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THE NOVOGRATZ OPEN THEIR HOLLYWOOD CASTLE TO UNVEIL FIRST "NOVOGRATZ BY MOMENI" RUGS
Fearless in their use of color and pattern, designers Bob and Cortney Novogratz create a distinctive and totally original collection with Momeni, which will debut at the October High Point Market.
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LOS ANGLES -- Husband and wife design team Bob and Cortney Novogratz opened the doors to the Novogratz Hollywood castle on Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016 for a launch party unveiling 87 of the first 'Novogratz by Momeni' area rugs in a new licensing partnership with Momeni.
Dubbed the "First Family of Design," and best known for their Bravo TV show, 9 By Design, starring the designing couple and their kids, the Novogratz displayed the new rugs throughout all three floors of their recently renovated home, and even on the basketball court outside.
Cortney and Bob Novogratz
At the castle, which was brimming with VIP guests of the Novogratz and Momeni families, including interior designers and buyers from furniture stores, department stores and major e-tailers, the hosts set up an outdoor taco bar, and champagne and wine were served while a DJ kept the upbeat vibe going throughout the night.
Momeni takes a cue from the word play used by the Novogratz in their interior design work, with fun messages on accent mats and area rugs.
In just over a year, Bob and Cortney Novogratz have designed an entire collection using inspiration from their children, Wes Anderson films, and their love for texture and color. The new line includes hand-tufted polyester shags, hand-tufted 100 percent wool rugs, and vintage-inspired polyester pieces which are hand finished and carved. Bob and Cortney pulled ideas from everything from vintage wallpaper to Bob's military background to create a comprehensive collection in the aesthetic beloved by their fans.
Their unique interior design style made the decision to approach Cortney and Bob Novogratz about licensing an easy one, according to Rachel Fasciani, director of marketing and public relations, Momeni. "We look to collaborate with designers -- or in this case a family -- who have a very particular aesthetic. There is nothing else in the market right now that looks like what has been created by the Novogratz," Fasciani told RugNews.com
A retro 70s vibe is reworked for Millennials in a colorful Novogratz by Momeni rug featuring an artful arrangement of bold geometric shapes.
The decision to partner with Momeni was just as easy for the Novogratz, Cortney said. "My husband and I have always really wanted to do a rug collaboration with someone, and we had heard through the grapevine that Momeni was a great company, with incredible people, and that they were very family-based. When we first started meeting the Momeni team, we realized that they were the right fit, because they are everything we believe in, which is family."
While the collection is cohesive, it is also versatile enough to attract a varied customer base.
"The great thing about the Novogratz, and part of the attraction to them, is that they are known for taking very high end, mixing it in the most pleasing manner with pieces that are available to a wide range of consumers, and at times replicating finds from a garage sale,"explained Fasciani. "Everything is not high end, and everything is not low end, it is the perfect mix. That's also what makes them appealing to everyone from older teenagers to sixty year-olds."
Danish Rya rugs inspired the Novogratz by Momeni's colorful shag designs, updated with fresh hues and patterns.
The collection exhibits vintage patterns with revamped color palettes and designs utilizing modern technology, while keeping the price point reasonable. Some styles are surprisingly inexpensive for the high quality and design of the rugs.
"A lot of it was just to harken back to that nostalgia of things that once were. The challenge was to figure out how we could breathe new life into them and make them 2016 or 2017," said Momeni's lead designer, Katy Repetto. "For example, with the shag rugs, we looked at authentic Danish Rya rugs from the 1970s, and how they were so 'Shag-a-licious'. There was something really revolutionary happening at the time, and it was a big statement in the home furnishings industry when Rya rugs first came out."
A graphic rug recalling Blue Angels' formation, adorns a boy's room in the Novogratz home.
"We went back to that initial first statement that those made, and looked at the patterns and the designs of those truly authentic rugs, to see how we could make them work for today's consumer. It was actually really cool looking back at older rug styles that people in the industry hadn't revisited in such a long time. It was like a history lesson, really."
Along with the rebirth of the 'Shag-a-licious' rugs, Bob's inspiration from his military background sparked another equally unique creative direction for Momeni.
"The Novogratz family really did gear the design direction," Repetto said. "Bob had sent over an inspiration of just a chart of the military ABC's Morse Code. It kind of blew my mind, because it really took us on a path that I don't think rug design has really ever seen before."
The Morse Code rug from the new Novogratz by Momeni collection takes inspiration from Bob Novogratz's military background.
"We love old and new, we love modern and vintage, but we love when things are a little worn and weathered and torn," added Cortney. "And so, we leaned on the Momeni team, and said, 'how would this look if we wrote the military words out, but gave it an aged look?' And that is where it is really a collaboration. Because we come with the idea, we come with the color sets that we want to do, and then they tell us how they can make it work."
Repetto looked for different layouts and figured out the best construction that would achieve a worn look, yet make the words crisp enough to be easily readable.
"We went to a high definition printing company, and looked at textures from military canvas bags for inspiration. Then we applied textures through the printing. When you look at the rug, you think that it has a lot of knots and multiple weaves, and that it is textured. But's actually all a printed illusion, which is really amazing," said Repetto.
In the Novogratz family kitchen, a striped runner reflects the designers' love of color.
The Novogratz are also known for their bold use of color to reflect their personalities and those of their children. This is apparent in the Novogratz stripe rug. "We really are into color. We are about color. Not that I can say that one child is blue, or that I am red, but using a bunch of colors like a rainbow is how we all are as a family of nine. And even though all nine of us are different, we are all complementary, and a team, and hopefully we bring out the best in each other," Cortney explained.
Evoking the "'Shag-a-licious" 1970s, a plush Novogratz by Momeni tiger pattern in teal.
The first release of what fans hope will be many from the Momeni and Novogratz rug collection will be officially launched in October and available at retail beginning in January.
Repetto added, "The interesting thing about the Novogratz is, you see a personality on television, and they come across as very salt of the earth, down home, easy to get along with. The wonderful surprise about working on this collaboration is, they are actually like that."
"They took us on a journey that was really, really fresh -- unlike anything that we have ever done before," said Repetto. "We loved this internally as a company. It injected new life into what we and the rug industry do."
A melange of art counterpoints layers of bold geometric rugs from the first Novogratz by Momeni collection.
Colorful patterned rugs adorn the basketball court at the Novogratz "castle".
A girl's room in the Novogratz castle is enhanced with a Momeni rug with dancing figures set in a multi-colored grid.