COVER Connect Talks on-demand

COVER Connect may be over but you can still catch up on all the Talks on-demand

Watch all seven COVER Connect Talks on the topics of Sustainability, Collaboration and Interior Design on-demand now. Click on the image or Talk title below then scroll down the page to watch at your convenience.

Discover the powerful motivations driving three independent designers to pursue sustainable approaches. Though very different, each is rooted in considerate material choices, ecological concerns and the desire to promote local production. From felted wool from indigenous Dutch sheep to recycling industrial textile waste and transforming it into something precious; to researching the potential of European grown hemp as an alternative to cotton and re-imagining its processing and design outcomes, these panelists’ experimental activities are prime examples of sustainable working practices resulting in outstanding contemporary design. Their activism directly relates to the creation of handmade products that can excel in an industrially dominated commercial world.

Fashionable and deeply nuanced, the term sustainability is increasingly popular, but how can it be pragmatically defined, practiced, monitored and accredited in the handmade rug industry? Where and how can fair trade, the green movement, social mobility and the circular economy all be considered side by side? These panelists and their organisations are committed to improving the working and living conditions of weavers and artisans globally, addressing the root causes of child and bonded labour, promoting transparency in supply chains, encouraging considerate material and manufacturing choices and respecting fragile eco-systems without forgetting economic viability. This discussion tackles the need for a holistic, responsible approach to a complex term.

Three product designers and two rug company directors, whose combined experience of producing collaborative collections is unrivalled, discuss their projects, careers and companies. Touching upon the importance in maintaining a sense of childlike play and working from the heart, to maintaining long-lasting relationships with craftspeople and connecting them to consumers, to the rise of wall-hangings, approaches to texture and colour, the definition of luxury, finding experimental collaborators and the opportunities to be creatively productive that 2020 brought, this remarkable panel of creatives demonstrates the expansive potential of collaboration.

Delve into the art of collaboration from the perspective of the floorcovering creator and the interior designer. Creative Matters’ President, Carol Sebert has invited three of her clients to share their experience of collaboration on custom projects for the residential, retail and commercial sectors. She says: ‘We strive to find solutions that combine the vision and constraints of interiors professionals with the compelling possibilities of carpet creation. Working creatively within these two sets of parameters and overcoming limitations together is an immensely satisfying way to work. When both can share, listen and be accordingly flexible, an amazing synergy occurs resulting in a more perfect carpet than either party had initially envisaged.’

How do leading interior designers and architects incorporate rugs into projects? What can rugs bring to an interior? What is the golden rule of rug selection and at what stage of the project is it considered? Hear from three highly successful international interior designers as they reveal their love of stair runners and their individual approaches to framing zones, setting the right tone, colour contrasts and defining a space with rugs, while taking the materials, techniques, tactility, cleaning, traffic, energy flow and sustainablity into account. Also, can custom rugs be an investment and when is the right time to order custom rugs?

How has global disruption of the familiar routines in the rug industry affected the 78-year-old rug and flooring trade fair Domotex Hannover? How have two of Europe’s largest rug wholesalers coped? After a huge reduction in production, followed by months of unprecedented and unpredictable circumstances, how have these business leaders adapted to survive and thrive in this volatile era? From staffing challenges and erratic demand, to the disappearance of travel, personal meetings and events, they review remote B2B practices that have become the temporary norm, and look ahead to the important resumption of trade fairs in 2022.