spring 2020 final cover.qxp_001 FALL 2006.qxd 3/4/20 2:54 PM Page 1 AREA Spring 2020 We’ve made it our business to protect yours… Our mission is to protect our brick & mortar accounts by not offering our rugs to online retailers. What protection do you get from your rug vendors? Los Angeles . High Point . Las Vegas . Atlanta . Dallas www.jauntyinc.com CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF FINE ARTISANAL HANDCRAFTED RUGS ATLANTA LAS VEGAS NEW YORK HIGH POINT KALATY.COM SOUMAK COLLECTION HIGH POINT SHOWROOM – IHFC, G-369 OPEN EARLY FRIDAY, APRIL 24 OPEN FOR MARKET APRIL 26 - 29 (CLOSED SATURDAY, APRIL 25) EXCLU SIVELY R U G S . BY D ESIGN. HIGH POINT IHFC G276 | OWRUGS.COM High Point market SHOWROOM H-345 April 25-29, 2020 MOMENI The Heirloom Collection. spring 2020 2.qxp_001 FALL 2006.qxd 3/7/20 3:02 PM Page 6 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK Dear Colleagues, I am honored and humbled to have been elected pres- More recently, technology has taken over offering ident of the ORIA, whose mission is to work vigor- vendors a single integrated digital platform that ously on issues important to our industry. My com- enhances and extends the physical markets, connect- mitment will be to continue those efforts and proudly ing hundreds of thousands buyers and sellers and carry the torch that has been passed to me from our opening new business opportunities for customers. previous presidents. The challenge is how to find a balance between We are at the start of a new decade with a new the “digital” ways and the “personal” (traditional) set of challenges. It will require resilience and proac- ways of conducting business. To sell our product, tivity to turn them into opportunities and excel. consumers still need to “touch and feel” in order to Ongoing global concerns are impact- appreciate the quality and what it ing our industry, directly and indirect- takes to make a handmade rug. ly. These include Chinese tariffs and Oriental rugs were once considered changes in India’s trade status. More “heirlooms” to be passed down from recent challenges include the one generation to another whereas Coronavirus that is disrupting the flow today the younger generation relies on of goods and creating travel concerns technology, computers and social for buyers. Our biggest challenge is to media to find affordable area rugs maintain the current high level of con- they can use for a few years before sumer confidence that underpins our replacing them with something new. market until these headwinds abate. On the plus side, ours is a BIG The ORIA’s efforts will be enhanced by our industry with a wide variety of consumers with dif- strong new partnership with the IMC. The benefits ferent tastes, preferences and appreciations. There is were already apparent in the staging of the recent a market for genuine Antique Navajo rugs as well as very successful January markets. In addition, the for a polypropylene machine made Navajo-inspired IMC is launching a new digital innovation division rug. Our challenge is to tell each of OUR own unique (IMC_di), the B2B e-commerce platform that will stories to our customers, no matter how small or how offer vendors new ways to reach new buyers, capture big. We must also develop creative, innovative ideas leads and grow sales and products tailored for different markets (Atlanta, Without question, the rug industry has changed Las Vegas, High Point, etc.) and advertise in multiple tremendously over the past several decades, evolving industry publications to keep the readers informed from a handful of companies importing one-of-a- and educated as to the unique qualities of handmade kind hand knotted pieces from a limited number of rugs … this most functional of art forms. countries to a select group of retailers into a dynamic, Wishing everyone a healthy year with great suc- consumer-driven, major home-fashion category. cess and prosperity in 2020. Kami Navid President - Oriental Rug Importers Association, Inc. 6 Spring 2020 spring 2020 2.qxp_001 FALL 2006.qxd 3/7/20 3:02 PM Page 7 Spring APublished by REAthe Oriental Rug Importers Association, Inc. 400 Tenafly Rd., #699, Tenafly NJ 07670 • 201-866-5054 •www.oria.org President Kami Navid Vice-President Hari Tummala Treasurer Behrooz Hakimian Secretary Michael Riley Executive Director Lucille Laufer AREA Advisory Reza Momeni, Chrm. Committee Dennis Dilmaghani Editor-Emeritus Archie Cherkezian Editor-in-Chief Lucille Laufer Editor Sally James Contributing Author Alix Perrachon Contributing Author Carol Milano Contributing Author Ellyne Raeuber 32 Production Artistic Color Graphics 6 From the President’s Desk 28 Merchandising IMC Unveils New B2B Digital Platform 12 Calendar 32 Design Focus: Sara Touijer 12 Index to Advertisers ”The Rug is the Key to the Room” 14 From HQ ORIA General Membership Meeting 40 History & Heritage The Navajos: The Most American Of Weavers 16 Around Market January Atlanta & Las Vegas 46 Directory 24 In the News Cover: A graphic ikat-design rug exhibiting a brilliant array of indigo, light blue, and lavender with pops of ivory is the 25 New Products Gallery artistic statement in this seating nook. Photography by Regan Wood. Photography. Courtesy of Touijer Designs. Material submitted for publication will not be returned unless specifically requested. No article shall be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the Oriental Rug Importers Association, Inc. Subscription price (for the trade only) is $30 for one year and $40 for two years in the United States. In Canada and Mexico the price is $35 for one year. The price for all other countries outside the U.S. is $60 for one year, payable by check drawn on a U.S. bank. Remittance must be attached to subscription order. Individual copies are available at $10 per issue. AREA 7 CAPEL2020 RUGS TexpAdvreenturesss in Textionsure WWW.CAPELRUGS.COM | 800-334-3711 LIFE, LUXURIOUSLY LIVED. Old-world opulence lives in our Lanister Collection Lanister 6745F in Blue/Multi New York Home Fashions Market March 23 - 26 Prince George Ballroom, Tea Room feizy.com @feizyrugs High Point Market April 25 - 29 To find your local sales rep, Market Square, Suite 145 Dallas • High Point • Las Vegas please call 800.779.0877 Your resource for ne hand-woven rugs (201) 863-8888 www.teppteamusa.com LIVE BEAUTIFULLY. style: Botan Multi LAS VEGAS | HIGH POINT | 800.845.8877 | karastanrugs.com spring 2020 2.qxp_001 FALL 2006.qxd 3/7/20 3:02 PM Page 12 CALENDAR & INDEX events DALLAS DESIGN WEEK ..............................April 13-17 ATLANTA MARKET........................................July 14-20 Dallas, TX Atlanta, GA (800) DAL-MKTS/www.dallasmarketcenter.com (800) ATL-MART/www.americasmart.com INTERNATIONAL HOME LAS VEGAS MARKET .....................................July 26-30 FURNISHINGS MARKET ............................April 25-29 Las Vegas, NV High Point, NC www.imcenters.com (336) 888-3700/www.imcenters.com HOSPITALITY & DESIGN SHOW.....................May 5-7 Las Vegas, NV (508) 743-8502/www.hdexpo.com Auctions INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIE’S FURNITURE FAIR (ICFF)...............................May 17-20 www.christies.com New York, NY London, S. Kensington (914) 421-3200/www.icff.com Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds NEOCON.............................................................June 8-10 Including Oriental Rugs and Carpets.................................................April 2 Chicago, IL www.neocon.com Contributions to this calendar are welcome. Please send information to AREA Magazine, c/o ORIA, 400 Tenafly Rd., #699, Tenafly NJ 07670 [email protected] AREA advertisers AMICI....................................................................................2 NOURISON ......................................................................IBC 908-272-8300/[email protected] 800-223-1110/nourison.com CAPEL ...................................................................................8 ORIENTAL WEAVERS ........................................................3 910-572-7000/capelrugs.com 800-832-8020/owrugs.com FEIZY ....................................................................................9 TAMARIAN.........................................................................13 (800) 779-0877/feizy.com 410-321-6222/tamarian.com D & K WHOLESALE .........................................................10 TEPP TEAM ........................................................................10 914-472-1700/dkwh.com 201-863-8888/[email protected] JAUNTY CO. ...................................................................IFC 800-323-3342/jauntyinc.com KALATY................................................................................1 SERVICES 800-255-7847/kalaty.com TO THE AREA RUG INDUSTRY MOHAWK HOME/KARASTAN........................................11 AMERICASMART-ATLANTA .........................................BC (800) 843-4473/mohawkind.com 800-ATL-MART/americasmart.com LOLOI....................................................................................5 MATERIAL CONCEPTS ....................................................24 972-503-5656/loloirugs.com 800-372-3366/[email protected] MOMENI ...............................................................................4 800-536-6778/momeni.com 12 Spring 2020 spring 2020 2.qxp_001 FALL 2006.qxd 3/7/20 3:02 PM Page 14 FROM ORIA HQ Oriental Rug Importers Association Elects New Officers The Oriental Rug Importers Association (ORIA) held their annual meeting hosted by the World Market Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 28th and elected the following