In his painting studio in the South of France
Many people find their true passion in one job, but with time, they realize they want to do something more. Sometimes it is related to their primary interest, and sometimes it is something entirely different. A simple example is many celebrities who go from singing to acting, for example and vice versa. Although the truth is told, celebrities are the ones who can do such things most freely, as they usually do not have to worry about money issues that might arise from changing professions.
fashion and art exhibition by Mart Visser
Of course, sometimes those changes are not significant, a person might often go in a similar direction to what they usually do, or they might add something to their existing ‘repertoire’, to call it that way. An excellent example of that is Mart Visser, a Dutch fashion designer, that has recently created his carpet collection together with Karpi, a Dutch carpet brand.
Karpi Group is a company that has been producing area rugs for over 30 years, always focusing on the latest trend on the market. It started as a small family business in Alten (where the headquarters of the company are still located), and it grew into something quite impressive. Karpi has facilities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey, India, and China, each focusing on different kinds of rug productions. For example, the ones made in China are high-quality rugs of a synthetic nature, made by using the latest technologies, while ones made in India are natural yarn ones. They also focus on naturally friendly practices, such as making full recyclable area rugs.
Mart Visser was born in 1968 in the Netherlands, and it seems like he has always known that he would be a fashion designer, as he studied at the Modeacademie Montaigne and Saga International Design Centre. He introduced his first collection in 1993, and his clothing store, Mart Visser Haute Couture is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
In recent years, Mart Visser has succeeded in making Haute Couture more modern and new, giving it a young, and maybe even controversial, twist. Twice a year, he presents a new Haute Couture collection, making a premiere show worth talking about, and inviting many interesting people to such events. His collections are made with an eye for luxury, femininity, and elegance, always possessing unique and different looks, thanks to his constant changing of sources of inspiration.
In 2019, Visser collaborated with Karpi on making a carpet collection that is inspired on a series of abstract paintings created by the artist, in his studio in the south of France. The result is a collection of unique floor rugs that are handmade and yet affordable, available in many different colours, designs, and prints.
As it has been mentioned already, these carpets were based on abstract paintings, which is evident from the moment you look at them. They look deceptively simple, and yet, they are elegant and have a modern twist. They are ideal for all kinds of rooms, thanks to there, most often, neutral colours and minimalistic patterns. They can be combined with furniture in bolder colours, or you can base everything else around them, making for a modern and calmly elegant result.
Mart Visser rugs also come in several sub-collections, such as Prosper, Centre, Vernon, Metral, Velvet Touch, Harper, Crushed Velvet, Brick Pattern, and Berger. Names by themselves probably do not say much, but each of these collections has a signature look, with a special pattern shown through different colour combinations. For example, Velvet Touch is full of muted colours with a subtle pattern, while Harper is more robust, with broad strokes of the painter’s brush almost visible on the rugs. However, both are certain to make an impression.
These rugs are also useful even for households and rooms in which there will be lots of foot traffic and potential dirtying or spillage, for example with pets, kids, or guests often coming over, as the abstract patterns and colour differences on rugs will hide the potential stains and similar problems. They are also quite thick, one could even say fluffy, so in addition to looking great, they will feel warm and comfy under your feet, or if you decide to sit on them to relax and chill.
The fact that they are handmade also adds to the guarantee of quality, as does the connection to the relatively famous person. After all, someone like Mart Visser would not risk his passion project, bringing him troubles. That connection is also an exciting detail to mention to people. There are highly likely some Mart Visser fans among the people you know, and they will find it great that you have one of his rugs at home.