Jan Kath

Rugs & Textiles

About

Born into a long line of antique carpet suppliers in the industrial Ruhr area of Northern Germany, Jan Kath initially ran away from the family business. After spending his early twenties travelling through India and its neighbouring countries, he unexpectedly found himself repeating history. "I started running out of money, and it was then that I ended up in Kathmandu and ran into a German guy — a supplier of my dad's," Kath recalls. "He was running a factory doing traditional and some contemporary carpets for the European market. I asked him to hire me for a couple of months for a couple hundred dollars, and I would stay for him in Kathmandu and do his work."

The man agreed, introducing Kath to the production side of the business. After several years, Kath took over the factory. "Honestly speaking, when I started my business I was essentially bankrupt," he admits. "I am not a university-educated designer. I only became a designer by force."

Today the Jan Kath design headquarters are in Bochum, Germany, with flagships across Europe and distribution in 54 countries. His creations adorn the spaces of collectors, celebrities, and luxury brands including Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. His pieces are composed using ancient, slow-making, hand-knotted techniques — it takes anywhere from three to four months to complete an apartment-sized rug, crafted by 10 to 12 workers. The carpets are loomed in Nepal, India, Morocco, Turkey, and Thailand.

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