ATLANTA -- Steeped in the Vedic culture and customs of India for 3,000 years, the art of adorning women with henna has become universally recognized and fashionable worldwide, inspiring Amer Rugs to create its Henna collection debuting at the January 2016 Atlanta International Rug Market. Featuring 10 designs adapted from tattoo motifs traditionally associated with weddings and religious ceremonies, Henna is one of eight collections Amer will unveil at its completely remodeled AmericasMart showroom, 5-D-2.
"For us, the Henna collection is not just about selling rugs; we want to promote the art form, too," explains Tanuj Gupta, president of Amer Rugs. "Henna as an art is very popular in India. It is an important part of our Vedic religious customs, and as it has emigrated west, we see that American women are attracted to the charm of the designs. People find them very different; very feminine.
"We thought: Why not do something unique with henna patterns? The whole idea was to create a rug collection that was an amalgam of traditional designs and fashion-forward colors," Gupta says, noting that the range features a palette of soft blues, navy, grey and neutrals.
The trend to pale blues and over-scale motifs is exemplified in this debuting design from Amer Rugs' new Henna collection.
"The collection is definitely more oriented to women. But it is women who make the rug purchasing decision: 95 percent of our customer base is women. And when they see these designs, which are modified, but very similar to what would be used in Vedic tattoos, we think they will fall in love with the fashion, the high quality and what we consider really good prices."
Hand-tufted of blended New Zealand wool and art silk, Henna rugs will retail at $499 in the 5x8 size. The introductory collection's 10 motifs are just the beginning, Gupta says, and the company's designers in India are already conceptualizing additional patterns and colorways. "They take these designs very seriously. Our designers have done a wonderful job of interpreting the tattoo designs into rugs."
Seven More New Collections
In addition to the Henna collection, the company is set to launch seven other hand-tufted and hand-loomed collections in Atlanta. On the heels of 2015, which saw Amer's largest-ever introduction of 29 new collections, Gupta says the company is also adding 17 new designs to existing lines, and that every fresh addition is backed with inventory.
"This time of year is very important, because what you show in Atlanta and then in Las Vegas, lays the foundation for the rest of the year. We are careful that anything we introduce at market can be serviced with inventory, and that includes Henna and our other new collection," he explains.
Remodeled Showroom
Amer has completely remodeled its 6,500 square foot AmericasMart showroom in advance of the upcoming market. "It's a completely different showroom, and a totally different experience. The space was completely gutted and renovated so it is more accessible for our customers and reps," Gupta reports, adding that the site lines are better, and the space is more open and bright. The remodel also includes new racks and floors, and reconfigures the space to make room for the 30 lines added last year and additional new collections scheduled for 2016.
"This renovation gives Amer a stylish, elegant and fully functional setting for our expanding product assortment. The objective is to provide our guests with a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere to view Amer products under the best conditions possible."
Free Henna Tattoos at Market
In celebration of the new Henna collection, Amer will have two professional henna artists on hand at its AmericasMart showroom to adorn customers with tattoos each day of the Atlanta Rug Market between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
An overall floral design in the new hand-tufted Henna collection from Amer is shown in a pale neutral colorway called Sparkle White.