Amini Carpets, a passion for the art of weaving

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Amini, Architectural Diagonal

Amini Carpets, a leading hand-made carpet company, recently celebrated a major anniversary – 60 years in the trade – a tribute to the savoir-faire of a company deeply anchored to centuries-old traditions, but with an eye constantly to research and innovation and the retrieval of historic archives

Ferid Amini, CEO of the ABC ITALIA (Amini Brothers Company) Group, tells us about the company’s roots, powerfully bound up with Afghan traditions, and its evolution thanks to major collaborations with Italian and international designers that have informed striking contemporary collections. In the name of creativity and sustainability.

You recently marked an important anniversary: sixty years in the trade. What does this anniversary mean to you?

This anniversary allowed us to stop and take time to reflect on the history of our company, which is closely linked to the history of our family and the relationships we’ve built over the years with different cultures and markets. It tells the story of our accomplishments, made possible thanks to all our collaborators and partners, who I hope will stay with us on this fascinating journey.

The story of a family with a lengthy tradition behind it. Where did this passion for carpet-making spring from?

Carpets are in themselves a means of expressing one’s own artistic, cultural and decorative vision through a multitude of designs, colours and shapes and it’s hard not to be enthusiastic and enchanted. In our case, carpet-making has always been part of our lives and our business choices.

Over the years, you’ve come up with both historical and contemporary design collections, as well as keeping the traditions alive. How do these factors co-exist?

All these factors co-exist very happily. They are the core of our business and lend a distinct personality to our carpets as well as an artisan feel. A fascinating amalgam of design, innovation and ancient traditions that allow us to propel our business into the future.

Which of your collections best represent Amini’s DNA?

Amini represents our most skilful master weavers, and its mission is to explore the potential of hand-woven carpets in the design and furnishing world. I think this is why collections such as Design Icons and Contemporary represent our identity even more greatly. They include exclusive carpets, born of the marriage of 20th century and contemporary design. Testament to this are the chefs d’oeuvre based on designs by Joe Colombo, Fede Cheti, René Gruau, Gabetti&Isola, Ico Parisi, Giò Ponti and Manlio Rho, and our collaborations with immensely talented designers and artists such as Altherr Desile Park, Rodolfo Dordoni, Carlotta Fortuna, Antonio Marras and Elisa Ossino.

How are the new collections likely to evolve under the new creative direction of Elisa Ossino?

Elisa Ossino knows our world inside out and has an extraordinary feel for textile finishes. The research and projects that he is carrying out in tandem with our internal design team will undoubtedly be an important interpretation of contemporary carpets.

How is the issue of sustainability dealt with within the company?

For us, sustainability means respecting and recognising the value of the people and places involved in the production and marketing of our pieces. This is reflected in every area of our work, from the natural raw materials used to make the carpets to the new methods developed to improve the various production processes, right down to guaranteeing good working conditions and decent wages, including in the countries of origin of our products and our partners and suppliers of raw materials.

What projects does the future hold?

We are fully satisfied with the work done over the last few years and wish to continue to grow our company organically, especially in markets in which we do not yet have a presence.