Jaipur Rugs

Third Edition

Interview with Founder Yogesh Chaudhary and Artistic Director Greg Foster

How does Jaipur Rugs blend age-old weaving techniques with modern design languages?

YOGESH CHAUDHARY -  At Jaipur Rugs, we see ourselves as custodians of a centuries-old art form. Our approach has always been to preserve the authenticity of traditional hand-knotting techniques while breathing new life into them through contemporary design. The looms we use, most of which are operated in the homes of rural artisans, haven't changed much in decades. But what has evolved is our design language, rooted in modern aesthetics, color theory, and experimentation. We collaborate with designers from across the globe, and what's truly magical is the conversation that happens between their modern sensibilities and our artisans’ ancestral skills. The result is a rug that is both timeless and current, a canvas where heritage and innovation coexist.

GREG FOSTER - We’re experts in hand knotting, but have an innovative outlook towards traditional craftsmanship. Jaipur Rugs started making carpets in 1978, when most carpet brands in India were white label creating for individuals or for big American companies. It was 10 years ago when Yogesh joined the company, and that's when it really morphed from being a craft company into a design company. Jaipur Rugs was the first Indian exhibitor at Salone Del Mobile in Milan, for example. When you do that, you’re suddenly competing with the world's greatest design companies. At the time I was editor of Architectural Digest, so I saw it from a very different perspective, and I saw Yogesh’s engagement with me as very astute. There were very few of our partners who were engaging with us like that, in the way that he was really listening to an editor. He’s always been forward thinking. The company was built on collaborations with interior designers here in India, big homegrown names. Recently we've had massive international expansion with showrooms in Dubai, Milan, London, and Singapore. The shift has really been focusing on collaborations which will further us in those markets. At Salone 2026 we’re collaborating with one of the few architects whose name has global appeal. I see that global perspective as the future of the company - but the base is still a craft company with 40,000 artisans who traditionally make carpets. 

How do sketches, process notes, and material experimentation shape the final collections?

Yogesh - Every rug is a journey - from an abstract idea to a tangible piece of art. It often starts with a simple sketch or a concept, which then translates into a design. Our design team works closely with artisans, not just handing over blueprints, but co-creating through dialogue, feedback, and iteration. We also place a strong emphasis on material experimentation. Whether it's using hand-spun bamboo silk, undyed wool, or reinterpreting natural fibers, each material adds a layer of texture and narrative to the rug. Notes from the process, color trials, and even imperfections are embraced - they make the final piece more human, more soulful. It’s this commitment to process and openness to evolution that shapes each collection into something uniquely meaningful.

Greg-  We have a big design team in house, and Yogesh and I personally review every single carpet. Every day I receive carpet pitches on all platforms, on WhatsApp or on Instagram. A lot of people send me PDF documents, but the interesting thing about carpets is the texture and the feel, which unfortunately you can't see on screen. The most interesting proposals come from a much more experimental approach with weaving. Our most successful collaborations have really propelled the company into new territory - Matteo Cibic for example was not thinking of carpets as 2D objects, but as 3D pieces which hang up on a wall. He was thinking of woven objects as works of art, something more than simply a hand woven carpet, which we do very well already. That newness is what we're constantly looking for. 

Greg, your role as artistic director centres around the collaborative element of working with artists across disciplines and embedding the brand in a wider cultural ecosystem. What principles guide you when you decide how far to push from tradition into new and unexpected directions ?

Greg - Like any editor or creative director, I’m interested in culture across a wide spectrum - design, fashion, architecture, contemporary art and music. Those collaborations are perhaps predictable for a fashion house but less so for a carpet company. Where I’ve perhaps pushed Jaipur Rugs into unexpected territory was with our tennis campaign. This was in 2024, which was the summer of sport with the Olympics. I’d read a few interviews with Bernard Arnault in the years preceding this where he talked of how the relationship between luxury and sport was still to explode. He called it! There’s this fantastic new synergy between design and sport that is so visual. That's why our tennis campaign has done so well. We were very lucky that we did it last year. I can't think of how many tennis campaigns I saw this year - #tenniscore has really taken on a life of its own. Our next campaign is also sports related. It's timely, which campaigns have to be. When we did tennis, we released it on the day of Wimbledon. During the 10 days of Wimbledon, we were riding a wave. It was exciting to watch the numbers go through the roof! 

Being able to ride that wave or understanding the cultural temperature - do you think that comes from research or is there some level of intuition?

Greg - Working at a magazine, I was always thinking one year ahead. I still operate this way - I'm a massive planner in terms of the big ideas. The tennis campaign was one year in the making, and I knew it would be a gamechanger. Being very culturally aware is also down to our team - at Jaipur Rugs we have a fantastic team of stylists, graphic designers and art directors who all contribute to those campaigns. Everybody is thinking of wild and big ideas and 99% of things we say no to, but that 1% is gold. 

Could you go through the process of having these amazing campaigns brought to life ?

Greg - These are ideas that have always been on my to do list. I’d always wanted to shoot furniture in the snow but, you can imagine, it’s not the easiest shoot to pull off. With these campaigns, it's one thing to have a good idea, and it's quite another for it to be executed flawlessly to a very beautiful standard. What's great about Jaipur Rugs is that the company is very aware that you have to invest in and work with the best talent. The ski campaign came out so beautifully, not just because of the concept, but also because Ashish Shah is a great photographer. Otherwise, the process is very much to try to be timely, as I said, the most important thing for a brand  is to always be culturally relevant at that moment. So whatever is happening outside in music or dance, or fashion, my advice is to be culturally attuned to it. Timing is everything. 

What excites you most about the future of Jaipur Rugs (creatively, culturally, or commercially)?

Yogesh - What excites me most is the growing global awareness and appreciation for craftsmanship and human connection. Creatively, we are at the cusp of a new era - where AI, digital design tools, and artisan intuition are starting to converge in ways that open completely new design frontiers. Culturally, I’m deeply inspired by how weaving is transforming lives in rural India. We're not just making rugs; we're restoring dignity and pride to thousands of artisans (90% of whom are women) by giving them a voice in the global design conversation. Commercially, there’s a shift toward conscious consumerism. People want to know who made their products, how, and why. That aligns beautifully with our ethos of transparency, sustainability, and storytelling. The future of Jaipur Rugs is not just in expanding markets, but in deepening impact in all spheres.

Greg - It's an exciting company to be at because it's become a phenomenon, for many reasons. As craftsmanship becomes more important globally, people want to know how an object was made, and who made it. The Jaipur Rugs story is beyond authentic. A lot of brands talk about craftsmanship, but their artisans don't actually work for them, but for third parties. Our story is so solid in this place of craftsmanship, and that has become so important to the consumer. The second aspect is that we're on an international expansion - I can't think of another Indian design company doing it like us. We’re at a moment where everybody's looking at and appreciating India. In our campaigns we always include our artisans, because the storytelling of the brand is nothing without our artisans. With the tennis campaign, a large part of the story was that our artisans were playing India’s number one tennis player. We coached them in tennis elaborately for months beforehand, and made them saris to play in so they were happy and comfortable. We were also very careful that the ski campaign was shot in Gulmarg, in India. We're methodical about putting India first and celebrating Jaipur in particular.