The best designer rug collaborations of 2025
A slew of brands from Stockholm-based Layered to Milanese contemporary rug specialist CC-Tapis have called on creatives to put their unique stamp on new collections, ushering in a new era of rug design that captures the zeitgeist.
Such collaborations are key to putting age-old brands in front of new audiences, bringing fresh blood into the artistic DNA of a heritage company and allowing creatives to broaden their practice. Moreover, they often establish connections across country borders (just see British artist Alice Crawley’s collection for Layered), resulting in a conflation of styles that may not be achieved by the brand alone.
Below, we speak to three creatives who have recently unveiled collections with prominent brands to understand the motivation behind their work…
Massimo Giorgetti for CC-Tapis
The dynamic founder of cult label MSGM explains how he has gone underground for his first limited-edition rug collection.
The structure of the Milan metro [which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2024], with its iconic curved handrails designed by Franco Albini and Franca Helg, serves as the core inspiration for the pieces. I aimed to translate the texture of the railings and metallic tones into something more intimate and tactile.
Each rug tells an architectural story, with close attention to surfaces and colours, which comes together to create an urban experience that’s transported into a home interior. The designs reflect the metro’s blend of order and movement, bringing a piece of Milan into any space – dynamic and timeless.
Did you learn any fun facts about the Milan metro while creating the collection?
I discovered that each metro line has its own distinct visual identity, which you can see reflected in my designs: the Red Line is bold and vibrant, almost energetic, while the Green Line has a more relaxed, natural vibe. It’s fascinating how the design of colours and materials in the stations serves not only as orientation but also as a sensory experience for users. cc-tapis.com
Kara Rose Marshall for Urban Outfitters
Saddle up as this up-and-coming British artist shares the rootin’-tootin’ details of her Western-inspired collection.
Can you explain the process of translating your art into rugs?
First, I created three bespoke prints named ‘Riding Star’, ‘Dancing Diamonds’ and ‘Doodle Boot’, which the team then reimagined and used to create an amazing collection including rugs, but also ceramics [there’s an accompanying clothing range, too]. The colours are a celebration of my fondness for earthy 1970s tones. It felt natural to merge my love of that decade’s pop culture and old Western films into homeware pieces.
What do you think the Western theme can bring to people’s homes?
The trend has been huge this past year, but it’s also a timeless style in many ways. My art is dreamy and playful, but also calm because of the muted palette. The collection brings a sense of fun, but the colours are so zen. I wanted to make the rugs not only floor fillers but also suitable as wall hangings. urbanoutfitters.com
Alice Crawley for Layered
She’s a London-based interior designer, but Crawley reveals how the influences for her new styles hail from further afield.
What’s the concept behind your range for Layered?
The collection is a nod to my love of all things chinoiserie and bamboo, thanks to the decade or so I spent living in Hong Kong and Vietnam. I have also taken inspiration from my beloved antique Chinese daybed, the design of which has been reinterpreted as a border on our ‘Indochine’ rug.
What did you learn about the rug-weaving process?
During my visit to Layered’s headquarters in Stockholm, we went through the designs in more detail, hand-picking all the thread colours to try out in our first round of sampling. We looked at lots of different ways of weaving the motifs into the rugs, starting with some flatweave and jute ideas and then landing on the tufted approach, which allowed us to play with contouring – you can see some of the borders are raised and kind of pop out of the rugs. layeredinterior.com
