Gary Friedman and Ben Soleimani
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| Tassa rug, from the Menara collection, made of pure, hand-knotted wool |
Born of a collaboration with Ben Soleimani, he of the four-generation Mansour rug dynasty, a collection of handmade rugs has made its debut exclusively for Restoration Hardware. Gary Friedman, the company’s chairman and co-CEO, and an admirer and owner of several antique Mansour rugs, is delighted by the results, as they align with the quality and taste level of the carefully curated brand. “The great thing that differentiates Ben is he doesn’t just come at it as a typical businessperson,” says Friedman. “He comes at it with a real personal passion for what he does, and those are the kind of people we try to align ourselves with.”
From around 300 designs proposed by Soleimani, more than 50 rugs were selected, all of which utilize the artisanal skills of hand knotting, shearing, and flatweave. A variety of fibers, including linen, heathered wool, silk, mohair, cactus, and hemp, are incorporated to achieve the notable textures and subtle color variations; in a flourish of uniquely masculine elegance, sleek hair-on cowhide from Argentina is stitched together in tiles. “For me, rug design is all about texture,” says Soleimani. “It is what sets all my designs apart.” The meticulously crafted rugs can take up to eight months to produce—“truly an art,” says Soleimani.
Although able to draw on his knowledge of traditional motifs and techniques, the designer credits the inspiration for these works on his interests in fashion, history, and architecture. From this “visual mental library,” Soleimani distills motifs to their essence, describing his overarching style as “less is more.”
This deceptive simplicity of the rugs ultimately allows them to anchor any interior. “What’s the biggest thing you’re going to put in the room?” asks Friedman. “It’s the rug. It becomes, in many ways, the canvas.” 69 Main St., East Hampton, 907-1300
