A coterie of high-end exhibitors offers an international take on color and design trends in beautifully made carpets at The Rug Show 2023.
SECAUCUS, N.J. --The Rug Show 2023 offered an international take on color and design trends in beautifully made carpets for discerning consumers. Diminished in size from its pre-pandemic iterations, but not in the scope of choices and exclusivity, the show attracted a coterie of high-end dealers to the Meadowlands Expo Center from Sept. 9-11.
Buyers shopping TRS told RugNews.com that the openness of exhibitors’ stands and the volume of rugs immediately available for the all-important fall home decorating season were key benefits. “It’s a more open presentation; more professional,” said Jack Simantob, an owner of Los Angeles-based Art Resources and a Rug Show founding board member.
Walking the aisles, buyers could shop 25 luxury rug brands, including several exhibitors presenting for the first time in the New Jersey event. Among the newcomers at the 2023 Rug Show were Arsin Rug Gallery, Kalaty, Liberty Rugs, Momeni, Palladium Rugs, Royal Antique, Soheil Oriental Rugs, Turkmen Rug and Turquoise Mountain.
They joined returning exhibitors: Afghan Bazar Rugs, Alpine Rug, Andkhuy Rugs, Anwar Rugs, Art Resources, Kehkashan Rugs, Neman International, Palazzo Carpets, S&H Rugs, Sam Shamoulian, Shalom Brothers, Soheil Oriental Rugs, Turkish Carpets and Turkish Rug Co.
FASHION BRIDGES THE CENTURIES
Across The Rug Show, booths offered fashion-forward pieces in styles ranging from traditional to contemporary.
Shown, S&H Rugs' best-sellers both classic and traditional designs.
From a fashion perspective, show shoppers were immersed in dichotomies of design. Bridging the centuries, modern abstracts vied for attention with 250-year-old antiques, and everything in between. Artful combinations of borderless rugs embellished with open, airy placement of tribal motifs brought new life to centuries-old designs, as did zero pile vintage rugs dyed in trending fashion colors. An interesting new crop of stylish rugs woven with repurposed wool from old Soumak carpets caught buyers’ attention.
Color ran the gamut from vivid traditional hues to bold modern art palettes, with the omnipresent neutrals now moving from gray tones to warmer beige. Greens, particularly shades of moss were hits, and pinks (perhaps influenced by Barbie mania) were showstoppers.
Leela Dominoski and Driscoll Robbins of Driscoll Robbins Carpets in Seattle in front of the hand-knotted wool Amalfi
collection rug AF1281 at the Kalaty stand with a best-selling abstract in the foreground.
RUG BUYERS CHECK OUT NEW RUGS, GREET OLD FRIENDS
Jack Simantob, Art Resources, George Haroonian, the Rug Warehouse in LA, Ramin Kalaty with Kalaty’s expansive
Rug Show exhibit in the background.
TRS shoppers looked to Art Resources for not only its top-selling Moroccan-inspired pieces and its popular Southwest lineup, both rolling out fresh pieces, but also checked out the company's latest abstract and contemporary styles. Show hits from the California company also included the hand-knotted wool and silk Emerald collection, colorful Impressions designs, and the Art collection, which features a traditional high and low Soumak weave in colorful motifs.
TRS shoppers Michael Pourvakil, right, and his son Bahador Pourvakil, center left, of Weavers Art, take a break from reviewing Art
Resources' contemporary and abstract designs to pose with Max Moussavi, far left and Eddie Simantob center right.
Kalaty scored with a range of looks at the 2023 edition of The Rug Show. Michael Kalaty told RugNews.com that several traditional looks with a modern vibe were among its best-sellers from the Amalfi collection of handcrafted artisanal rugs. The Lyra collection, which features an acid wash finish, was an instant hit, as were the abstract designs of Orian and the company’s Oushaks. “Our Oushak collection probably is the biggest-selling hand-knotted program in the US,” Michael Kalaty said. “It’s priced well, and we offer it in 2x7 to 12x18, rounds, square and more. And we keep updating the colors and the patterns.” He noted that borderless Oushaks were popular at the Rug Show and buyers also loved the hand-knotted Amalfi collection, which is also influenced by classic Oushak designs.
Brothers Aria and Ali Momeni manned the Momeni booth, where the company, which is known for its rugs, broadloom and one-of-a-kinds, focused exclusively on OAKS at various price points. “One-of-a-kind rugs are his passion,” said Ali of Aria Momeni. For this show, Momeni highlights its breadth in one-of-a-kinds offering everything from contemporary to traditional. “Tribals did very well for us here,” Aria Momeni told RugNews.com. “Best sellers were Oushaks, soft Moroccans, goods from Pakistan and Afghanistan.” The Carlstadt-based company also showcased its assortment of fine-quality rugs Turkey and India. “This show comes at the perfect time, as our high selling season is fall,” Aria explained.
Ali Momeni, Lisa Slappey of Pride of Persia and Postmodern Traditions in Houston with Aria Momeni of Momeni Rugs,
reviewing Momeni's one-of-a-kind rugs.
Best-sellers at hand-knot specialist S&H Rugs were an abstract in popular moss green and neutral tones; Boxes, now offered in five colorways, and the only loomed collection offered by the company; and a modern plaid wool rug. “Zero pile distressed rugs are a trending category for us,” said S&H founder Ori Wilbush, adding “we’re doing really well with tribals, and Oushaks are trending too.”
Wilbush said he picked up a new customer early on opening day of the show and saw several regulars looking for fresh designs. "At this show you can find the largest up-to-date inventories of hand-knotted rugs from around the globe."
Kevin Fusting of Galleria Carpets and Fine Rugs of Washington, D.C., gets a tour of the latest designs from Ori Wilbush
of S&H Rugs. Shown, SH65909.
Turquoise Mountain displayed 30 new carpet designs at its Rug Show stand, all woven in Afghanistan as part of its mission to revive historic areas and traditional crafts, and to provide jobs and skills. “All of our custom-made carpets are woven in Afghanistan,” explained Alison Gray. “They are woven and finished to your own design and specifications, or you can choose from our range.” Two showstoppers were the contemporary all silk Blue Ripple rug and an updated Arts & Crafts-inspired design from the Evoke collection called Boutique Navy.
Charles Esber of Esber Rugs (left), and Alison Gray and William Olsen of Turquoise Mountain in front of Blue Ripple silk rug,
hand-knotted to order by weavers the organization supports in Afghanistan. Esber stopped by the booth to learn more about Turquoise Mountain and its support of weavers and artisans.
THE RUG SHOW DIFFERENCE
Rust tones remain a top selling coloration for rug dealers shopping handmade pieces at the fall 2023 TRS. Shown,
S&H Rug, in foreground, and Turquoise Mountain's booth at left.
“The distinguishing feature of The Rug Show,” Jack Simantob explained, “is that it’s a nonprofit show managed by a board of rug industry execs, and not for the benefit of any one organization.” Mindful of the costs of exhibiting in New York, and skyrocketing travel expenses for shoppers and vendors, TRS negotiated Expo Center rates and $150 a night rate at a hotel adjacent to exhibition center.
“Buyers like to walk across the driveway to the show. If they want to go to the city, they Uber and still save hundreds of dollars. At Javitz, where the show had been before Covid, it would cost double if not 2½ times for vendors to exhibit – just to break even.”
Saeid Arsin, Abbas Arsin and James Arsin of Arsin Rug Gallery with Houshi Moradi of Rugport in Chicago (second left),
pose in front of an antique Persian Sultanabad.
At Turkish Carpets' stand, Hannah Massarat and Marni Unger of Asian Trade Rug, which also operates a Gabbeh.com
online store, pose in front of a dramatic tribal design crafted of reclaimed wool.
Said Neman, with Neman international, shows Ala Falasiri, founder of Shiraz Rug Gallery, Tampa, Florida, his newest
hand-woven designs including a Bijar styled rug.
RUGS ON SHOW AT TRS
Browsing the hundreds of high-end handmade, and even a curated offering of fine machine-made area rugs, RugNews.com walked the aisles to bring you a sampling of even more exquisite designs that range from hand-knotted pieces crafted of reclaimed wool or vibrant and colorful traditional motifs, made with natural vegetable dyes, to vintage and one-of-a-kinds that featured cutting edge textures, trending designs and fashion-forward colorations.
AFGHAN BAZAAR
Afghan Bazaar, based in Lorton, Virginia, leaned into its Afghan heritage of weaving arts with new twists on traditional
designs as well as striking transitional looks.
ANDKHUY
Buyers seeking classic designs found Andkhuy’s rugs beautifully made with mindful details, often in surprisingly on-trend
colors in addition to traditional palettes.
ARSIN RUG GALLERY
The Rose Oushak collection with family member Rose Arsin company model for Arsin Rug Gallery with showrooms in
Dallas, Houston, and LA.
ART RESOURCES
Show hits also included the hand-knotted wool and silk Emerald collection, colorful Impressions designs, and the Art
collection, which features a traditional high and low Soumak weave in colorful designs.
KALATY
Kalaty's hand-knotted Lyra collection, crafted of hand-spun premium wool, is a hit with buyers, for its on-point classic
motifs, zero pile and trending color palettes. Shown, design 806
MOMENI
Sam Carroll and Rhiannon Esposito of Fine Rugs of Charleston with Aria Momeni at Momeni’s 2023 Rug Show stand,
browsing the company's popular Moroccan designs.
PALAZZO CARPETS
The L.A.-based Palazzo Carpets, a wholesaler of high-end machine-made rugs, debuted at The Rug Show.
S&H RUGS
Rug Show shoppers snapped up S&H Rugs latest updated classic rugs in trending palettes featuring warmed up grays and blues.
TURKISH CARPETS USA
From authentic antique Anatolian carpets to new Oushak production, Turkish Carpets' Rug Show display caught buyers’
eyes for its scope of designs and colors.
TURKISH RUG CO.
Fashion meets art in the rugs on show at Houston-based Turkish Rug Co., where offerings range from Turkish old
world and Tulu designs to new carpets woven of yarns from vintage kilims.
TURQUOISE MOUNTAIN
The Ziegler rug (left) from Turquoise Mountain’s Classic collection; on the right, the Bouquet design in navy from the
Evoke collection inspired by 19th century Arts & Crafts rugs and hand-knotted of Ghazni wool.