An imported rug that was made using child labor is ugly no matter what. So look for the RugMark child-labor-free certification label. It’s a mark of integrity and beauty. MORE>
The RugMark label is your best assurance that no illegal child labor was used in the manufacture of a carpet or rug. You can help end child labor in the South Asian carpet industry. More >
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY OF A RUGMARK RUG >
How to Buy a Rug Guide
Rug making is an ancient tradition. Long ago, handmade rugs were used in Asian cultures for prayer, to add warmth to the home, for adornment, and even to cushion horse saddles. Today, master craftspeople create works of art ranging from patterns that have been passed down through the centuries to the diverse styles of contemporary designers. More >
The first U.S. company to join RugMark, Odegard, Inc. was founded by Stephanie Odegard, who initially visited the carpet factories of Nepal in 1987. At the time, she was concerned less with style than with sustenance. She had been hired by the World Bank to help the rug business in Nepal expand into an industry that could offer a better life to greater numbers of locals. She was there as a consultant, “to redesign how they marketed and presented traditional crafts to the rest of the world,” she recounts. That meant everything from pressuring local officials to resolve problems with the wool-supply chain to advising the makers on the types of carpets that affluent Westerners wanted to buy. More >
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The first U.S. company to join RugMark, Odegard, Inc. was founded by Stephanie Odegard, who initially visited the carpet factories of Nepal in 1987. At the time, she was concerned less with style than with sustenance. She had been hired by the World Bank to help the rug business in Nepal expand into an industry that could offer a better life to greater numbers of locals. She was there as a consultant, “to redesign how they marketed and presented traditional crafts to the rest of the world,” she recounts. That meant everything from pressuring local officials to resolve problems with the wool-supply chain to advising the makers on the types of carpets that affluent Westerners wanted to buy. More >
