The Rug Company Joins RugMark

Furniture World Magazine

he Rug Company, known world-wide for its hand crafted, high design rugs and tapestries, announced that it has joined RugMark to ensure children go to school instead of work. The Rug Company is now a licensee of the US based RugMark, an independent inspection and monitoring program that confirms rugs are manufactured without the use of child labor and provides educational opportunities for children in India and Nepal. “The lives of workers in the rug industry are of paramount importance,” says Christopher Sharp who co-founded the company with his wife, designer Suzanne Sharp. “We are happy to be involved with RugMark. What we like is that RugMark monitors the situation on the ground not from a distance.” Recognized internationally for its forward thinking approach to rug design, The Rug Company is known for its collaborations with luminaries of fashion. Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Diane Von Furstenberg are just a few of the established names that have created designs for The Rug Company. “For us,” Sharp explains, “The craft itself is so important. Without the skill of the weavers, our rugs would not be so special. The designers we work with appreciate the quality of the craftsmanship and materials we use.” The alliance with RugMark is just one of the ways The Rug Company is working to improve the rug industry. It has also engaged an external consultant to do an ethical audit of its entire production process including environmental and sustainability issues. “There are so many issues involved. The RugMark label is very important to us, but we won’t stop there. We don’t want to just be bystanders in efforts to improve the industry. We will keep finding ways to do more.” According to RugMark’s Nina Smith, having The Rug Company on board brings the scope of the organization’s work to a whole new level. “Not only will certified child-labor-free rugs be more widely available, support from industry leaders such as Christopher and Suzanne Sharp of The Rug Company will help motivate others to come on board.” About RugMark: RugMark is an international nonprofit organization working to end exploitative child labor in the carpet industry and give educational opportunities to children in India, Nepal and Pakistan. The RugMark label offers the best assurance that no illegal child labor was used in the manufacture of a carpet or rug. A list of importers and retailers that sell RugMark certified rugs is available at www.RugMark.org