Why the handmade carpet industry?
It is no secret that a large portion of the carpet industry is composed of family run businesses. The complex and international nature of a business that is so highly reliant on personal connections lends itself well to this arrangement; however, many would tell you that it’s the artistry that inspires one generation after the next to keep returning: “I was literally born into the industry,” Theresa Paulig, co-CEO of Paulig, told us. “I grew up learning about, experiencing, and loving carpets and handwoven textiles from day one. I am the ninth generation carrying on our family business in this beautiful industry.”
This very same artistry or love of craft is what brought many other women into the industry, whether on purpose through the study of textile or product design or by some kind of happy accident—like that of Nayla Ventura, founder of Rug Your Life, who initially set out to create a single custom rug for her baby’s nursery: “This was meant to be just a one-time event, but it turned into an exciting adventure,” she recounted. A passion for the age-old art of weaving pervades the stories of every single one of them. “The women I know who run a rug label do it out of a passion for design and textiles,” Franziska Reuber of Reuber Henning told us. “They have a very sensitive way of dealing with the material and the art of knotting; beauty and authenticity are paramount. Women’s labels have developed a new kind of language for rugs.”
Read the full article : https://label-step.org/news/the-women-shaping-the-future-of-the-handmade-carpet-industry/
Photo credits: Markus Ruf
