COVER Connect New York 2026: Highlights and Collections

Curated by COVER magazine, as always, the leading trade-only show is focused exclusively on high-end rug brands and, as such, it represents the pinnacle of professional rug-buying opportunities in North America.

We are delighted to welcome eight brand new exhibitors to the 2026 edition, who are introduced in this section, where we also highlight expected trends and must-see design from some of the forty-four companies hosted at the Metropolitan Pavilion and The Altman Building, 26-28 September.

COVER Connect Collections

Creative Matters

Six shining new additions are being beamed into the Loominary collection. Fresh off the loom for COVER Connect New York 2026, these follow the collection’s debut at last year’s Manhattan show.

Upon launching, Loominary was ten-designs strong, with the Lucent, Trace and Stria designs offered in two colourways each. The next chapter in the tale delivers one new colourway across five existing designs-Ebb Dune, Obscura Amber, Lucent Amethyst, Stria Natural and Vestige Lunara (see Trends Bauhaus squares)-plus one brand new design: Sorial Sepia (see Trends Warm shades).

All of the pieces are woven in Nepal in 100-knot density and, with the exception of Sorial, they all use a combination of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk. Ebb Dune also incorporates natural undyed allo, while Sorial uses Matka silk and cactus fibres alongside the Tibetan wool.

The concept behind the collection is ‘a tactile play on illusion’ and every piece has been designed to prioritise customisation options. As the brand puts it, ‘each rug gives structure without rigidityand room to make the look entirely unique. Abstract forms invite calm. Clean lines anchor space.’

The latest pieces shimmer in golden, green and lilac tones. They are also accompanied by new photography by the Nepal-based photojournalist Narendra Shrestha, with whom the company works to brings ‘the poetry behind our partner factory’s production processes to life’, as Ana Cunningham, Creative Matters’ managing partner told COVER, adding, ‘A key part of our ethos is transparencyoffering a glimpse into the artistry, technical expertise and cultural responsibility that inform each rug we create.’ 

Couristan

Couristan describes Nouvelle, its latest hand-knotted collection in 100% pure wool, as ‘abstract contemporary’ with ‘tribal vibes’. It has been conceived as a fashion-forward option for stylish spaces and employs space-dyed yarns to add extra warmth to each colour.

They are the perfect solution for sophisticated interior themes that require understated energy, non-symmetrical geometry with a natural feel. The attention to detail seen in the shifting shades brings a gentle, welcome complexity to the provision of neutral warmth.

Knots Rugs x Ian Rayer-Smith

The latest instalment of the Artist Collaboration collection series by Knots Rugs will preview at COVER Connect New York 2026, before its UK launch at Decorex in October.

The company’s creative director, Bonnie Sutton, was familiar with the work of Manchester based abstract painter, lan Rayer-Smith through Instagram. But when she encountered his paintings, by chance, in person, through the window of Rhodes Contemporary on London’s Great Portland Street, their scale, energy and intensity immediately convinced her that they should be translated into a Knots Rugs Your Floor Is the Canvas collection.

Sutton describes how they stood out for their “bold, expressive compositions, unexpected colour and a real sense of movement’. She adds, ‘lan came to painting later in life, leaving a career in business after a transformative encounter with a painting in California. For him, painting is not simply a profession but a calling something he describes as giving his life meaning and purpose.

The resulting rugs feel less like reproductions and more like paintings reimagined in another medium. They are richly layered, highly tactile pieces that capture the freedom and energy of lan’s original canvases.’ Rayer-Smith describes how he gets to his studio early, ‘because the morning gives me solitude, and solitude gives me clarity. The first thing I do is turn on music. The last thing I do before I leave is turn it off. Everything in between is the work. I don’t plan what comes out of it. The feeling finds its way to the surface and onto the canvas, and most of the time I’m following it rather than leading it.’

His willingness to be creatively led has fortuitously resulted in these fabulous additions to Knots Rugs’ woven art designed for the floor. 

Highlights

Sumaq Alpaca

This company doesn’t just have the softest rugs at the show, handwoven from Peruvian high-altitude alpaca fleece. (No alpacas are killed in the making of its rugs.)

It also demonstrably emphasises sustainable practices and the artistry of local weavers by operating an exemplary weaving studio in Lima.

Consolidating all its operations at this facility has allowed Sumaq Alpaca to reduce lead times, streamline production, develop new weaves, and handle larger projects, while simultaneously creating job opportunities and job security for weavers and their families. Thus, committing to its central mission to impact the market while maintaining Peruvian culture and supporting the local economy.

Tibet Rug Company

We love a new take on a traditional tiger rug, and this charming version from Tibet Rug Company offers symmetrical satisfaction and a gorgeous Tibetan-style border to boot.

The New England Collection

With interior styles aplenty turning towards a modern heritage look, what better finish than the traditional texture of a hooked rug to set a homely scene?

With growing appreciation of heritage crafts and local living, we predict these rugs are due another heyday, referencing folk art and artisanal slow living.

The New England Collection saves homeowners from finding all the skills and time needed to manufacture a hooked rug from scratch; with custom options and availability in sizes and colours not found in antiques, there is no need to settle for anything other than your dream piece.

Tissage

The past and future of handmade rugs is intertwined with innovative individuals who reframe the ancient for modern times.

Nikhil Kapoor, creative director of Tissage, takes the reins in this regard, engaging with Gen Z and Gen Alpha and learning new languages at the skate park to reach Common Ground 

Lapchi

Like a texture laboratory, Lapchi expertly experiments with the limitless extent of what is possible with handwoven rugs. It is known for its confident subtlety and incredible use of colour variation, and its newest additions shimmer with metallic hues for lovers of platinum, silver and gold. 

Knot & Co.

This company excels at presenting samples to demonstrate its vast custom-weaving capabilities. We are especially looking forward to seeing the latest flatweave textures like York and Sedona, where the design detail occupies the border zone.

Via Star Rugs