Design for Social Change Through Craft

Designers have long known the power of rugs to transform a space, infusing it with warmth, beauty, color, and definition.      

But can rugs also bring economic development, empowerment, and stability to a region of the world? In the case of GAN, a Haworth Partner Brand, the answer is yes.

Design Rooted in Social Responsibility

The GAN creative leadership team researches handicrafts from around the world, developing new techniques and processes that allow both users and producers to benefit from the essence of the handmade world through their rugs. It’s not just about design—GAN’s work is rooted in a social cause: supporting artisans and preserving handmade traditions through meaningful, sustained employment.  

GAN shaped this philosophy through many visits to India, where all their rugs are handcrafted. More than 80% of GAN’s Indian artisans are women, who often lack long-term financial stability and power in that region. Providing consistent work and reliable pay to these women who share so much of themselves through their skills seemed a natural opportunity to create a lasting impact.

Design Creativity, Shaped by Craft

GAN shared their vision with renowned designer, Patricia Urquiola, who was eager to collaborate on a project. Together, they decided to produce a line of embroidered rugs.

This opened up a broad range of design possibilities, as it built on a skillset widely held by women in the region. Because embroidery work is portable, artisans are able to work from home when needed. They are able to maintain consistent employment and pay, while balancing their work with caregiving responsibilities.

Modularity Shaped By Craft

Consulting with the women, the GAN team learned that 60 centimeters wide was the maximum size they could work with. Rather than see the size restriction as an obstacle, the team and Patricia saw the creative possibilities. The idea of Bandas—bands of carpet—was formed.

Modularity and flexibility are hallmarks of Bandas Space rugs, which can be used alone, placed end-to-end for a long runner, or mixed and matched to create wider rugs with playful, unexpected designs, layers, and colorways. Crafted of pure wool, the rugs are embellished with the unlimited color, texture, and design possibilities that embroidery allows.

Inspired by Bandas Space, more rug designers have chosen to become involved in GAN’s program. Now with a broadened range of artisan-made textiles, GAN offers space designers more ways to bring warmth and craft to multiple zones of connection that complement ancillary furniture in contemporary environments.

It’s likely that those who are fortunate enough to be in spaces featuring  GAN rugs are also inspired—whether or not they know of the social mission woven into each piece.

The Enduring Value of Handmade Rugs

Rugs bring warmth to a space in the fullest sense of the word, and GAN rugs are defined by the hands behind them. The artisans and the handmade process represent the true meaning of luxury—each piece shaped by individual skill, perspective, and even mood. No two rugs are ever exactly alike, a distinction that simply cannot be replicated by machines.