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Colors: Orange Color

A continued exploration of a new approach to rug making.

Purchasing a hand-knotted rug or carpet by first determining size, budget, and texture before even considering design or color seems antithetical to traditional rug sales models. In many ways it is. Yet, these same criteria have long been used to steer clients toward in-stock rug purchases. Ali Ghassemi considers these timeless questions as he embarks on redefining the craft of rug making for the modern consumer.

Whether it’s for the war rugs woven during the era of the Soviet invasion, or for weaving in exile in Pakistan during turbulent years under the Taliban, the weavers of Afghanistan are renown for two things: the quality of their craft and the inimitable qualities of the region’s Ghazni wool. Equally as unique is the will of its people, particularly its women—standard bearers of the Afghan carpet—as the country enters into a 21st century global economy.

As both a leader in the fight to eliminate illegal-child-labor in global supply chains and an observer of the hand-knotted rug and carpet industry over the past twenty-five years, GoodWeave CEO Nina Smith has seen a lot. She shares with Rug Insider Magazine her thoughts on some of those who have affected real change within the industry.

More than marketing hype, the differences at New Moon are tangible.

Erika Kurtz is the second-generation principal of New Moon Rugs, an early pioneer of the modern era’s genre of hand-knotted Nepali-Tibetan rugs. Founded in 1993 by John Kurtz with an unwavering dedication to the highest standards of craftsmanship and design, New Moon continues to foster the deep-rooted commitment to socially responsible business practices upon which the firm was founded. Since 2004, John’s daughter Erika has been guiding the production, design, and management of the business. These are her thoughts on being a woman in the evolving rug and carpet industry.

Black and white creates a strange dreamscape that color never can. – Jack Antonoff

The episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations in in which the the noted chef, author, and documentarian explored the epicurean delights of Rome is a cinematographic delight.According to Bourdain, it also “violated all the conventional wisdom about making television.”

We’re just mad about saffron, and gold, and yellow, and squash and … The myriad versions of the color described as yellow tend to delight, enliven, and beautify. Indeed, the particular hue created by the pigment yellow ochre is considered one of the first used in art; the Lascaux cave paintings discovered in France in 1940 feature a yellow horse dating to some 17,000 years ago.

If you have to ask yourself, “Have I met Ali Ghassemi?” the answer is—with a high degree of certainty—most likely “No.” I vividly remember the first time I met him. After repeated invitations to come to his Toronto, Ontario showroom, the subsequent visit turned into an hours-long presentation on his part. All because of his unforgettably passionate belief in not only what he is doing, but also its importance to the rug industry. This is his approach to truly bespoke rugs. He thinks it should be yours as well. Presented in two parts, the concluding portion appears in Rug Insider Fall 2019.

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