Issue 64 9 Editor Lucy Upward Executive Editor Ben Evans Senior Editor Malin Lonnberg Assistant Editor Rachel Meek Contributing Editors Jane Audas, Denna Jones, Corinne Julius, Katie Loux, Elisabeth Parker, 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 Editor Katie Welch Administration and Subscription Manager Katie Welch COVER is published four times a year by: Hali Publications Limited 7 Ability Plaza Arbutus Street London E8 4DT 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 £30 £35 $60* $65* 2 Years £55 £65 $110* $120* 3 Years £75 £90 $150* $165* *Credit cards will be charged in £ Sterling at the current exchange rate. Airmail rates available on request COVER Subscriptions Department 7 Ability Plaza Arbutus Street London E8 4DT United Kingdom T: +44 (0)20 3727 4950 E: info@hali.com W: www.cover-magazine.com Printed in the United Kingdom © Worldwide Hali Publications Limited, London, 2021 ISSN print 2042-7069 ISSN online 2042-7077 ® Registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. This periodical is sold subject to the con­dition that it shall not be lent, hired out or other­wise disposed of by way of trade at a price in excess of the recom­mended subscription price, without the prior written permission of the publish­ers. Unsolicited materials While the publishers encourage the submission of unsolicited manuscripts, authors should retain a copy of such, as well as of the illus­trative material. COVER accepts no responsibility for the loss of, or damage to, any such material. Unless return is specifically requested, all unsol­icited mat­erials will be retained. 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 for­bidden without the publishers’ prior written permission. EDITORIAL Happy to see you again! Eighteen months with little in the way of design shows, exhibitions, showroom visits, in-person meetings, meals with friends, travel abroad and human contact and we are in keen to get back together Many of us have been enjoying (or perhaps enduring) the Black Mirror TV series for ten years and regard writer Charlie Brooker as something of a genius in his predictions about our future existence. However, were we to believe everything portayed we could easily come to the conclusion that it won’t be long before we will all be living in separate pods and only communicating through our electronic devices. Yes, that is a bit like the last eighteen months but what the pandemic seems to have proved to us all is that, sure, it is pretty easy to do business online, but it is not our preferred way to live or run a rug company. Eighteen months with little in the way of design shows, exhibitions, showroom visits, in-person meetings, meals with friends, travel abroad and human contact and we are in keen to get back together. For that reason we are very excited about our forthcoming show COVER Connect New York, happening on 25-27 September at the The Altman Building in Manhattan. It will be a chance for some of the rug industry to get back together, feel the new rugs, share ideas and enjoy being part of a community again. In my interview with retailer Paige Albright, she is clear about how valuable real life contact is to the market: ‘We are stronger together. We need to see each other face to face and build the human connection. It goes a long way. I always come away with fresh ideas after “rug chats” with fellow merchants.’ In additon to CCNY, the start of September will see two major European design events taking place: Maison et Objet in Paris (9-13 Sept) and Milan Design Week—including Salone del Mobile (5-10 Sept). Later in the month London will welcome a return to the London Design Festival (18-26 Sept) with a reduced but not insubstantial itinerary and 10-13 October will see Decorex return to Olympia London. Looking further ahead, after a year off, much of the rug community will be pleased to visit Domotex Hannover on 13-16 Janury 2022. In this issue we interview Domotex’s Global Director Sonia Wedell-Castellano and Project Director Thilo Horstmann to reveal the exciting new additions and changes for the show next year. We can only hope that live events are here to stay and that this is the start of our ‘new normal’ annual rug calendar. Lucy Upward, Editor