Cool Hunting

Gandia Blasco, the Valencian design company now widely recognized for its mainly white, outdoor furniture, began over sixty years ago as a textile manufacturer. In recent years, the company returned to its woven roots with a diverse collection of rugs for the home. Produced under the brand moniker Gan, the rugs come in hand tufted and hand knotted varieties, with designs influenced by a multitude of cultures including Persian, Arabic and Mediterranean.

A highlight from this year, the Mangas collection (top left) by the ubiquitous Patricia Urquiola, makes up a 100% new wool series that marries varying bands of pattern and color into a surprising whole. The design received the ICFF Editors Award at this year's fair and New York's MAD Museum also displayed it in their lobby in May. The Furtive Persan (top right) by Jean-Marie Massaud, a dark, pixelated riff on the Persian rugs of yore, stands out as a perfect meld of classic and contemporary. Other notables include Marie Mees' Arabesque (above left), Mario Ruiz's Room (above right), Jose A. Gandia's Grafito (below left) and Sandra Figuerola's Catania, Palermo (below right) and Siracusa. Click any image for an expanded view.

With an aggressive championing of talented designers, Gan looks positioned to take the interior world by storm. Already established brands like Nanimarquina might wish to take note; there's a new rival looming on the horizon.