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94 SUMMER 2024 01 I S TA N A F G H A N Amadi CarpetsNoAfghanistanrugreport would be complete without hearing from Amadi Carpets, a West Hollywood-based boutique rug brand run by an Afghan family who have always produced the most exquisite Afghan rugs. Lucy Upward talks to Zubair Ahmadi Well-known and respected within the international rug circuit, the Ahmadi family have spent twenty years building a rug brand that stands for amazing quality and outstanding design, be it contemporary in aesthetic or traditionally inspired. Most in the industry know the story behind the brand—the family’s flight from Afghanistan during the Soviet War and their return to the country to set up of the first workshop in Kabul in 2003. This narrative opened the Afghanistan report in COVER 57. Here in issue 75, I talk to Zubair Ahmadi about the changes brought in by the Taliban’s return in 2021 and what a ‘Made in Afghanistan’ label means today. How are your workshops and the weavers in Dasht-e-Barchi after the Taliban returned in 2021? After the Taliban’s return, there was a definite shift for the worse as the new government implemented new laws that further restricted women’s rights. In the beginning we were extremely concerned because a large number of our weavers and staff are women. Thankfully, the changes have not affected our workshops, allowing our weavers to continue supporting their families. We are very grateful that we can aid in employing our weavers as employment levels have drastically dropped there. Post 2021, the Taliban have hindered women’s education and have made it exceedingly difficult for women to work in certain sectors. These draconian laws will gradually change. I hope that happens sooner rather than later, since women are the backbone of any country. When clients find out your rugs are made in Afghanistan, does that mean anything to them? What do you believe ‘Made in Afghanistan’ means to the public and what does it mean for your family? For us it gives us pride to sell our collection and let our clients know that what they are touching is a product of Afghanistan. Since Afghanistan has been seen in a negative light for the past couple of decades, it only makes sense to show people that with such difficulty and despair comes beauty and art. Each rug is a piece of art in its own right, every part of that rug is a product from Afghanistan which
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I S SUE 95 01 Weavers in the Amadi workshop in Dasht-e-Barchi 02 Form&Function collection rug, Amadi Carpets 03 Adobe collection rug, Amadi Carpets 0202 03 supports a chain of di erent levels of people in the country. From the wool that is spun in Afghanistan to the dyes that are created by the artisans in the workshop, the entire process is a love letter from Afghanistan. Giving back to our community gives us complete joy and energy to keep the work going and pushing forward so we can keep our weavers busy. We let our clients know that each rug they are purchasing supports employing five to ten people for three months in Afghanistan—from the raw wool wholesaler, to the person selling the cotton for the foundations, to the guy who sells the dyes, and the craftswomen that weave the rugs all the way to logistics companies shipping our rugs. This is just a snippet of the people that are involved in creating these rugs, and the buyer becomes part of the cycle as they support this craft in Afghanistan. What kind of exclusive spaces have you designed rugs for? Do the weavers ever find out what amazing interiors their rugs are specified for? We have made rugs for some of the most exclusive spaces not only in the US but also around the world. We are proud that our rugs end up landing in these elevated spaces, but we make them for any home or family that appreciates the art of Afghan-made rugs. Our weavers do see the spaces that their art work goes into. They get to see their work being shown in the international shows and what kind of response we get for all their hard work. Our weavers don’t know yet, but one of the rugs they made is now in one of Barack Obama’s residences. I hope Obama knows the rug he is walking on comes from Afghanistan. How do you see your collections demonstrating the unique beauty of an Afghan rug? The beauty of our rugs can be felt, it is shown through the quality of materials used and its workmanship. The weaves and the textures of the handspun wool are all you need to fall in love with Afghan rugs. We are always striving to introduce new qualities and designs combined with the craftsmanship of Afghanistan. We want to make sure that the craft keeps going, as we teach and train the next generation of weavers of all the endless possibilities. Weaving is an art form, each knot akin to a brush stroke, and our collections exemplif y that. www.amadicarpets.com

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94 SUMMER 2024

01

I S TA N

A F G H A N

Amadi CarpetsNoAfghanistanrugreport would be complete without hearing from Amadi Carpets, a West Hollywood-based boutique rug brand run by an Afghan family who have always produced the most exquisite Afghan rugs. Lucy Upward talks to Zubair Ahmadi

Well-known and respected within the international rug circuit, the Ahmadi family have spent twenty years building a rug brand that stands for amazing quality and outstanding design, be it contemporary in aesthetic or traditionally inspired.

Most in the industry know the story behind the brand—the family’s flight from Afghanistan during the Soviet War and their return to the country to set up of the first workshop in Kabul in 2003. This narrative opened the Afghanistan report in COVER 57. Here in issue 75, I talk to Zubair Ahmadi about the changes brought in by the Taliban’s return in 2021 and what a ‘Made in Afghanistan’ label means today.

How are your workshops and the weavers in Dasht-e-Barchi after the Taliban returned in 2021? After the Taliban’s return, there was a definite shift for the worse as the new government implemented new laws that further restricted women’s rights. In the beginning we were extremely concerned because a large number of our weavers and staff are women.

Thankfully, the changes have not affected our workshops, allowing our weavers to continue supporting their families. We are very grateful that we can aid in employing our weavers as employment levels have drastically dropped there. Post 2021, the Taliban have hindered women’s education and have made it exceedingly difficult for women to work in certain sectors. These draconian laws will gradually change. I hope that happens sooner rather than later, since women are the backbone of any country.

When clients find out your rugs are made in Afghanistan, does that mean anything to them? What do you believe ‘Made in Afghanistan’ means to the public and what does it mean for your family? For us it gives us pride to sell our collection and let our clients know that what they are touching is a product of Afghanistan. Since Afghanistan has been seen in a negative light for the past couple of decades, it only makes sense to show people that with such difficulty and despair comes beauty and art. Each rug is a piece of art in its own right, every part of that rug is a product from Afghanistan which

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