Craftsmanship is the Essence of GAN

The value of handmade objects created steadily, piece by piece, is what makes GAN different. From the beginning, GAN rugs has focused on the preservation and reinterpretation of traditional techniques, and their application to enrich contemporary designs.

Empowering Women Artisans

GAN's Social Mission

The GAN Women Unit was born in 2010, when development for the BANDAS collection had just begun, led by renowned designer, Patricia Urquiola, and director of GAN, Mapi Millet. The initiative aimed to support women who had lost their jobs in local workshops that shut down. Recognizing the opportunity to empower this community, the two proposed collaboration with them for the BANDAS collection. Urquiola adapted the designs to accommodate the artisans' skills, resulting in modular rugs that allowed women to balance work and family life.The success of the project led GAN to integrate women's skills into various collections, expanding the project's impact.

Embroidery became a central technique, supplemented by crochet and needlepoint. The collaboration attracted diverse designers like Claire Anne O’Brien, Sandra Figuerola, Neri & Hu, and Raw Edges, united by a passion for handmade objects and a commitment to exploring new techniques and expanding creative boundaries. The artisans receive fair wages, contributing their traditional knowledge to GAN's collections in a structured environment.

Manufacturing Techniques

Click below to learn more about each manufacturing technique

GAN rugs are not simply decorative objects, but rather a system of shapes and volumes that redefine the concept of habitability.

Embroidery

GAN artisans embroider rugs just as they would for their own homes. All that changes are the materials and the scale.

Felt

Wool, water and pressure. This technique has been used by nomads for centuries.

Hand Loomed

In some cases the yarn is held to the warp rolled around a rod that determines the height of the pile of the rug. In others it is simply crossed over.

Hand Knitted

One of the most popular and widespread crafts in the world, it needs no introduction – needles, thread, cotton or wool and skilled and caring hands.

Hand Knotted

Handmade on a vertical loom on which the wool is fastened firmly to the warp through a knot.

Hand Tufted

A manual process on stretched cotton fabric, using a ‘tufting gun’, which shoots out and cuts the wool to follow the pattern design.

Kilim

Kilims are produced by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands of the weave to produce a flat surface with no pile.

Bespoke Solutions

Unique Designs for Unique Projects

‍Designs produced to order for your project. Rugs, poufs, or complete modular systems. Materials, colors, logos, dimensions, shapes… everything you need, whatever it is!

1. Create Your Design
2. Choose Your Technique
3. Define Sizes And Colors

A world of possibilities. Starting from your design or idea, our creative team will accompany you throughout the briefing process, technique selection, materials, and colors to achieve the rug that your project requires.

Contact us here to get started: info@architype.net

Gan Resources

Click below to view resources

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