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My project focused on designing and sampling new ideas in hand tufted, hand knotted and flat weave to design modern contemporary rugs and carpets. I developed six collections of carpets for ‘Mat The Basics’, brand of M.A. Trading with an eye towards American consumers and European clients as well as presentation in the Domotex fair 2009.
I had considerable freedom to experiment. The collection needed to be innovative in terms of idea, structure, composition and quality. I began by conducting research of existing international clients and also studied several foreign magazines which gave me an idea about contemporary floor covering, color trends, materials and modern interiors.
I designed six collections with four approaches. The designs of the first two collections are based on the look and style of ‘Mat The Basics’ brand carried in the world market. The existing designs are based in a grid. The second two collections are designed taking inspiration from foreign magazines. Erode and Oxygen are the two themes from the magazine Mix Futures Interiors 2008. The third approach was based on taking a traditional gabbeh carpet as inspiration for carpet design. For this, I researched Persian carpets extensively. For the fourth collection, I designed dhurries and carpets using inspirations from Scandinavian countries. The final collection was the collaborative effort of six members in the design team.
The exercise of designing with considerations for visibility in international venues broadened my world-view. The international exposure that I received transcended being an exercise in carpet weaving to become an exercise in weaving cross-cultural connections. |