Month: February 2017

Over Coffee at Fort Street Studio in Hong Kong with Janis Provisor and Brad Davis. | The Ruggist

Over Coffee at Fort Street Studio | Hong Kong

An inspiring (and political) conversation with Janis Provisor and Brad Davis.
Over Coffee

I have long admired the original Wild Silk carpets of Fort Street Studio, especially the latter day ‘Shag’ incarnation which is the stuff of ‘which decadent dreams are made’. The ‘Shag’ however is not what earned the firm their well deserved accolades, nor is it what motivated Hermès in 2010 to tap Fort Street’s joint Creative Directors Janis Provisor and Brad Davis to create a collection of exceptional wild silk carpets for the then new Hermès Maison collection of luxury home furnishings and accessories. That honour, as well the reputation of the firm more broadly, were brought about by the unbridled passion and synergy of two (2) artists – both partners in life and in business – whose combined vision to create something genuinely unique in the world of rugs achieved the rarest of goals: success!

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The Ragamuf handknotted stretchable chair cover is made by Syrian Refugee Women in Turkey from discarded fashion industry waste fabric. What's not to love? | The Ruggist

Handknotted Chair Covers | Ragamuf

The most awesome chair rug/cover you've not yet heard of...
Noteworthy

Serendipity is a ‘fortunate happenstance’ or ‘pleasant surprise’; the term was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. In a letter he wrote to a friend, Walpole explained an unexpected discovery he had made by reference to a Persian fairy tale, The Three Princes of Serendip. The princes, he told his correspondent, were ‘always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of.’, at least according to Wikipedia. And so it is quite serendipitous that the vast and mostly borderless internet happened to introduce me to the Ragamuf. What the heck is a ‘Ragamuf’ you ask? Well, let me tell you.

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12th Warren Penthouse with interior styling by The Future Perfect and De La Espada. Rugs by Kasthall. | Image courtesy of Kasthall.

12 Warren Street + Kasthall

A brief tour of rugs by Kasthall in a presentation penthouse styled by Future Perfect.
Noteworthy

If you were to write an imaginary conversation as an entrée to an article about rugs in a presentation condominium in New York City, where would you begin? Would you pretend to be a client probing for the qualifications of the firm supplying the carpets? Would you marvel at the foresight and planning needed to get custom carpets into a show space? Would you boldly proclaim their carpets to be well suited for, and I’m quoting their marketing material here, ‘…all kinds of clients and spaces; from beautiful residences, lux[ury] yachts, and exotic hideaways to cool offices, boutique hotels and the Swedish Royal Castle.’? Yes, yes you would.

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'Darth Vader' is an eponymously named limited edition rug by Hadi Maktabi. | Image courtesy of Hadi Maktabi.

‘Darth Vader’ et alia | Hadi Maktabi

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... .
Interviews

I knew of Hadi Maktabi of Hadi Maktabi Rare Carpets and Antiques long before I met him, though I am not certain how it came to be. Perhaps it was his reputation as someone genuinely and eminently qualified to lecture (in the schooled manner, not the scolding) on the topic of antique Persian carpets, or perhaps it was his embrace of all things modern when it comes to social media, promotion, and brand awareness. Maybe it was the juxtaposition in this forced dichotomy of a man who on one hand promotes himself via Instagram and the like, yet eschews most modern carpet production; I cannot help but wonder his process of deciding what modern things to accept and what to reject. Maybe it is his near zealous obsession with quality and the rare or his love of video games and pop-culture. Regardless of how, it is the latter which brings us to be talking about and with him today.

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#rugswithoutborders | A social media campaign of The Ruggist to raise awareness in support of all of our friends in any rug producing country.

Rugs Without Borders | Be the change…

Opinion

To show The Ruggist’s support of all of these carpet making peoples we are introducing the social media campaign #rugswithoutborders in order to highlight both the great diversity of rugs and carpets made all over the world and the vibrant cultures from which they come. ‘America (or any country) First’ is a con which fails to realize the interconnected nature of our modern world. While it is true some countries may excel where others may fail, it is our collective diversity which has given us the world in which we live. None of us – The Ruggist included of course – can claim to be omniscient or omnipotent, rather we all contribute as we are able to make this world, our world, a beautiful and vibrant place.

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