Discover Sustainable Rugs Born From Nepali Craft

Dutch industrial designer Edith van Berkel, a Design Academy Eindhoven grad known for embracing craft and collaboration, teamed with Maharam to create three new rugs. Van Berkel fostered a textile practice for Jongeriuslab, where she’s a partner, bringing artisanal techniques to industrial production.

For this collection, she aimed to filter the weaving practices of Kathmandu, Nepal, through a contemporary lens, experimenting with renewable materials and undyed yarn to reduce environmental impact. Bower, for instance, is made from locally harvested wild nettle, grown naturally by monsoon season rains rather than via irrigation. The other patterns, Compose and Linger, combine wool from argali sheep with pops of silk and cotton. Color blocking in tones of mauve/umber or moss/ash gives Compose a jolt of contrast, while Linger utilizes an elemental dip-dye to create its two-tone gradient.