Choose Love X ISHKAR Carpet II

Regular price: £1,905.00
Sale price: £1,905.00
Regular price
Unit price: per

We collaborated with CHOOSE LOVE to create these joyful handwoven carpets to raise money for CHOOSE LOVE’s critical work supporting vulnerable individuals who have been forced to flee their homes because of war, persecution & climate change.

Each carpet is handmade to order by weavers in Afghanistan. Please email contact@ishkar.com for more information.

Size: 140cm x 200cm

Lead Time

Each carpet is made to order and takes approximately 4-6 months to produce.

Care

Basic care:

• Vacuum rugs lightly
• Avoid direct and prolonged sunlight exposure
• Do not treat with stain products
• If a stain occurs, act quickly preventing it from drying

Tips for cleaning the most common household stains:

• The most important thing is to act quickly before the stain dries.
• If the stain was caused by liquid, use paper towels to absorb. Work gently from the edges toward the center, so the problem area does not expand.
• For wine, coffee and tea, try to absorb as quickly as possible. Then apply a solution of warm water, detergent and white vinegar with a damp sponge. Wipe with clean cloth and let dry. If the stain persists, have it professionally cleaned.
• For spots of oil, chocolate, lipstick, nail polish, or ink: scrub – then soak – as much of the stain as possible with a white cloth or paper towel. Clean the rug professionally. Professional dry cleaning is always the best option for stubborn or dried stains.

Shipping

Please note, shipping is not included for this item. Our team will contact you with a shipping quote once your order has been placed. If you require a shipping estimate before placing your order, please contact us at contact@ishkar.com.

* Please note that customers outside of the UK may be required to pay import duties/local sales taxes; these are not included in the price of the goods you purchase and we cannot be responsible for the payment of these fees. Please contact your local customs office for further information.

Returns

We will be happy to offer a full refund (excluding shipping) on items returned within 14 days of receipt of delivery.

• Returned items must be unworn, unwashed and undamaged products purchased directly from ISHKAR.com.
• Proof of purchase is required.
• Custom and made-to-order objects are non-refundable unless faulty.
• Photography prints are printed to order and are therefore not refundable.
• For defective, damaged or incorrect items, please notify us within five days of delivery in order to receive a refund/exchange.
• Email us at contact@ishkar.com to organise the return.

Preorders explained

If an item is out of stock you are able to preorder the item, so that you're first in line when it's back. Please email contact@ishkar.com for more accurate information on when orders for this product are likely to be ready.

Reviews

THE STORY

THE IMPACT

All profits from these carpets go directly to CHOOSE LOVE’s projects: The Orange House - Za'atar in Greece, The Refugee Women’s Centre in France and Unity Sisters in the UK. The amount remaining after production is £1143 (over 50%) per carpet, this will be spent on whatever is most necessary from providing legal or livelihood support to bare essentials for women living in refuge. Read more about CHOOSE LOVE’s projects here.

Beyond supporting CHOOSE LOVE’s projects, your purchase provides fair-wages for the weavers who produced the carpets, many of whom have become displaced within Afghanistan.

THE DESIGN

The carpet's design is rooted in CHOOSE LOVE’s powerful message that ‘Love has no borders’ depicted in calligraphic representations of ‘Love’ in Bengali, Chechen, Malayam, Burmese, Amaharic, Arabic and Kyrgrz woven together together in an abstract form, designed by Eman Ruhail for ISHKAR.

"We do not want to fuel victimisation or dehumanisation via the messages we spread. Instead we promote positivity and trigger conversation about the circumstances of refugees, via beautiful, joyful objects " - Philli Boyle, Head of Partnerships CHOOSE LOVE

THE WEAVERS

Each carpet is hand-knotted, taking two weavers approximately three months to make. Carpet weaving is at the heart of Afghanistan’s heritage but four decades of conflict have isolated the artisans from the rest of the world. Many of the weavers who made these carpets grew up as refugees in Pakistan and Iran, while others are internally displaced within Afghanistan.

We partner with NGOs on the ground to ensure a comprehensive set of fair trade standards, including good working and living conditions, fair wages, the prohibition of child labour, and environmentally friendly production.

THE PROCESS

Unlike many rugs that come from Afghanistan, each of our rugs is 100% produced within the country, from weaving through to finishing (see video for more details!). This means that Afghanistan's artisans capture more value for their work.

The carpets are hand-knotted using Ghazni wool, a variety of wool unique to Afghanistan known for its luxuriant finish as well as its unique way of absorbing colour which gives the carpets Abrash - the technical term used to describe the mottled effect given by each strand of wool's subtle variation of colour.

Artisans

This piece is produced by master artisans in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban took over in August 2021, we have removed all identifying references of our partners for security reasons. Some of our partners were able to leave Afghanistan. For those who remain, their craft is critical to sustain their livelihoods at a time when the country is in financial collapse and in the grip of a humanitarian disaster. Every order we are able to make with our partners is more important now than ever before.