100 years of weaving stories: join designboom and odabashian on instagram live

brand: odabashian

founding: 1921

talk: @designboom instagram

date: wednesday october 6th, 2021

time: 17:00 CEST / 10:00 CDT

designboom x odabashian on instagram live

odabashian has been weaving stories since 1921. the finely crafted, bespoke rugs and tapestries of the miami-based company literally intertwine many fibers of history, culture and, of course, tales, each as unique as the fabric pieces themselves. crafters and materials, artisanal traditions and contemporary techniques, and artistic collaborations and one-off museum, residential and hotel commissions weave together to add even more strands to the brand. founded 100 years ago, it is not a surprise then that the fourth generation family business – one of the oldest rug makers in the americas – is such a beloved leader in the world of weavers.

revisit and relive some of the key moments of odabashian to celebrate the 100 year anniversary. join designboom and jaime odabachian, current custodian of the odabashian brand, on instagram live on wednesday october 6th, 2021 at 17:00 CEST / 10:00 CDT – here.

join designboom as we celebrate 100 years of odabashian on instagram live

odabashian: 100 years of weaving stories

odabashian is a family-owned business that spans multiple generations, cultures and nations. jaime junior’s grandfather, khorén odabachian, founded the brand in mexico city in 1921, after immigrating from erzerum, present day armenia. much of his childhood was spent in fascination at his own father’s department store, where he sold oriental rugs awash with intricate designs using ancient techniques. in similar fashion, khorén began importing rugs from the far east to the mexican capital, quickly building a reputation of quality and relocating to a new flagship store on the prestigious avenida de los insurgentes. like traditional merchants in the orient, he and his family lived above the shop.

there is a strong bond between odabashian and their artisans, mostly based in india, pakistan, afghanistan and china

with hales gallery, the ‘birds in flight’ tapestry by anwar jalal shemza recreates the artist’s now lost 1979 drawing

the bond between the company and the families of artisans who craft the fabric work are intertwined. today, rugs are woven primarily in india, pakistan and afghanistan while tapestries are produced in china. centuries-old methods are used by the crafters as they weave using premium materials, like silk, new zealand wool, nylon and seagrass. the gobelin technique creates highly detailed, lightweight small knots using custom dyed yarns. unchanged for over 26 centuries, the persian knot hand-forms an asymmetrical appearances. the hand-tuffed technique allows excellent quality at a faster production time. likewise, the flat woven method creates at a fast speed and reduced cost as it mimics the texture of hand-knotting.

mexican artist javier marín weaved a collection of rugs and tapestries using gobelin and tibetan knot techniques

a one-off piece based on jose dávila’s 2007 artwork ‘twenty-five great circles’ was made for mexico city gallery OMR

the beauty of odabashian’s techniques reached official national spotlight in the late 1990s, when asked by the mexican government to produce two oriental rugs for chapultepec castle – the only castle in latin america – as part of its refurbishment. the pieces showcase to this day the finest work in traditional hand-knotting. it was a proud moment for jaime odabachian senior who, after his father passed away in 1968, had been running the family business since the age of 25. he took over with the mission of expanding north, beginning this journey with a shop in dania, florida, and later in hospitality fuelled by the global jet age in the 1960s and 70s. luxury hotels in mexico, the caribbean and much of north america desired custom rugs that were as unique as their locations.

odabashian began creating bespoke rugs for luxury hotels in the americas, including for banyan tree hotels

with jaime odabachian joining in 2005 – now custodian and third generation of odabachian to run the business – the brand continued to be woven into the fabric of hospitality, notably with banyan tree hotels and iconic miami beach properties like the delano. he also returned the company back to its roots, reconnecting with mexico’s thriving design scene and stepping into the world of art. to start, odabashian commissioned 18 mexican creatives to design a series of rugs later exhibited in the franz museum in the capital’s historic center. this was the catalyst for more creative collaborations; relationships were built with the country’s foremost artists including modernist architect pedro ramirez vazquez and surrealist artist pedro friedeberg.

from 2005 onwards, odasbashian reconnected with mexico’s thriving design scene, creating relationships and unique pieces with the country’s most renowned artists including pedro friedeberg

other notable collaborations also saw the brand work with modernist architect pedro ramírez vázquez

contemporaries across the border soon began calling, too. a series of custom artists’ editions with emmett moore and simon vega took odabashian into american contemporary art for the very first time. two monumental collaborations with trenton doyle hancock then sprung. the first, titled mound #1, erected an 18-foot sculpture wrapped in a 35-foot hand-tuffed sweater, commissioned by hales gallery and now permanently at the perez art museum in miami. the second, titled color flash for chat and chew, paris texas in seventy-two, is a 10 x 24-foot hand-woven tapestry made using the gobelin technique, also permanently on display at houston’s museum of fine art. a more recent collaboration saw designer joe doucet create a collection of hand-crafted rugs, supporting the transgender community with proceeds donated to the ACLU.

‘natural born killers’ by emmett moore continues the long relationship between the american contemporary artist and odabashian

a collaboration with artist simon vega also helped push the brand into new fields

together with highly skilled artisans, techniques and materials, these creative collaborations keep odabashian innovating; the brand continues to push the art of rug-making into new directions. with a century of heritage to support, odabashian will certainly weave many new stories in the next 100 years.

join designboom and jaime odabachian, current custodian of the odabashian brand, to celebrate the 100 year anniversary on instagram live on wednesday october 6th, 2021 at 17:00 CEST / 10:00 CDT – here.

‘transcendence’, a collection of hand-crafted rugs by joe doucet, supports the transgender community with proceeds donated to the ACLU

a 35-foot hand-tuffed sweater wraps around the sculpture

the 10 x 24-foot hand-woven tapestry is woven in premium silk and semiworsted hand combed woo

event info:

brand: odabashian

founding: 1921

talk: @designboom instagram

date: wednesday october 6th, 2021

time: 17:00 CEST / 10:00 CDT