Milan Design Week, a global beacon for design innovation, is often celebrated for its monumental furniture launches and headline-grabbing exhibitions. Yet, amidst the bustling halls of Salone del Mobile and the myriad Fuorisalone venues scattered across the city, it was a series of exceptional rug collections that truly captivated our attention and stopped us in our tracks. These five collections, each a testament to artistry, craftsmanship, and visionary design, redefined the very notion of floor coverings, transforming them into compelling works of art.
The Collections That Captivated
FACES Collection by Kengo Kuma for Jaipur Rugs: Architectural Poetry Underfoot
While Milan Design Week often spotlights grand furniture statements, the FACES collection, a compelling collaboration between Jaipur Rugs and renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, commanded attention. Showcased at both Salone del Mobile and various Fuorisalone venues, these 16 rugs are a masterclass in subtle sophistication. Rendered in muted tones, their bold architectural patterns draw inspiration from the facades of Kuma’s most celebrated buildings, including Tokyo’s Suntory Museum of Art. Patterns like Sukima and Bokashi offer nuanced hints of striations, embodying the collection’s core intent: to evoke the interplay of light and shadow on a building’s exterior. The result is a brilliant demonstration of architectural nuance translated into textile art.
Illulian Rugs: A Symphony of Texture and Tone
Italian luxury rug brand Illulian, celebrated for its Nepalese artisan craftsmanship, unveiled two collections that epitomize artistic ambition. Paula Cadematori’s ‘Ilhabela,’ part of the NO LAND capsule, captivates with its exploration of “the contrast between the depths of blue and the shades of sunrise,” brought to life through a precise 45-degree hand-cutting technique. Complementing this is Controvento’s ‘Mineralia,’ a collection that masterfully manipulates pile heights and yarn textures to create a floor covering that feels organically sculpted by nature itself. Together, these collections showcase Illulian’s impressive versatility, ranging from whimsical restraint to seemingly freeform, organic expressions.
New Origins by Aline de Laforcade for GAN: Crafting Natural Landscapes
GAN’s ‘New Origins’ collection, designed by Aline de Laforcade, presented an oval rug that immediately drew comparisons to a shaggy, regal creature—or, more accurately, the very sheep providing its jute and wool yarn. This Spanish brand employs a dual-technique approach: “manual loom and hand-knotting of the wool,” enabling the creation of diverse textures and densities that mimic natural landscapes within the design. The outcome is a strikingly compelling piece that functions equally as a meticulously crafted artwork and a practical, inviting home accessory.
Lucia Eames Rug Collection by Nanimarquina: A Legacy Reimagined
The enduring legacy of the Eames family resonated strongly throughout Milan Design Week, extending beyond the Triennale’s Eames House pavilion to a delightful rug collection by Spain’s Nanimarquina. This collection interprets the nature-inspired drawings of the late Lucia Eames (daughter of Charles Eames and Catherine Woermann). Installed dramatically at Salone del Mobile, with its iconic butterfly rugs seemingly soaring above the Nanimarquina booth, the collection features a rich array of techniques including hand tufting, hand knotting, hand looming, and embroidery. It also introduces innovative developments such as sculptural tufting and hand-braided, hand-stitched jute. Combining Afghan and New Zealand wool with jute, these natural fibres create surfaces that engage in a subtle dance between matte and luminous textures.
Bieke Casteleyn x JOV: An Immersive Clover of Softness
At Fuorisalone, the collaboration between Bieke Casteleyn and JOV unveiled ‘Clover,’ a collection described as “an immersive landscape of softness, form, and material.” The wall-mounted rug, with its distinctive rounded form, captivated visitors with its elegant simplicity and playful charm, offering a fresh perspective on textile art and spatial design.
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