Roubini Rugs Offers Fornasetti Line

By Cecile B. Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 5/5/2008 12:00:00 AM

New York —

Artwork from the archives of Italian painter, sculptor, interior designer and engraver Piero Fornasetti is now being interpreted in a line of upscale hand-knotted wool and silk area rugs.

Three-generation, family-owned and operated Roubini Rugs, established here 25 years ago, is producing the designer collection for high-end department stores and interior design houses.

"We worked in collaboration with Mr. Fornasetti in Milan," explained Jonathan Roubini, vp of the company and son of Sam Roubini, president. "We went into his design archives and created about 30 patterns that cover different influences of his work."

The designs have been grouped into three categories.

The first is Theme and Variation, which is based on Fornasetti's signature woman's face images, which he interpreted over his career in more than 500 variations.

Second is Architectural Motifs, based on the artist's popular black-and-white drawings and paintings of structures and towns.

And third is Nature and Things, which draws from organic themes Fornasetti used in his artwork.

Each category is comprised of about 10 patterns. In line with Roubini's overall rug offerings, all of the Fornasetti rugs are hand-knotted in the company's own factory in China, "in the same place where we also made our Versace and Missoni rugs," Roubini said, referring to some of the other designer collections — as well as Rashid, Jamie Drake and Farhad — his company has created in recent years.

Retail price points for the Fornasetti rugs start at $2,900.

Roubini in the next three to 12 months may offer new programs from its house line, Roubini Rug collection — also comprised of hand-knotted wool and silk rugs made in China — to high-end department stores. The effort is to extend the company's retail reach to new distribution channels beyond its core home décor boutiques and interior design houses. Rugs for these retailers would be priced to retail for about $1,000.