Amala Carpets
Weaving tradition.
Nothing warms the home like a soft carpet. Toronto-based Amala Carpets is privy to this information, offering up a line of completely handmade carpets that are crafted using centuries-old traditional methods. The carpets are produced from Highland sheep wool and use natural dyes created from the likes of dried rhubarb, saffron, and other organic materials, and the brand focuses on “moving tradition forward while maintaining the quality of the past,” according to owner Shan Shrestha. The collection is grouped into three categories: Contemporary, Transitional, and Traditional, each consisting of different styles, weaves, and colours.
Amala’s portfolio has also expanded with the addition of another fibre, silk. The new Zee Silk collections—Aria, Ankip, Vaara, and Kebden—were created after several years of research on ways to best preserve silk’s sericin, a protein coating that gives silk its strength. The silk used is hand reeled and the yarn washed with an alkaline mix of tropical fruits, a sustainable alternative to chemicals and bleaches. The carpets are made by trained village women in a small community on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. Like all Amala carpets, handcrafting every unique one takes time, but the results will be cherished, not only for their durability, but for a beauty that will last generations.
