Rug Show shoppers saw the newest colors, patterns and weaves for 2025 at the rug industry’s first show of the fall-winter selling season.
SECAUCUS, N.J. -- The Rug Show 2024 marked its 14th anniversary serving dealers and designers from across the U.S. with a broad selection of fashion-forward and classic designs, as well as coveted one-of-a-kind works of art.
Held Sept. 7-9 at the Meadowlands Expo Center, the show’s international potpourri of exhibitors offered show shoppers a rare opportunity to provide exclusivity and thereby help them to skirt the issue of comparison shopping online.
Browsing show aisles, visitors were greeted with Farshchi’s 24-foot mansion sized turn of the century Tabriz, recolored in pale cream tones for contemporary homes. Next the eye turned to vividly colored abstract designer carpets at Art Resources’ space, contrasted by its new Exotic Fibers collection featuring luxurious, unique choices from merino wool to mulberry silk.
The tour continued with show-stopping mid-century Scandinavian looks refashioned by Rug & Kilim illustrating cutting-edge weaves and high fashion colors. “We’re strong, “we’re growing, and we’re in the city, so The Rug Show is convenient for us as well as attendees,” said Cyrus Nazmiyal, vice president, Rug & Kilim. “The industry has been a little down this year, but we are a growing business, and we want more people to see us,” he explained.
Sprinkled throughout the show floor were stunning examples of artistry specific to weaving centers in Afghanistan, Turkey, Egypt and southwest Persia. The global appeal of these area rugs is enhanced by the effort of exhibitors to help weavers, especially Afghan weavers, to build better lives through their craft.
“This is a new Andkhuy,” said Roz Rustigian of Rustigian Rugs in Providence, RI, at San Francisco-based Andkhuy Rugs’ stand. With improved dyes, fashion color palettes and trend-responsive designs, rugs from companies like Andkhuy have become increasingly important to Rustigian.
“The Rug Show is a unique opportunity in North America for us to showcase our artisans’ work to an international audience,” said Sanjay Purohit, a consultant to exhibitor Turquoise Mountain, and a veteran of the fine carpet industry in India and the US. “Our goal at Turquoise Mountain is to help Afghan weavers and producers to improve efficiencies and increase market share. Afghan carpet producers are capable of doing beautiful rugs right now, but we know they are capable of doing so much more.”
Shopping the Rug Show 2024, visitors found fresh ideas from international brands and the camaraderie of industry friends.
Indeed, exhibitors specializing in Afghan carpets at this year’s rug show wowed visitors with updated yarn dyeing and spinning techniques, new on-point colorways and fashion-forward designs -- often displayed side by side with classics reworked for 21st century homes.
At its stands Kehkashan Rugs showcased Aryana, Faryab and Nooristan rugs, meticulously woven with high quality dyes and handspun wool, each type of rug emanating from provinces of Afghanistan specializing in these distinctively different designs. In contrast were softly striated solid color in on-point fashion tones.
Follow RugNews.com editors for an exclusive photographic tour of the fine hand-knotted area rugs at The Rug Show 2024.
AFGHAN BAZAR RUGS
Amid its comprehensive lineup of famous carpet designs and kilims, Afghan Bazar debuts a chic selection of woven
runners in contemporary neutrals.
ALPINE RUGS
At the Alpine Rugs stand, buyers Hossein Rezai and Dawn Rezai of Persian Rugs & More with Alpine principals
Sami and Habibullah Nazar.
ANDKHUY RUGS
Roz Rustigian and Pauline Kobylar of Rustigian Rugs in Providence, RI, with the Andhkuy team, Hassein, Anwar and
Hassan, left to right.
Jalil Fatollahi and Maryam Mohammadi of Princeton Rug Gallery in Princeton, NJ, pose with an Andkhuy abstract Faryab.
ANWAR RUGS
A lavishly detailed classic example of Anwar Rugs' extensive range of classic and traditional designs in hand-spun,
natural vegetable-dyed wool.
ART RESOURCES
Max Moussavi of Art Resources with Kazem Fatahi of New Jersey's Summit Rug pose in front of a sold-out Marrakesh
collection debut (AR786).
Art Resources showcases its new Exotic Fibers lineup, offering a range of luxurious materials, such as mulberry silk and Merino wool.
FARSHCHI INC.
Left to Right at the Farshchi booth are Abdul Hameed Rasekh (Alexandria, Virginia), Eddie Akhavan-Farshchii, principal,
Farshchi Inc., DAI's Bulent Ozozan and Sabir Sidiqee.
KEHKASHAN RUGS
Faramarz “Frank” Asef, president & CEO of Jacobson Rugs in Saratoga Springs and Syracuse, New York, visits Khairullah
Karimi, owner of Kehkashan Rugs with Jacob Haleloyan.
From classic to contemporary, designs introduced at The Rug Show 2024 showcased Kehkashan’s woven artistry and
masterful use of color.
NEMAN INTERNATIONAL
Principal Said Neman of Neman International reported strong response to intricately woven Serape and Super Kazak A
designs at his Rug Show stand.
RUG & KILIM
Rug & Kilim showcased the latest qualities in its Scandinavian collection, shown boucle-style Nu construction hanging,
and the new Stripe lineup in the fore.
Rug & Kilim debuts samples of its brand-new Block collection inspired by block prints, which was a hit out of the gate.
SATAR
Left to right at the Satar booth are Amit Golchha of New Jersey's Merchants of Asia and Wase Rasul, founder and
managing director of Satar Carpet.
Satar Carpets, based in Germany, gives a classic Oushak a new fashion look in spice pink at the fall event.
TURKISH RUG CO.
Veli Soylemez, of Houston-based Turkish Rug Co., with his best-selling pastel Oushak designs.
TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN
The Turquoise Mountain team showcased their latest Afghan hand-woven designs. From left to right: William Olsen,
Ajmal Samimi, Atiullah Aqai, Sanjay Purohit, Maryam Omar, Alison Grey, Zubair Bakhtyar. Shown in rear, Kerman All Over,
on floor, Ziegler, from the Classic collection.
Turquoise Mountain showcases an innovative Afghan contemporary design (DM 07) hand-knotted of wool with silk accents.
-- For more details on TRS exhibitors read our report The Rug Show 2024 Exhibitors Grow Demand for Afghan Weaving Artistry