Artisan-Made Carpets in our Modern World
A Triumph of Style and Substance
Over the past twenty years, with a few prescient carpetmakers leading the way, this industry has entered the world of furnishings and fashion. Carpets have become a statement that symbolizes status with an emphasis on style. And the best producers are branding their creations with a recognizable identity that establishes their place at the pinnacle of the market. This coveted position ensures buyer preference and loyalty, adding value to these unique hand-made carpets.
As a center for the arts and an international trade destination, New York City is the ideal location for leading carpetmakers to present their best work to the world. With its abundance of stylish corporate offices, fine apartments, and a large pool of highly skilled, professional designers and architects, the metropolitan area creates a huge marketplace for top quality furnishings and high-end handknotted carpets. A high degree of design literacy among New Yorkers guarantees a constant flow of fresh ideas. The heart of the fashion and furnishings industry resides here and influences markets throughout the globe.
A high level of awareness on the part of buyers holds many producers’ feet to the fire to offer an elevated level of quality and design style. The best carpetmakers respond to this challenge and deliver stunning artisan-made rugs, achieving the highest standard as a triumph of their consummate creative skills. The diversity of patterns and palettes now available in the marketplace from these market leaders reveals the fertile minds and business acumen of the makers.
Recent trends indicate a revival for things tribal and ethnic, but there is exciting growth in the Modern look, with its mantra of abstraction and minimalism. Traditional patterns still hold their own, but we are seeing lots of fresh interpretations of enduring classic patterns. Across the spectrum, a broad range of tones, shades and hues present an abundance of chromatic choices to satisfy the seemingly insatiable demand for the right look.
Designers work very hard to find just the right decorative or Oriental carpet for their projects, juggling fabrics and sketches in a duty-bound search for a compatible match within their budget. And for many, time is money. They know it is easier to start the design process with the carpet as the anchor.
The New York International Carpet Show exposes designers, architects and international retail trade buyers to reliable sources of new product offerings, special collections, spectacular one-of-a-kind creations and showcases some of the best carpetmakers in the business. For three days in September, at one convenient location in the middle of Manhattan, buyers can see exquisitely crafted, handmade artisan carpets from a select group of top importers who are at the leading edge of this fascinating industry.
Don't miss the 2012 New York International Carpet Show: September 9, 10, and 11...
Dennis Dodds, Founder and Owner of this show, is an architect, an internationally recognized collector, author and lecturer in the field of handwoven Oriental and decorative rugs.
Beginning in the 1980's, he created and pioneered special publishing projects with Architectural Digest ("Carpets of Distinction"), Interior Design, and HALI Publications in London. They elevated the awareness and appreciation of handmade rugs to millions of people. Each of these businesses integrated his deep interest in the art and history of carpetmaking with an intimate understanding of their functional and aesthetic role in furnishing America's finest interiors. His lectures and writings demonstrate to professional designers, architects and design-conscious consumers the many creative uses of Oriental and decorative carpets.
BELOW: A new introduction, "Tangerine," by Cadrys at NYICS in September
