Meet the Maker: Aelfie
Aelfie
BROOKLYN, NY, USA
From the northern region of India, a small group of men and women from their homes, are weaving works of art which is fast changing the landscape of rug design. These bold and contemporary flat woven rugs are the result of designer and rug lover, Aelfie Oudghiri who founded her contemporary homewares brand Aelfie, from her studio in Brooklyn, NY.
Aelfie has always had an affection for vintage rugs. Inspired by a 90 year old textiles collector, she soon turned her interest into a small part time business. Collecting vintage rugs from Morocco, Turkey, Israel and Ukraine, she would be found selling these to her friends from her dorm room to help pay for her college fees.
image via
Despite her love for vintage rugs, she realised that there was a gap in the market, and an opportunity for her to create fresh and contemporary designs to the new wave of younger rug enthusiasts. She finally found her way to combine her love of anthropology, travel, fashion and design into a business and created her own label Aelfie.
Living in Brooklyn, a melting pot of creative activity and budding entrepreneurs, it is hard for Aelfie to not to be inspired by the very neighbourhood she lives in. Aelfie’s designs are colourful, bold and playful; a reflection of youth culture, the vibrant New York art and fashion scene and a nod to antique textile design.
Aelfie works very closely with a small group of Indian weavers, who have origins tracing back to Saudi Arabia. All her rugs are made by hand, from the dyeing process to the weaving, using age old flat weaving techniques native to the area. Aelfie rugs are made of natural fibres including cotton and wool, and have a strong durability to withstand lots of foot traffic.
Shop our latest range of Aelfie rugs