Hossein Rezvani - MorningCalm November 2017

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WEAVING A NEW TALE

The millions of knots that compose each of Iranian-German designer Hossein Rezvani’s contemporary Persian carpets come together to tell a story that’s both familiar and novel.

Think of the Persian Empire, and images of ancient grandeur immediately spring up — powerful shahs ruling in exquisitely embellished palaces with equally exquisite carpets sprawled across the floor. “Every child knows what a Persian carpet is,” says designer Hossein Rezvani, founder of his own namesake carpet brand. And while that may be true, they’d do a double take if they were to lay eyes on one of Rezvani’s avant-garde renditions.

Since the brand’s launch in 2009, Rezvani’s designs have brilliantly straddled the divide between history and innovation. His Tabriz Lilac, a design that modifies a traditional medallion motif into a more muted pattern, won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2011. The carpet’s pattern is asymmetrical, one side slightly dissolved into the background as though it has faded with time, but the simple gray-and-violet color scheme gives it an undoubtedly modern spin.

Rezvani’s design approach is influenced by the dual nature of his identity — his Iranian family has been in the carpet industry for more than three generations, but he grew up in Hamburg, Germany, and originally worked in banking. “My German side is more minimalistic, understated and calm. My Persian side is bold, opulent, loud and colorful,” says Rezvani. “It’s the perfect mix that I need to design something that’s timeless, but still shows where it’s from. Heritage is very important to me.”

That respect for heritage shines through in the way Rezvani’s carpets are made. Though designed mainly on a computer, the carpets are woven exclusively in Isfahan, Iran, a former capital of the Persian Empire. Rezvani’s weavers, who usually come from artisan families, work from the comfort of their homes with their children running underfoot. “It’s more or less a family business,” says Rezvani. The weaving is a part of everyday home life for his weavers.

Each step of the production process is done with the best possible materials in the best possible place. The wool and silk Rezvani uses are dyed in the holy city of Qom, famous for its silk carpets. The kork wool he buys is sheared from the sheep’s throats because it’s softer and finer there than anywhere else. Only natural dyes and soaps are used. When the weavers are finished, the carpets are washed twice to rid them of any stray fibers. The entire process is eco-friendly and highly sustainable. “Carpets always have been one of the most natural products you can get,” Rezvani explains.

Bringing his designs to life wasn’t easy at first. Master weavers in Iran have their own philosophies of how to create the best Persian carpet. At one point, Rezvani sent a design to a weaver, asking for a rug in blue and yellow, only to receive one that was red and green. “I said, ‘Why?’” he recalls. “And the weaver said — I will never forget this — ‘This looks better. You have no idea.’” The tale speaks to the pride Iranians feel for their craft. It took Rezvani over two years to find weavers who had the skill to weave carpets of the quality he was looking for and who were willing to follow his vision.

Now that he’s broken down those barriers, the accolades keep pouring in. In addition to winning the Red Dot in 2011, two of his designs won the Best Modern Design Deluxe and Best Transitional Design categories at the Carpet Design Awards in 2016 and 2017, respectively. These honors recognize that his innovative work transcends genres and defies expectations. Electric Taupe, awarded Best Modern Design Deluxe, was inspired by a poster advertising techno music that Rezvani spotted outside of a Berlin club. He immediately saw a potential carpet. “It literally electrified me,” he says.

As someone who spends about 180 days a year traveling, Rezvani takes design cues from everything he sees, whether it’s a garden in Morocco or a film about the Jazz Age. It’s no wonder that he calls his collection Persia Reinvented. His carpets weave together not just silk and wool, but also diverse cultures and eras into one cosmopolitan tapestry. The Persian carpet has evolved and persisted through the rise and fall of ancient empires — now it has arrived in the 21st century.