“OUR RUGS ARE COMPLETELY HANDMADE,” SAYS CHRISTOPHER.
“There’s a big difference between handmade and hand-tufted—
with the latter, the only thing the hand does is hold the machine!
Generally people don’t know the quality of a handmade rug
because they haven’t been around them.” Each rug has its own
graph, a sketch outlining the pattern and color placement, made
at full scale. The rugs are always woven on vertical looms, with
men and women working side by side from left to right, each
responsible for a two-foot width. The same team will work on a
rug from start to finish to ensure consistency, typically completing
between one and four inches per day depending on the knot
count (the higher the knot count, the more intricate a design
can be). The Rug Company designs often include silk, hemp,
cashmere, abaca and metallic thread, but the core of their work
is done with Tibetan wool.
“Our rugs are expensive,” notes Christopher, “but when
you calculate how many people it takes to make one, it’s a
good investment. I love the idea that these rugs will be around
for generations. They are made to last, and that’s the most
sustainable way to design. I joke with the fashion designers we’ve
worked with, including Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen
and Diane von Furstenberg, that many years down the line, they’ll
be known for their rug designs because that’s what will still be
around.”
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