Issue 228 · Summer 2026·Kazakh embroidered suede robes, Two 16th-century weavings linked by powerful art dealers, An inscribed Caucasian dowry rug and its matrimonial symbolism
Lectures at Istanbul Carpet Week – Virtual Edition
Istanbul Carpet Week returns this autumn with a virtual edition taking place on 21-23 October 2020 to showcase the products and skills of one of the world’s oldest traditional weaving centres
K
Katie Welch
·5 min read·12 Oct 2020·
Istanbul Carpet Week – Virtual Edition, 21-23 October 2020
Istanbul Carpet Week returns this autumn with a virtual edition taking place on 21-23 October 2020 to showcase the products and skills of one of the world’s oldest traditional weaving centres. The organiser, Istanbul Carpet Exporters’ Association (IHIB), is demonstrating its ongoing commitment to the annual event by taking it online in partnership with HALI and COVER to deliver a programme that closely resembles that of previous years.
Registered delegates can enjoy a virtual fair, arrange meetings with dealers, view two online exhibitions and watch bilingual lectures on historic Turkish carpets and other related topics, some of which will be followed by live Q&A sessions. Taking the place of the live conference are six events as outlined below.
To attend any of these events, the fair and the exhibitions, register for Istanbul Carpet Week for free at www.halievents.com/icw2020
Serdar Gulgun interviewed by Elisabeth Parker
21 October 2020
7pm Istanbul / 5pm London / 12pm NYC / 9am LA
Elegant Extravagance at Home
Classically trained Ottoman art expert, sought after interior designer and acclaimed author Serdar Gülgün cites his native Istanbul's exotic blend of textures, colours and its flavors of bygone eras as a constant source of inspiration. His flamboyant style is in high demand from prestigious brands, such as Four Seasons Hotels and Assouline. His labor of love and most personal design masterpiece is his home, the restored wooden Ottoman building, Macar Feyzullah Pasha Kosku.
At Istanbul Carpet Week he discusses his love of patina and his personal approach to using rugs and textiles in interiors. He is interviewed by Elisabeth Parker, a consultant at Christie’s Rugs & Carpets department in New York, who has overseen some record-breaking carpet sales during her 27-years' experience in the field and who greatly appreciates Serdar Gülgün's style.
Esti Barnes
21 October 2020
7.30pm Istanbul / 5.30pm London / 12.30pm NYC / 9.30am LA
Topfloor by Esti: My Journey
Presentation followed by live Q&A
Founded by Esti Barnes in 1998, Topfloor by Esti is one of the UK’s leading handmade rug companies. The company’s distinctive hand-made and machine-made rug collections aim to bridge the gap between floor covering and artwork. Clients include leading British and international architects, designers and developers and Topfloor rugs adorn the floors of prestigious residential and commercial properties, superyachts and luxury hotels. Originally from Turkey, Esti studied at the Istanbul School of Applied Fine Arts and ran a number of successful fashion and interiors businesses prior to moving to the UK.
At Istanbul Carpet Week she will speak about her journey in the contemporary rug world and provide insight into her design inspiration and the creative process involved in collaborating with celebrated artists and award-winning rugs.
Ben Evans
22 October 2020
7pm Istanbul / 5pm London / 12pm NYC / 9am LA
The 'Orient Stars' Kirchheim Collection: A Selection of Masterpieces
One of the most important groups of Turkish carpets is held in a collection compiled by Waltraud and E. Heinrich Kirchheim of Stuttgart, published to much acclaim in Orient Stars (1993). Pieces from the Orient Stars collection are due to come to market next summer for the first time in more than twenty years.
At Istanbul Carpet Week HALI Editor, Ben Evans provides insight into why he considers several of these pieces to be so outstanding, ahead of their appearance at auction in Orient Stars II at Rippon Boswell in Wiesbaden, Germany.
Wendel Swan
22 October 2020
7.30pm Istanbul / 5.30pm London / 12.30pm NYC / 9.30am LA
The Complex Appeal of Colour in Oriental Rugs
Presentation followed by live Q&A
Wendel Swan has collected rugs and textiles since 1968. He serves on the Board of Trustees at the GWU/Textile Museum in Washington DC, is chair of the Executive Committee of the International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC), was the president of two rug societies for 16 years and has lectured at various rug societies, conferences and museums throughout the United States and in Europe.
At Istanbul Carpet Week he will explore how the combination, placement and proportion of colours in oriental rugs determines how we perceive them. He will use the centuries old science-based principles of colour theory to demonstrate how complex the appeal of colour is in reference to Anatolian rugs.
Şükrü Azizi
23 October 2020
7pm Istanbul / 5pm London / 12pm NYC / 9am LA
Fringe and Finishing Weaves Seen on Carpets and Rugs in the East Anatolian Region
Now a member of the Faculty of Fine Arts Traditional Turkish Arts Department at Bitlis Eren University, Sükrü Azizi completed his Master's thesis ‘Carpet and Rug Traditions in Muş-Malazgirt’ at Marmara University in 2018 having won a prize at the 8th iHiB Carpet Design Competition in 2014.
At Istanbul Carpet Week he will talk about fringes and finishing techniques on East Anatolian carpets and the establishment of a new weaving cooperative in eastern Turkey.
Tabi Mund
23 October 2020
7.30pm Istanbul / 5.30pm London / 12.30pm NYC / 9.30am LA
Staying Connected in a New World
Presentation followed by live Q&A
Tabi Mund is the owner of Swoon Rugs, which she launched in 2016 as an e-commerce shop while she was working in the e-design industry. After several successful years’ operating online, she opened a brick and mortar studio space and rug store in Columbus, Ohio, from where she conducts her interior design work. She is passionate about sourcing vintage rugs and sustainable decor pieces for her clients.
At Istanbul Carpet Week she will speak about how she used online resources to set up her business. She will share tips on how to create a popular Instagram feed to reach a wider audience and explain how to create an attractive website, capable of generating income, that can become a key part of any rug company.
To attend any of these events, the fair and the exhibitions, register for Istanbul Carpet Week for free at www.halievents.com/icw2020
