Handmade carpets have been popular around the world for centuries, and they can still be found in some Middle Eastern buildings and fashion designs in Europe and America, such as the famous paisley pattern.
The paisley design dates back some 2,500 years and originally appeared in the designs of the Zoroastrian religion, the state religion of the ancient Persian Empire, to signify life and eternity. Since being referenced on handmade carpet designs, it grew in popularity and then appeared on clothing, shawls and scarves of the time, and spread to England with the export of these products. To this day, we still see paisley designs on men’s ties, handkerchiefs, and first-tier brands’ clothing.
From 2007, home décor began to shift towards minimalism, away from traditional patterns with ornate designs and rich colors, and towards lighter and plainer designs, so the clothing produced during this period was mostly monochromatic and basic without adding too much design.
This style continued until around the end of 2015, when leading interior designers began to experiment with combining modern minimalist decor with traditional handmade rugs, and received good feedback in the fashion world. So major fashion brands once again incorporated graphic elements from handmade carpets into their designs, and well-known fashion brands such as Hermes, Gucci, Givenchy and Tory Burch began to use Persian elements on a large scale in their fashion shows. The trend has continued, reflecting on the other hand the trend of interior decoration where modern home furnishing and traditional elements are beginning to merge.
Since the resurgence of the Persian style, more and more fashion brands have started to use Persian elements in their designs: for example, hand-made Persian carpets on the floor of their fashion shows, or naming one of their collections after the carpet’s design or origin. For example, in 2013, Hermes launched a collection called “Tabriz” on the New York runway, which was inspired by the famous origin of Persian carpets – Tabriz.
With Hermes and other top luxury brands using Persian elements, more and more other brands have started to follow suit, for example, Alexander McQueen, a couture brand, has changed a large size handmade Persian carpet into a three-piece suit, which attracted a lot of attention and discussion from the fashion industry at that time.
In addition to high luxury brands, there are also many mass consumption brands leading this trend. Topshop, a famous British fashion brand, has also released a Persian carpet-themed design of women’s tube dresses and pullovers, which were sought after by many female customers.
Vans, the original American extreme sports brand, has also created a series of sneakers with a distinct Persian flavor by drawing ideas from Persian culture and using the traditional paisley design on the shoes.
As this trend continues to develop and begins to become mainstream, the nostalgic trend led by Persian rugs is receiving more and more attention from interior designers, and as the home scene enters an era of diversity in the future, it is believed that Persian rugs are making a comeback in the fashion and home industry. Do you also want to try to incorporate Persian elements?