Illulian

Illulian weaves the stories of time, culture, and craftsmanship into luxurious works of art. Merging heritage with contemporary design, each rug becomes a tactile expression of beauty, a conversation between tradition and innovation, woven thread by thread.

Founded in Milan in 1959 by visionary entrepreneur Massoud Illulian, the eponymous atelier began as a purveyor of rare antique carpets, meticulously sourced, restored, and curated. Over the decades, what started as a reverence for textile history evolved into a groundbreaking design house. Today, under the creative leadership of Davis and Bendis Ronchetti Illulian, the brand continues its metamorphosis, drawing on its rich heritage while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design.

Illulian’s identity is defined by duality: past and future, East and West, material and metaphysical. At its heart lies a commitment to authentic craftsmanship, each piece hand-knotted in Nepal by master artisans using time-honored techniques passed down through generations. Crafted from the finest hand-spun Himalayan wool and pure silk, the rugs are dyed using natural pigments derived from minerals and plants, then washed in the sun, carved by hand, and brought to life through a slow, meditative process that speaks to care, precision, and deep respect for the medium.

The studio has become a platform for creative exchange, collaborating with some of the most influential figures in contemporary design. From Zaha Hadid Architects to Studio Fuksas, Paola Navone, Karim Rashid, and beyond, Illulian has transformed the concept of the rug into a three-dimensional canvas, an architectural surface where line, color, and form speak with sculptural resonance. These collaborations have birthed the Limited Edition Collection, a series of signature pieces that blur the boundaries between fine art, design object, and cultural artifact.

Each Illulian rug is a landscape of texture and storytelling. In some pieces, minimalist geometry unfolds into meditative repetition; in others, bold, expressive motifs echo the energy of abstract painting. Zaha Hadid’s contributions, for example, explore topography and flow, transforming the
discipline of architecture into woven waveforms, rendered in thousands of knots per square meter. Paola Navone’s designs play with whimsy and color, reimagining the aquatic world in a dreamlike symphony of pattern. And Illulian’s own Design Collection channels a quieter elegance, with organic forms and tonal subtlety that resonate across time and space.

The studio’s work is also deeply rooted in sustainability and social responsibility. Each rug is the result of fair-trade production and ethical sourcing, ensuring that the artistry of hand-knotting supports not just the preservation of ancient skills, but also the dignity of those who practice
them. From environmental stewardship to cultural continuity, Illulian stands as a model for how luxury and ethics can, and must, coexist.

What unites every thread of the Illulian narrative is a pursuit of meaning through material. These rugs are objects of permanence in an age of disposability. They invite reflection, inspire dialogue, and ground the spaces they inhabit with emotional and historical depth. Whether resting beneath a sculptural armchair or stretched across the expanse of a grand salon, an Illulian rug is never mere décor, it is a cultural artifact, a hand-touched archive of beauty, and a design heirloom in the making.