OBEETEE and Abraham & Thakore collaborate to recreate rugs with a modern sensibility focusing on textiles, craft and traceability

OBEETEE and Abraham & Thakore collaborate to recreate rugs with a modern sensibility focusing on textiles, craft and traceability

The luxury rugmaker has joined hands with the celebrated designer duo to launch the second phase of ‘Proud to be Indian’ collection

13^th December 2017, India: OBEETEE, India’s largest luxury carpet maker, has launched the second edition of the ‘Proud to be Indian’ series with Abraham & Thakore, one of the most successful and respected design houses in India. The new handcrafted collection of rugs fuses timeless traditional techniques with a bold, contemporary color palette and edgy artistry. The initiative is aimed at bringing the loom to the modern Indian context.

The new ‘Proud to be Indian’ collection touches upon India’s fascinating elements: The borders of vintage saris from Kanchipuram, block prints from Sanganer and the timeless tie and dye Bandhani from Kutch. The designs are also influenced by the geometry of double Ikat Telia Rumals and the art of calligraphy; the ornate lettering techniques. Other vintage elements like old handwritten letters, faded ink and calligraphic strokes have also been used in this labour of love.

On the launch of second edition of Proud to be Indian collection, Rudra Chatterjee, Chairman, OBEETEE, said “We are proud to partner with Abraham & Thakore to create rugs that represent design, material and craftsmanship that are local, yet exceptional in heritage and quality. What attracted us was their mastery of design, which is both cutting-edge yet tied intricately to India’s ethos.”

“With projects such as the one with Abraham & Thakore, we will continue to make fine rugs, but using a new palette derived from the exceptional talent of our partners. We want to give our consumers high-end carpets that are not mass-produced by the retail industry. As we move towards completing 100 years in 2020, we hope to pursue such opportunities to engage our weavers and preserve their craft.” added Rudra.

Elaborating on the association, Angelique Dhama, President, OBEETEE, said: “We were aware of the strong Persian and Central Asian design language of most carpets, we felt the time had come to showcase rugs influenced by India’s own textile traditions, but with an evolved design vocabulary.  We are very excited to join hands with Abraham & Thakore who along with our most experienced weavers, have created some never-seen-before masterpieces. Though the inspiration comes from India’s rich heritage, the elements and colours are fresh and fun, making the whole compilation very contemporary. This collection reaffirms the ingenuity of the human hand.”

OBEETEE employed some of its finest weavers to this task; it took more than a year to weave one carpet. The carpets are all hand-knotted using different yarns and finishes. A lot of thought went into the details; the finest silk was procured and rugs were woven with a knot density of about 200 knots per square inch. Each piece has been designed to represent the modern and progressive India using a chic colour palette.

“The carpets are also customised for our patrons. Each buyer can scan a QR code embedded in the tapestry of the carpet and read details about its weaver. The exclusivity of each carpet gives it a recherché charm and timeless elegance. These bespoke, limited edition rugs are made to adorn the homes of its proud owners for generations,” added Angelique.

“When we were approached by OBEETEE, we were excited to be developing carpets with India’s finest carpet weaving company. We found the premise of the project, which focuses on combining the finest carpet weaving skills of India with an Indian design sensibility both challenging and timely,” said designers Abraham & Thakore.

“The beauty of this collection lies in the technical virtuosity of a hand knotted carpet, where millions of threads are individually knotted together to create the complex surface of matt and sheen. Each rug has a modern design voice with a rich traditional vocabulary of Indian design and craft. The design sensibility is low key yet highly distinctive, with a strong respect for material, form and craft,” said the designers.

After unveiling the Abraham & Thakore collection in Delhi, OBEETEE will showcase the collection in Germany, followed by New York.

About OBEETEE

OBEETEE is one of the largest handmade rug makers in India and one of the oldest hand-woven rug companies in the world. OBEETEE’s outstanding quality and reputation have earned the interest of many famous and notable people. Founded as Oakley Bowden & Taylor in 1920, OBEETEE has grown to 650 permanent employees and works with 15,000 independent artisans who are engaged in weaving and processing our rugs in India. The Rashtrapati Bhavan is home to two majestic OBEETEE rugs, the largest measuring 452 square metres and containing billions of intricate knots.

OBEETEE has the greatest in-house capabilities of any rug-maker in India, thanks to their modern dyeing plant and inspired design department. The OBEETEE colour bank holds over 4,000 colour-fast shades of wool. The designers at OBEETEE constantly study new textures and fresh combinations, to ensure the production of the finest quality rugs available in India.. OBEETEE is the first company to receive the coveted SA 8000:2001 certification for Social Accountability and adheres to strict standards in every area of conduct-from working hours and collective bargaining to workers’ safety and health. The company strongly supports children education, access to sanitation, women’s economic empowerment in the villages where it operates.