Chances are you’ll know Athena Calderone from her life-style web site EyeSwoon, or maybe the Brooklyn-based entertaining skilled’s bestselling books, Dwell Lovely and Prepare dinner Lovely, the latter of which received a prestigious James Beard Award for images. Design lovers may be most accustomed to her Instagram web page, the place over 750,000 followers (together with Jennifer Aniston and Rachel Cargle) flock to her serene, texture-filled type. However no matter your introduction, it’s clear that Calderone has nice style, a undeniable fact that’s evidenced in the multidisciplinary inventive’s newest medium: a collaboration with the textile masters at Beni Rugs.
The ensuing fall assortment, “Broken Symmetry,” options 12 high-pile rugs handwoven by Moroccan artisans and custom-dyed with sun-faded hues impressed by Calderone’s travels to Marrakech—a 2005 journey that continues to affect the designer’s type. Equally significant is the work of Mexican architect, Luis Barragán, which impressed the geometric shapes of Calderone’s collaboration with Robert Wright and Tiberio Lobo-Navia, co-founders of Beni Rugs. Given the handmade nature of every piece, no sample is really excellent, however that’s the fantastic thing about Moroccan rug making and a boon to these looking out the web for distinctive residence treasures.
We spoke with Calderone and the Beni Rugs workforce to study extra about “Broken Symmetry,” what the collaboration course of was like, and what makes them most proud.
*images by Simon Watson.
That is your first main foray into product design—what has been the spotlight of this expertise? And the main studying curve?
Calderone: The spotlight was positively the course of—the place I began was by no means the place I ended up. I might distill, refine, take away, add. Oftentimes, I might go in circles solely to finish up the place I started whereas at others, I’d come to a totally new place I by no means imagined to land. Whereas irritating at instances, I discovered to enjoy the rumination, and like Alice, allowed myself to go down the rabbit gap the place instantly, roadblocks become resolutions. I additionally liked the alternative to witness “the attraction of the hand” and uncover the magic artwork of Moroccan rug making. I’ve all the time been intrigued by the behind-the-scenes in my design work so this collaboration felt like a pure extension of that.
What was the collaboration course of like?
Beni Rugs: The collaboration course of was easy, enlightening, and enjoyable! We traded reference photographs, chatted on the telephone for months, and despatched samples of dyed yarn forwards and backwards between Marrakech and NYC. It culminated in an unforgettable journey to Mallorca to {photograph} the assortment. This was the first time that we had seen the rugs as a collective—we had been like children on Christmas morning tearing open the FedEx packages.
Calderone: The Beni workforce and I share a love of the craft, the unknowns, the juxtapositions, and the imperfections Moroccan rug making celebrates. This was the widespread thread woven into each piece. I’m really grateful for such an enlightening and joyful expertise.
I’d like to understand how you landed on the colours you selected.
Calderone: Throughout my first journey to Marrakech a few years in the past, I trawled the souks for rugs and discovered to understand texture and patina by means of the new textiles, muted sun-washed hues, and rudimentary supplies I discovered. That have left an indelible mark on my design viewpoint and the way I see the world. It additionally allowed me to see juxtaposition, symmetry, and imperfection by means of a brand new lens. I drew inspiration from that journey together with the shapes, tones, and textures I skilled and infused it into this debut rug assortment. These sun-muted shades additionally really feel timeless, pairing the rustic with the fashionable.
What drew you into the world of rugs? What do you like about them?
Calderone: I’ve all the time been drawn to the texture and completely imperfect shapes of Moroccan rugs. Their touchable texture and hand-woven rusticity are completely at residence in any inside, from fashionable to conventional. I additionally love that they’re not valuable. The extra you stroll on them, reside with them, the higher they get, making them a terrific possibility for households and pet house owners.
This assortment is all about honoring the “attraction of the hand.” Are you able to elaborate on this sentiment? How does this impression the course of and last design?
Beni Rugs: The attraction of the hand actually lies at the core of Moroccan rug making. The methods that we use to create our rugs haven’t modified in hundreds of years. Every rug is made solely by hand. Which means no two are ever the similar. No line will ever be precisely straight; no two squares will ever be exactly the similar measurement. In a world of accelerating mass manufacturing, we cherish this aspect. There’s additionally one thing to be mentioned for ready for a product to be mad—it displays the sincere, genuine observe that goes into one thing made only for you.
What are you most pleased with about this assortment? What makes it a standout?
Beni Rugs: We’re actually proud to collaborate with a inventive and a good friend whose aesthetic aligns so effectively with ours. The evolution of the coloration palette with these stunning, sun-washed hues is an actual step ahead for our aim of melding modern, world design influences with historic craftsmanship and heritage high quality.
Calderone: Seeing my designs come to life has been such an honor. I’m so grateful to have labored so intently with a workforce that really aligns with the similar values as me—authenticity, high quality, and craftsmanship. I believe the damaged symmetry of the patterns and colours is what makes this rug assortment a standout. It feels timeless and but contemporary all of sudden.
Store the Athena Calderone x Beni Rugs assortment, Broken Symmetry at BeniRugs.com