The global rug curator, Byron Bay rug company Tigmi Trading, has launched its first in-house rug design collection, Rilievo. Translating as “relief” in Italian, Rilievo is a five-piece luxury rug collection that derives its inspirational roots from brutalist architecture and the eminent relief details of architect Carlo Scarpa. The stark hard edges and simple geometric patterns tend to imitate the interplay between light and shadows predominant in brutalist structures. The positive and negative spaces created by the alternating relief elements of lustrous New Zealand wool over soft natural linen, merge to create mild shadows throughout the rug’s expanse. Founded by Danielle McEwan, Tigmi Trading has flourished as a rug purveyor through their hybrid approach of traditional with contemporary design mergers. The brand’s long-due vision of creating its own assortment of rugs that portray true quality and craftsmanship finally took shape through the launch of Rilievo.
An Ode to Brutalism
The founder and creative designer’s passion for architectural details, especially the strong, harsh yet intricate elements of brutalism influenced Tigmi Trading to take cues from Carlo Scarpa. His modernist work consists of distinctive materiality achieved through the combination of age-old building techniques as well as modern innovations. His attention to the most trivial details and choice of materials caused revolutionary impacts in his structures and this quality was drawn into the design and production of Rilievo.
Although the geometric relief patterns tend to display a strong visual appeal, upon further inspection, the rug’s monochromatic elegance becomes much more evident. The color scheme upholds the Tigmi brand’s identity with its rich earthy tones that instantly amalgamate nature with architecture. The geometric relief patterns have been positioned in a repetitive manner that tends to create detailed sculptural elements, combining the modernist architect’s approach towards proportions, material, and light and creating a parallel through the use of linen with New Zealand wool. The timelessness of Rilievo’s designs has been elevated through the simplicity in its colors infused with the mildly textured relief patterns.
The Production | Tigmi Trading
In order to sustainably produce the collection while generating minimal waste, Tigmi Trading collaborated with a family-based weaving company in Nepal on a made-to-order basis to create this elegant collection. The company’s recent partnership with GoodWeave has definitely heightened its position as a conscious brand. GoodWeave is a non-profit organization that works to abolish child labor in the rug industry and has turned into an essential part of providing quality products through a transparent and ethical production process. Tigmi Trading worked very closely with the Nepal family and made sure that all the products were GoodWeave certified. The collection was produced by applying Tigmi’s modern business model that focused on a slow yet considerate approach towards design. The made-to-order method of production significantly enhanced the environmental ethics of the brand to inspire and create without deteriorating the ecology.
The founder Danielle says “Our aim is to keep pushing ourselves and customers to think and buy consciously – beautifully aesthetic, socially and ethically made design. We don’t believe you need to sacrifice one for the other.” The Rilievo collection is now available to order from tigmitrading.com/rivielo
References:
Tigmi Trading. (n.d.). Collections – Rilievo. [online] Available at: https://tigmitrading.com/collections/collections-rivielo [Accessed 24 Oct. 2021].
Dezeen. (2021). Tigmi Trading designs a rug collection that takes cues from brutalist architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/10/11/tigmi-trading-rug-collection-brutalist-architecture/ [Accessed 24 Oct. 2021].
Hughes, D.T. (2021). Rilievo Rug Collection by Tigmi Trading is an Ode to Brutalist Form. [online] Yellowtrace. Available at: https://www.yellowtrace.com.au/tigmi-trading-rilievo-rug-collection-australian-design/ [Accessed 24 Oct. 2021].
