MILAN — Two family-run forces in Italian design and home have come together to amp up their business in key design cities, London and Paris.
Historic textile house Rubelli welcomed Italian carpet maker Amini into its Paris and London showrooms on a permanent basis, Amini told WWD on Monday. Amini’s creative director, Sicilian architect and designer Elisa Ossino, spearheaded the design of two of the brand’s shops-in-shop: one inside Rubelli’s 11 Rue de l’Abbaye showroom in Paris and the other in the Rubelli space at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre.
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Somaglia, Italy-based Amini Carpets is a brand under the Amini Brothers Company, which was established in 1962 by Sultan Amini, a businessman from Afghanistan. The company endures as a family-run operation and continues to manufacture its carpets in Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Turkey and Morocco. About 25 percent of its total business emanates from bespoke projects.
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In 2018, the firm opened a showroom on Milan’s via Borgogna, where it showcases its collections incorporating the imagery and designs of modern design pillars like Gio Ponti, Ico Parisi and Bruno Munari.
Rubelli, the Venetian textile maker famous for its hand-loomed soprarizzo, or chiseled, silk velvet, was founded much earlier, in 1889, and is in the throes of modernizing its designs. In 2023, it tapped design-forward duo Formafantasma as its creative director to propel the fabled house to enhance its appeal to new generations.
Ferid Amini, Amini’s chief executive officer and son of Sultan, said that the two firms share the experience of working with similar creatives and are tasked with propelling family-run firms into a new era.
“In addition to being family-run businesses, Amini and Rubelli share two core values: a passion for quality weaving and a commitment to ongoing design research, which over the years has led to collaborations with major creatives. One name stands out above all: Gio Ponti, an undisputed icon of Italian design and a jewel in the collections of both brands,” Ferid Amini told WWD.
Rubelli’s newly renovated London was inaugurated Monday during the Focus event organized by the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, while the Paris showroom in Saint-Germain will be unveiled on Oct. 21.