MILAN — Upscale carpet-maker Cc-tapis has a knack for forging collections with the who’s who of the design sector. Patricia Urquiola, New York City- and Athens-based studio Objects of Common Interest, fashion designers Massimo Giorgetti and Faye Toogood, and Sabine Marcelis are just a few among their long list of collaborators.
On Feb. 27, established industry icons Canadian duo George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg were in Milan at Cc-Tapis’ showroom in Piazza Santo Stefano, this time to enhance Cc-Tapis’ ready-to-buy carpets lineup, which is being sold on its website.
“They look even better in person,” exclaimed Pushelberg as he took his first walk-through of an installation dedicated to Tessera, Yabu Pushelberg and Cc-Tapis’ latest collaboration on three rugs: Tessera Overlay, Tessera Offset and Tessera Outcropped.
Cc-Tapis, which was founded in 2011, introduced ready-to-buy carpets last year and has already collaborated with Paris-based designer India Mahdavi and Dutch designer Mae Engelgeer. The ready-to-buy segment of its business allows the firm to reach a broader public. Prices for this made in India line start at about 2,000 euros, more accessibly priced than its carpets made in Nepal and of which many are sold in the five-figure range.
The duo first collaborated with Cc-Tapis on its luxury hand-knotted Memento collection of high-end rugs made in Nepal in 2023. Tessera marks the first solo-show dedicated to Yabu Pushelberg in Milan. Crafted with hand-embroidered details by Indian artisans, the inspiration was derived from paved-over stones and the artistic heritage of the Roman and Byzantine empires.
“It’s like a mosaic. When they are paving, they leave space around these leftover squares,” Yabu said, running his fingers over the rug.
“Tessera enriches our ready-to-buy line, an accessible and curated collection of rugs available in selected sizes and colors. Yabu Pushelberg are helping us to open the world of contemporary design to a wider community,” Cc-Tapis owner and cofounder Fabrizio Cantoni said, adding that the latest Yabu Pushelberg carpets were made with a traditional Indian dhurrie weaving technique.
A rug from Yabu Pushelberg’s Tessera collection for Cc-Tapis.
Courtesy of Cc-Tapis
For Pushelberg, Tessera is a modern spin on ancient cultures and planetary geology, “all linked by the concept of small, individual units contributing to a larger structure or pattern,” he said of Tessera’s graphic aesthetic.
Multidisciplinary design studio Yabu Pushelberg is based in Toronto and New York and has made a name for itself over nearly five decades among retailers, hotels, restaurants, furniture and home decor brands for its commitment to solving problems in creative ways, conjuring nature’s calming effects and conveying a sense of longevity and emotion.
During the broader 2024 design season Yabu Pushelberg, known for awe-inspiring designs like Paris‘ La Samaritaine shopping landmark and the towering Aman Residences in Tokyo, debuted 18 new products, including an abstractly sculpted stone kitchen for Eggersmann, a German kitchen-maker and the Sway modular sofa system to Molteni&C’s most recent outdoor collection.
In November, they announced their first tableware collection with Japanese tableware brand Noritake.
In an interview with WWD celebrating 45 years in the business the designers said their future will be marked by exploring unexpected avenues and meaningful projects.
“We want our legacy to be that we lived our lives giving people examples to lead fearlessly, limitless lives filled with passion, joy and care. You don’t need to be as ambitious but live the best life you can,” Yabu said.
Fabrizio Cantoni and Glenn Pushelberg
Courtesy of Cc-Tapis
