Interviewed by Kathryn Soter | GFDA Executive Director
The GFDA interviewed Montreal native, and proprietor of Organic Weave to hear what drives her pursuit of purity when it comes to rugs. Organic Weave claims to make handcrafted rugs from the finest pure organic fibers, with nontoxic dyes, no pesticides, no flame retardants, no toxic detergents and no harmful chemicals. Sounds like perfection to me. Just how does she do that?
What inspired you to start Organic Weave, and how does your background influence the ethos of your company? Or… was there a particular motivating experience, or turning point in your career that led you to start Organic Weave? Could you describe that “a ha!” moment?
OW: I’m pretty sure NO ONE says: “When I grow up, I want to be in the rug business.”
I come from a family of rug merchants, and luckily for me, I love rugs. I had no intention of ‘going into the family business’ when I went to India for the first time in 1990.
I had been traveling the world solo on a ‘gap’ year when I met up with my parents in India, as they began a buying trip for our family’s rug stores. Slowly I was introduced to our company’s network of 13 rug suppliers, in the ‘carpet belt’ of India, near the holy river Ganges.
With only one exception, our rug manufacturers used child labor, and made no effort to hide it. When I expressed my concern, my parents challenged me to “do something about it.”
Learning about child labor in India’s rug industry propelled me into a career of rugs. I was a founding member of RugMark (now GoodWeave) and child labor-free production is in our DNA.
In an industry where sustainability is becoming increasingly important, how do you ensure that your rugs are truly organic and non-toxic from start to finish?
OW: Our rugs are certified organic by The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOTS does an on-site audit every year at our mill and reviews every stage of our production.
This includes ensuring that:
1. Raw materials are from traceable, certified organic producers.
2. Cleaning or scouring raw materials uses biodegradable cleansing agents.
3. Water is used in a sustainable way throughout processing.
4. No synthetic agents or oils are used in spinning process.
5. Yarn is dyed using Global Organic Textile Standard approved dye stuffs.
6. Farmers and Fabricators are treated fairly.
7. Rugs are finished with no harmful chemicals or detergents.
How important is certification to you and your consumers? Are certifications a necessary evil, i.e., costly, time consuming, difficult to achieve? Why are these important to Organic Weave?
OW: The textile industry tends to use the words like natural, green, eco, sustainable & non-toxic, interchangeably – this vague language and these misleading labels lead to confusion.
While certifications are becoming increasingly important to consumers and interior designers, no one wants to compromise quality and performance. My colleague, Patty Grossman of Two Sisters Ecotextiles was quoted in the NY TIMES: “Americans want their fabrics to behave at the expense of the environment,” which I think sums up the attitude of a lot of consumers.
What are some of the biggest hurdles you’ve encountered in your pursuit of natural materials that also hold up well?
OW: Since wool is a natural performance fiber, and easily cleaned, it is the ultimate raw material for rugs. In organic rug making, we clean and scour our raw materials with biodegradable cleaning agents – unlike other rugmakers.
Finding the right cleaning agents to scour our raw wool was one of the biggest hurdles when we were researching how to make organic rugs. Natural, plant-based dyes, that are color fast, was another big hurdle.
We believe in making rugs in harmony with nature, so every process in our production is carefully considered for its impact on the environment, its impact on the health of the artisans who work with our products, and ultimately the health of our clients who buy our rugs.
What sets your manufacturing process apart from conventional rug makers? What were the challenges you faced and had to overcome to meet your standard of organic/non-toxic excellence? Did you ever just want to give up?!
OW: The GOTS standard is a strict protocol that requires every manufacturer to analyze at every stage of their production – from sourcing raw materials to the finished product – and in our case, it took 2 years to complete the certification.
Had we known how long it would take, we may not have embarked on this journey!
Many of our followers are concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. Do you see this as a growing trend among general consumers, or is it still niche?
OW: There is an active community of consumers, particularly parents, who are keenly interested in living in a low tox home environment. We see this growing every day, as people become more educated about the adverse effects of toxic chemical exposure. This community is also concerned with how their purchases impact the environment, and we see the concern growing.
Your rugs not only prioritize sustainability but also boast beautiful designs. How do you balance aesthetics with your commitment to using natural, eco-friendly materials, and what influences your design choices?
OW: Luckily, we can achieve the same techniques, textures, designs and colors of conventional rugs using natural and organic materials – no compromises! Most of our work is custom, which means that our clients design their own heirloom pieces.
Above: Flatweave rugs from Organic Weave. Shop online: https://organicweaveshop.com
Now for some fun. We like to get to know our subject’s design sensibility a little better. Indulge me for a few more questions!
1. Who is your Design Icon?
Zaha Hadid
2. Your favorite room in your house?
Definitely my bedroom. It’s a peaceful and soothing sanctuary, with a beautiful, custom organic rug!
3. What color do you identify with most and why?
Blue! I suppose it reminds me of our vast and powerful oceans.
4. What’s one design trend that should stay/go?
Fitted (wall to wall) carpets – I am not a fan. There are just too many horror stories about mold and carpet, so I always recommend unfitted carpets.
5. What is your favorite architecture style/era?
Lately I’ve spent a lot of time in NYC, and I love to walk the HIGHLINE. There are so many gems along the way – buildings by Hadid, Gehry and Schliemann. I could never choose a favorite!
6. A vintage piece/item you own and love is?
Rugs that were handed down from my Grandparents, some of which are almost 100 years old.
Well, of course. . . Thank you Linda!
Editor’s note: You can follow Organic Weave on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/organicweave/
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