Jaipur Rugs and Vimar1991, the Italian textile house owned by Chanel, have come together for The Atelier Collection, where eight handcrafted rugs bring two very different worlds of craft and fashion into one cohesive body of work.
Vimar1991 works behind the scenes of high fashion, making specialty yarns for couture houses. Its yarns, threaded with sequins and lurex, are the kind of materials you would normally find on a runway look or a designer gown. Using them on handlooms in Rajasthan is an interesting creative choice, and that contrast between where these materials come from and where they end up is what makes this collection worth paying attention to.
Eight rugs make up the collection, all made in acrylic, using a combination of Sumak and hand weaving. Sumak is one of the oldest flat-weave techniques in South Asian craft, known for creating detailed, patterned surfaces without the thickness of a traditional knotted rug. It works alongside hand weaving to build texture and depth while keeping each piece light. The sequin and lurex yarns catch and shift light across the surface, creating a subtle visual movement that changes depending on the angle and the room.
Geometric designs that echo a European aesthetic have been worked in a palette of pinks, reds, garnet, and crimson. These are colours that have long been central to Rajasthani textile tradition, where natural dyes historically produced deep reds and warm crimsons.
This is the second time the two brands have worked together, and the collaboration reflects a relationship that has grown past the initial excitement of something new. Jaipur Rugs has built its entire model around keeping rural artisans in Rajasthan at the centre of production, connecting weaving communities directly to global markets. Chanel’s acquisition of several specialist textile makers over the years, including Vimar1991, has been a deliberate effort to protect rare craft skills from being lost to commercial pressure. Both companies, coming from completely different ends of the design and fashion world, are structurally committed to keeping craft alive.
With floor coverings becoming long-term artistic purchases rather than background items, a rug made from couture-grade yarns and handwoven in Rajasthan carries a layered history that speaks elegance as much as it displays it.
