11022015 Best of HP Market:Top Sellers and Trends to Watch

High Point best sellers include fresh new pinks, updated tribals, abstracts and reworked classics.

Two transitional designs captured the attention of buyers shopping Amer Rugs' latest introductions. The on-point Joy collection (shown is Joy-6 blush) is a hand-woven Soumak with an added patina of raised art silk. Produced in India of hand-spun wool and art silk, the low-pile collection is a vibrant pairing of an all over design and fashion colors. Other top choices at High Point Market were Idina, a straightforward no-pile range made in India of superior blended New Zealand wool, and the new Urban collection, hand tufted of New Zealand blended wool and art silk in colors inspired by the company's best-selling hand-knotted rugs (retail is $399).

American Rug Craftsmen said its best-seller at High Point was the Davenport collection, including the Colchester design which was prominently displayed. This woven collection features traditional patterns from ornamental florals to medallions in contemporary colors. Retail price for a 6x9 Davenport rug is $599.  This collection is made from SmartStrand, EverStrand and nylon to provide texture, durability, and superior stain resistance.

The California-based upstart Banu Home continues to promote its contemporary custom collection of rugs made in 10 different countries in a range of weaves, colors, textures, shapes and sizes. According to founder Alex Kimia, who left ABC Carpet & Home to start Banu, his high/low pure wool soumak and tulu combination rug made in Pakistan was popular in all pink tones, pink and creams, and a blend of blues, grey and browns. Also popular at market were Banu's fully customizable, wool flat weave Mazandaran kilims from Pakistan, in a range of sunset-like colors of pink, purple and orange.

Bokara introduced High Point Market to its Canvas Art Select collection, made in Pakistan. Featuring vivid contemporary designs, the range is hand knotted with a luxe combination of fine wools and silk, the look generated a lot of interest, said Bokara's Jan Soleimani.

Capel Rugs' top sellers at market included new additions to celebrity designer Genevieve Gorder's collection and fresh takes on classic rug motifs. The just-introduced graphic Sticks design, inspired by Scandinavian mythology, gets added to the Gorder offering. Hand tufted in India of wool and viscose, Sticks is available in five colorways. (Retails at $699). "Genevieve's new designs were very well received," said Cameron Capel, vice president of national accounts. "Buyers love her creative use of color, touches of fringe and fresh, on-trend themes." 

Also new at market, the classic designs of the hand-tufted wool Izmir range were done up in fresh colors. The range features four patterns (Afghan, Persian Cedars, Serapi and Ziegler) and comes in sizes starting at 3x5 up to 9'6"x13'6" with a 2'6"x8'6" runner. $849 suggested retail.

At Creative Touch, which shows in the Suites at Market Square, principal Baki Ildiz said the buyers reacted positively to the company's debuting pillow collection (shown in a dedicated space opposite the company's rug display). Best sellers at the show were a new Modern Art collection of hand-knotted rugs in wool with impressionistic abstracts featuring greys and pinks.  The design above depicting a mermaid in blues, greys and pinks resonated with interior designers, Ildiz said.

At the FJ Kashanian space at the Suites at Market Square, Jonathan Kashanian told RugNews.com that color was selling well, particularly rugs that included shots of pink, as in this detail shot of a Sari Silk transitional design adapted from an antique Suzani with gold border and brown background. Designed by Gilda Kashanian, the company's rugs run the gamut from its Afghanistan made wool Mykonos in au courant shades of grey and indigo, to a successful one of a kind overdyed rug collection.

At its High Point Market showroom, French Accents garnered buyer attention with new custom rugs from the best-selling wool Retro Classics collection (shown) made in Pakistan, which blends old with new, by mixing traditional weaving techniques, classical Persian designs and modern colors. Equally important was the company's Highland collection of wool plaid rugs in fashion colors, woven in Turkey. "Designers were also impressed with our new Aubussons in classical patterns but in neutral tones. We combine linen, cotton, silk and wool in three or four shades of a color to create a skeleton design with depth and definition coming from the luster and tone of the yarns," Danny Shafiian of French Accents explained.   

Harounian Rugs International's Gramercy collection proved a best-seller at market (available in 6x9, 8x10, 9x12 and 10x14), and hand knotted of wool with an opening suggested retail price of $1,299. The Rosewood collection rug in persimmon was also a hit with buyers, said the company's Greg Jordt. "Our promotion, 'We have more than 50 Shades of Grey' was very successful at this market. Another of our best sellers was the Antique Natural collection in 252 grey," he added. Antique Natural is hand knotted of 100% wool in India with a vintage faded, distressed look ($599 suggested retail; available in five designs and colorways, and four sizes).

Jaipur's new licensing deal with iconic fashion label Kate Spade New York attracted immediate attention. Featuring adaptations of the designer's signature playful style and colors, the rug collection includes everything from cursive writing motifs to needlepoint florals. But it was the abstract motif of Marble (NHK04, shown), part of Noho by Kate Spade New York Home collection, which proved a showstopper. This hand-knotted rug, with a 110-line construction, is crafted in India of a wool and art silk blend for a lustrous look. Sizes include: 2x3, 5'6"x8', 8x10, 9x12 and 10x14. Also, Jaipur's Thea design from the Chaos Theory by Kavi range, made in India of hand-carded wool and bamboo silk, continues to garner attention.

Blake Dennard told RugNews.com that the new Mercery collection was Kaleen's market best-seller, favored by retailers for its fashion palette and range of looks including a popular erased-weave design in cream and on-point orange. So new photos weren't ready at press time, Mercery is hand-tufted in a wool and viscose blend and retails at $759 in 5'x7'9". Other hits included the Relic collection (shown), a line of over-dyed classic traditional patterns in hot trendy colors and fashion forward jewel tones.  Hand-knotted in India, the rugs are distressed to achieve a beautiful vintage appeal ($870 in 5'6"x8'6").  In the naturals category, buyers were impressed with the Paloma collection, a super chunky dyed jute line handmade in India ($269).

Maintaining its status as Karastan's blockbuster introduction of 2015, the Spice Market Collection was Karastan's best seller at High Point. The line includes 20 designs inspired by style influences from across the globe and is woven on Van De Weile looms in the USA of EverStrand fiber, Karastan's polyester produced from up to 100% post-consumer content from plastic bottles. Retail price for a 5'3"x7'10" Spice Market rug is $399.

KAS had a busy market thanks in part to the launch of the new Bob Mackie Vintage Home collection (shown), and other new vintage looks which had buyers placing significant orders. "Consumers appreciate color trends, but they still want something traditional.  Hence, we asked designer Bob Mackie to reinvent tradition with vintage looks and patterns, but with a trendy palette," explained Santhi Yarlagadda, VP at KAS Rugs.  The range is machine woven in Belgium of polypropylene frieze yarn with a plush soft pile and retails at $225 in the 5x8. Yarlagadda said KAS is responding to demand for vintage looks across all price points and design categories. "The trend, no matter what the style - traditional, transitional, even tonals - is lots of vintage. Even geometrics are now vintage. So we've had lots good response to that burnt out effect that makes it really seem like the rug is older."

As Cyrus Loloi predicted in discussions with RugNews.com prior to market, the Elixor and Izmir collections were Loloi's hits of High Point, along with a new licensed program with designer and author Justine Blakeley, featuring her New Bohemian style. The Izmir collection (shown) mixes tribal patterns with distressed heirloom motifs in machine made rugs from Turkey in polypropylene and chenille. Elixir, a hand-knotted line crafted in India of viscose from bamboo features distressed looks in both trendy and traditional styles. Also popular was Kingston a machine made polypropylene range which features abstract shading, and Newport, an outdoor line in rich, bold hues.

A new range of neutral and pale colors in the legacy line of broadloom called Richelieu, was among the best sellers at Louise De Poortere. "It surprised and delighted the High Point visitors, because designers and dealers know Louis De Poortere for its bold European palette of colors. But we also design with neutrals - the velvet Richelieu range offers 43 colors in stock," said Thierry Flamant, vice president of sales Americas for De Poortere Group.  Also important were new collections Mosaiq, a Jacquard weave of pure wool and cotton chenille; and Mad Men a Jacquard flatweave of 85% cotton chenille and 15% high gloss polyester. Both lines are offered in nine sizes and retail at $699 in 6x9.

LR Resources' natural fiber and earth toned Sonora rug collection with pops of jewel tones in the weave proved a hit at market, where the company extended the "Naturals" line to over 20 design and color combinations. A go-to source for the Naturals concept, LR Resources added to its jute and chenille interwoven lines, as well as the heavier 100% jute collections. Buyers also responded well to LR Resources' first hand-knotted rugs targeting the under-$20-a-foot retail price point. "They are as economical as they are versatile, and the palette ranges from Sari colors to understated neutrals," said Mike Thompson, the company's vice president of sales and marketing.

Momeni's indoor-outdoor Baja line attracted buyers' attention with bold colors and simple graphic patterns, several with nautical inspiration. Designed to appeal to trend-conscious customers, the range is machine made in Egypt of 100% polypropylene. "Buyers responded positively to our new color creels of yellow (shown) and red in the Baja collection," said Reza Momeni, adding that "the reaction has been amazing to our new lines and prices, especially the Pashmina and Serene collections." Momeni noted also that M2, the company's division offering furniture, leather furniture and accessories was received very well, and M2 placements were made in new high-end furniture stores and design centers at the October market.