke brand Banu Home
with a custom Nepalese wool & silk rug from his new collection.
|
Caravan
Rugs and Caravan Modern
The huge
exhibit spaced that housed Caravan Rugs and Caravan Modern attracted new
and existing customers. "We have lots of appointments - both local and
from out of state because designers and dealers want to buy fresh
goods," said principal, Jay Nehouray. Most rugs from Caravan Modern are
crafted in Nepal and India, while the Caravan Rug line is more
traditionally inspired and made in Pakistan. Fashion looks ranged from
high and low raised Persian motifs which are erased or oxidized to
complement transitional interiors. In the modern sector, Caravan showed
many collections in bamboo silk, art silk and linen.
|
Jay Nehouray of Caravan Rugs and Caravan Modern
with a lustrous, intricately woven blue and beige design that
will play well with customers on both coasts.
|
|
Designers, architects and dealers converged at
Caravan's booth on opening day of The Rug Show in L.A.
|
Eliko
Antique & Decorative Rugs
"We're
always developing new designs," said David Basalely of New York-based
Eliko, a custom hand-made house catering to interior designers with new
and vintage collections. For its third appearance at the Rug Show in
L.A., Eliko showed a new hand tufted line of wool and bamboo in zero
pile, and the Black Weft collection featuring a dark weft that gives the
rugs an aged look. Also new was Brooklyn, a chunky over-sized loop
design that provides an alternative to jute rugs that will last longer
and hold up to cleaning. "We're very happy with the show because it's a
destination for a different crowd we don't see in New York: dealers who
cater to designers. The show is very relaxed, but these are serious
buyers - there's no tire kicking or schmoozing," Basalely said.
|
David Basalely of Eliko in a booth packed with new designs and
custom solutions for high-end dealers and designers.
|
The James
Opie Collection
"Color
is coming back because it never went away," declared rug industry
legend, James Opie. "It's amazing how many antique reproductions I've
sold when they say only grey is in fashion." A first-timer at the L.A.
show, Opie added, "We have sold a lot at the show, and are encouraged by
the response we are getting." On display were the fruits of his Afghan
Rug Project, a labor of love that has provided fulfilling jobs for over
300 village weavers in northern Afghanistan. "These are all copies of
antique rugs I have sold or published: vegetable-dyed, floor-worthy rugs
equal in quality to many of the best pieces from the 19th century and
earlier," Opie explained.
|
James Opie with stacks of rugs from The Afghan
Rug Project, a program he oversees to provide fulfilling work to
300 village weavers.
|
Kashee &
Sons
Still
flush with excitement over their 2015 Magnificent Carpet Award at the
Atlanta International Rug Market in January, Kashee & Sons were
first-time exhibitors at the Rug Show in L.A. Though their
award-winning rug in Atlanta was dark and elaborately woven [it won in
the $30.01 to $50 sq. ft. hand-knotted category], the selection debuting
in L.A. was pale and transitional for the most part. "Light colors are
in, especially on the West Coast, but dark colors are coming back in
fashion," predicted Kashif Aslam, president/CEO.
|
Danny Muusse of Stark Carpet in Costa Mesa, CA
with Kashif Aslam, president/CEO, and Zaheer Mughal, general
manager of Kashee & Sons.
|
Knot and
Company
"We
picked up two great accounts," said Zubair Mohamed of Knot and Company
on day-one of the L.A. show. The Maryland-based company specializes in
custom designs and requires dealers to commit to corner samples of all
designs in a collection. "We do a lot of flat weaves. We are a niche
house: trade showrooms love our rugs because the patterns are different
and their interior design customers understand fresh new colors." The
booth featured new soumacks in wool and viscose, along with hand-knotted
pile and looked rugs in wool, silk and viscose.
|
Zubair Mohamed (left) and Michael Sachse (right)
of Fulton, MD-based Knot and Company flank Michael Moghim of Rug
Resources in Corona del Mar, CA.
|
Lawrence
of La Brea
"He is my
source," said Taba Tabaee of Taba Rug Gallery of Lawrence of La Brea
owner David Nourafshan. "We met 12 years ago and if anyone knows the
direction of trends in rugs, it's David. He had the first jute pile, and
as soon as I saw it I knew it would be a success." At the booth
Nourafshan told RugNews.com his move from La Brea to Beverly Hills three
months ago has been a huge success. Even as his team is still
unpacking, they have seen a big increase in traffic. "Clients come in
on foot, by bike or on the bus. We see them get off the bus, walk into
the store and pay $7,000 or $13,000 for a rug. They tell us they don't
want to drive in L.A.," he explained. "We have a presence with the new
location. I love it."
|
David Nourafshan of Lawrence of La Brea in Los
Angeles with Taba Tabaee of Taba Rug Gallery in La Jolla, CA
with a zero pile rug.
|
|
Dealers and designers review new designs at the
Lawrence of La Brea space.
|
Michaelian & Kohlberg
Winner of
two 2015 Magnificent Carpet Awards in the flat weave and hand knotted
categories at the January Atlanta International Rug Market, Michaelian &
Kohlberg rugs are all made in Afghanistan in a variety of transitional
and modern designs. "We are the rugs with all the color," said Sherrie
Legro Round at the company's L.A. Show space. She explained that the
winning rugs were the result of a project in which M&K owner Teddy
Sumner and other rug industry leaders had teamed up with the US
Department of Defense to revitalize Afghanistan's rug weaving heritage
and rebuild the citizens' lives.
|
Sherrie Legro Round and Sig de la Torre of
Michaelian & Kohlberg show off a modern rug hand-knotted in
Afghanistan.
|
Mobayen
One of
the original organizers of the Rug Show in L.A., a non-profit
organization that includes the Rug Show @Javitz in New York City, Ramin
Mobayen of Mobayen in Beverly Hills did double duty managing show
operations and manning his own booth at the L.A. show. His collections
included a number of new trend-right patterns and colors for 2015 in
blends of wool and bamboo silk and saree silk. Mobayen, who represents
his family's fourth generation in the rug business, said he felt very
positive to the response to last week's show.
|
Ramin Mobayen (right), manager of the Rug Show in
L.A. at the Mobayen booth with Mr. and Mrs. Daryoush Shahnazi of
Design Home Furnishing in Houston.
|
Click here for The Rug Show in L.A. Part 2
04.06.15
Use the comment box below to share your thoughts with rugnews.com readers.
|
|