I SSUE 76 9 Editor Lucy Upward Executive Editor Ben Evans Senior Editor Malin Lonnberg Assistant Editor Rachel Meek Contributing Editors Ella Haig, Denna Jones, Katie Loux, Naomi Scott-Dunne, Ros Weaver Design & Production Radostina Dobreva, Kanittha Mairaing Sales & Marketing Director David Young Ad & Event Sales Raquel Diaz Downey, David Phillips Digital and Social Media Executive Elena Wyszynski Administration and Subscription Manager Helen Winskill COVER is published four times a year by: Hali Publications Limited 6 Sylvester Path London E8 1EN United Kingdom Company Registration No. 1391142 Contact Editorial: +44 (0)20 3727 4948 Ad Sales: +44 (0)20 3727 4945 Email: info@hali.com Web: www.cover-magazine.com Subscription rates UK Europe USA & Canada Rest of World 1 Year £33 £ 3 8 / €4 4* £4 4 / $ 5 5* £4 9 2 Years £60 £71/€83* £82/$103* £88 3 Years £82 £99/€115* £121/$152* £126 *All cards will be charged in £ Sterling at the current exchange rate. 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The publishers reserve the right to edit all submitted material as they deem appropriate for publication. Worldwide copyright is held by the publishers, Hali Publica­tions Ltd. Reproduction of any text or illus­tra­tion, in whole or in part, is for EDITORIAL Variety and creativity In my eyes, a beautifully handmade rug is a piece of art, whether it is a decorative item or something to adorn a gallery wall The fourth edition of COVER Connect New York takes place on 14–16 September. For COVER it’s an important show for connecting us to the heart of the industry in the US. Much of the issue is dedicated to rug collections and designs that will make their debut at the show and we introduce the ten new brands for 2024. Variety and creativity are important in equal measure for the selection of the forty-four companies being presented. We plan to bring familiar and new faces to the threeday event, so that there is not only a sense of a rug family meeting, but also the idea that new people can bring in new interest. Most importantly, in COVER Connect New York we are trying to create a community atmosphere in which we all work together to make the best show possible. Therefore, we are keen to learn how we can improve each year, so please let us know your thoughts. We intend to take this gained experience into new areas and expand our event portfolio into Europe—so watch this space for the 2025 plans. This issue’s article on North America’s best-selling rugs was an interesting one to put together. Perhaps I had certain expectations about what the bestsellers would look like. While the twenty-one brands I asked are all very creative in output, I did anticipate more bland ‘easy to use’ designs rather than the diverse and unique rug images that were sent through. I like to think of the kind of room each of these rugs is currently sitting in, how the rest of the room responds to the pattern and colour, and how the owner feels about this precious woven piece of art. Art textiles and rugs are the subject of another of this issue’s main articles. Noticing how many significant textile artworks were in recent or current exhibitions across the globe, I felt compelled to comment on how the attitude of the art world has dramatically changed towards textiles. In my eyes a beautifully handmade rug is a piece of art whether it is a decorative item or something to adorn a gallery wall. However, there are many levels to this, and artists such as Faig Ahmed add yet another dimension to the reading of a rug design, and speak about history and context. Softness and tactility bring something unique to the world of art, but textile art is no longer read as the domain of woman. The work of featured artist Anne von Freyburg comments on this classification. ‘I noticed a prejudice against craft and needlework in fine art. It was labelled as “feminine”, which was not meant as a compliment,’ she says. My article goes some way to looking at why different artists choose to work with textiles. The autumn issue of COVER always comes out as summer is drawing to a close and we are starting to look ahead to a season of shows and events. COVER has a busy autumn and winter ahead, with long-term and new collaborations. If we do not see you in New York, we are sure to see you elsewhere in the next few months. Lucy Upward, Editor