More than creating a comfortable and familiar atmosphere that’s both intimate and cozy, the contemporary rugs set to debut at Milan Design Week 2024 have something to say. Custodians of tradition and history, they’re used to accentuate a wealth of weaving techniques communicating not only aesthetics, a pleasant touch and volumetric perception, but also the thought from which their design was born. Here in the city of design, these new pieces will explore the concept of mark and line, alternating the positive and negative to create visual fields, graphic patterns, depth and movement. In doing so, they recount tales of desert landscapes, architectural worlds, the emptiness and fullness of existence and a rich nature to be explored. Those willing to pay attention, then, are called to interact by playing with different combinations, or simply to contemplate a story. The use of wool, skillfully crafted by artisans, is now treated as a sculptural material to be shaped and touched.
Ge-technique, designed by Storagemilano for Battilossi
From an artistic exploration of the works by Sol LeWitt comes the Ge-technique collection of rugs, designed by Storagemilano for Battilossi. On display at the Battilossi Texture Library in Via dell'Orso 16 during Fuorisalone 2024, its 4 patterns can be articulated across infinite variations to showcase the many possibilities of weaving on the same pattern, revealing a deeper dialogue that lends body to the project. The collection therefore shines a light on the weaving technique from which geometric patterns are born, gently blending meticulously curated color palettes. Hand-knotted in 100% Ghazni or Tibetan wool, the patterns of Ray, Overlap and Ruler are unveiled in the Indigo colorway, alternating the brilliance of orange with the depth of blue, and Night Lawn, where a bright green emerges from a black background. Celsius, meanwhile, is available solely in Night Lawn, hand-knotted on a loom made of 100% Tibetan wool in Nepal. The design and exhibition concept will stage a complex textile project, juxtaposing a large-format main rug with smaller supporting and complementary rugs.
Zig Zag, designed by DAAA Haus for Jaipur Rugs
Designed by DAAA Haus for Jaipur Rugs, Zig Zag is a collection with a story to tell. "Each rug in this collection is a visual representation of the essence of life, composed of contrasts. That between the white, symbolizing empty space, and the black volumes, which represent the architectural structures built by humans. It's a representation in which the individual finds his place as a creator by giving color to life,” says Keith Pillow, founder of DAAA Haus. Zig Zag consists of four drawings that present an intricate play of patterns where large, irregular black volumes emerge from the white background, meticulously connected by a thin thread of color.
Ken Scott Collection, designed by Ken Scott, produced by Carpet Edition
Carpet Edition's fine craftsmanship techniques combine with the stylistic codes of textile designer Ken Scott, a pioneer in combining fashion and art. From this collaboration comes the Ken Scott Collection, a tribute to the floral, geometric and animal print works that have distinguished the American creative's style. Thirty-three items include tapestries (100x100 cm), designed to hang on the wall, and rugs, available in different shapes and sizes. Eight are shaped like flowers and designed as a Capsule Collection for MDW 2024 — a reference to Ken Scott's favorite plants, which are also used in the designer's labels.
Luoghi, designed by Deanna Comellini, produced by G.T Design
A new element is added to G.T Design's Luoghi collection, a series of highly crafted New Zealand virgin wool rugs by Deanna Comellini. The unique and free-spirited style of the brand's founder and artistic director emerges in this new double-sided hand-painted rug, where strokes of black, red and magenta come together to create exclusive floral motifs with a remarkable visual impact. Lightweight in its texture, the rug combines hand-sewn and hand-finished sections of different sizes and shapes to fit perfectly with the needs of the project, playing with the various potential combinations. Here, the designer harnesses her idea of imperfect design to emphasize imperfection and differences, making every piece unique and inimitable.
Dancalia, designed by Abreham Brioschi, produced by Nodus
Inspired by his Ethiopian origins, Abreham Brioschi has designed Dancalia for Nodus, a decorative rug named after "one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, but at the same time striking and fascinating," explains the designer. "An arid expanse of salt, with perpetually active volcanoes and sulfurous geysers that vary in color between green/yellow, blue/cobalt, orange/red. Making a rug inspired by a landscape was a new challenge for me; I let my instinct and imagination carry me away. The colors of the rug are inspired by the shades of geysers, but the choice to focus on warm tones comes from the desire to make it suitable for an interior design context. I’ve always associated warm colors with the metaphor of 'family' and ‘home', so I decided to transform the idea of an inhospitable place like Dancalia into a product — a piece of furniture that embraces the eye and enhances the environment."
Vichy, designed and produced by Kasthall
"The Vichy collection reinvents the check pattern, a long-standing motif in both fashion and interior design. We combined history, charm, and a touch of the vibrant atmosphere of the 1950s to create a collection that is the essence of Kasthall's authentic spirit." With this, Lena Jiseborn, head of Kasthall's Design Studio, explains how the new collection of original rugs came about, made using a significant amount of the highest quality wool yarn that’s richer to the touch, versatile, durable and comfortable.
Biophilic, designed and produced by Tai Ping
Tai Ping gives a voice to nature with its two new Biophilic collections, including sixteen new rugs made with the use of natural yarns and without the use of dyes (also pictured in the opening photo) — even for the back of the weaves, which sees the use of materials like cotton and latex. Wool, silk, cashmere, cotton, linen, and jute are enhanced in the shades nature has chosen for them: from white to beige, gray, cream and brown, all in an ever-changing variety of hues. The skill of the artisans is further expressed in the hybrid tafting (mechanical and manual) of the simple and refined geometries featuring in the Tai Ping Biophilic Series, and in the entirely manual tafting of the organic and naturalistic patterns of the Biophilic Collection. It’s all meant to be touched and experienced at the company's Milan showroom during Fuorisalone 2024, which will host an evocative installation designed by Studio Salaris.
