A Magic Carpet

Kala Rug Collection: Images Courtesy of nanimarquina

As we re-group from this week’s unexpected events, we thought this might be a good time to switch gears and share another wonderful find I discovered at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. This time our featured designer is the Spanish carpet manufacturer nanimarquina.

nanimarquina is a rug designer and manufacturer of exquisite handmade rugs, most of which are handmade in India, Pakistan, and Morocco using traditional hand tufted, hand knotted, hand loomed, and Kilim techniques. Their rugs are made with natural materials such as cotton, jute, and wool. Yet aside from making beautiful rugs, nanimarquina is also part of a group of companies working to make a difference within their industry by teaming up to help eliminate child labor in the countries where many of their products are produced. nanimarquina has teamed up with the Care&Fare initiative, to make a difference in children’s lives.

Care&Fair is a group committed to the fight against illegal child labor in the carpet production industry in the countries of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. The main goal of Care&Fare is to give children a chance in life, by providing them an opportunity to attend school and receive an education. The International Labour Organization estimates that there are  nearly 250 million children world wide still forced to work in various industries. It is therefore, rewarding to hear that designers like nanimarquina are stepping up to make a difference within their industry to help eliminate child labor. As a member of the initiative, nanimarquina contributes 1% of the income from rug imports to Care&Fair programs. Care&Fair in turn is able to finance schools, hospitals, and health programs for children in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

The Kala Rug, is a project in collaboration with nanimarquina and Care&Fare. This collection was created from original drawings submitted by children in the Care&Fare schools in India. Proceeds from the sales of this rug will be donated to Care&Fare in order to help finance a school in India.