Born and raised in New York and New Jersey I m the eldest of three. Our parents came to the United States from Haiti to escape the tyranny of the Duvalier dictatorship in search of a better life for themselves and their children. In addition to providing the hard work and perseverance, our parents gave us access to as much beauty as possible and the hand made was ever-present in our home. Handcrafts in the form of sewing and needlework, the making of furniture, or the restoration of the vintage autos were part of our regular everyday life. My brothers and I were encouraged to read, listen to jazz and classical music, draw, travel and our parents are always ready to share their diverse interests and passions. All this instilled in me a lifelong desire to make and to find my voice in the mindful pursuit of usefulness and beauty.
When it came time to go to college and decide upon a profession, architecture was my first and only choice. I have been practicing residential architecture for over 20 years and love the relationship between the making of buildings and the lasting contribution that my work has in the lives of the people who entrust me with the privilege of designing their homes.
read more >The step to rug making came rather naturally, I found myself painting more, and wondered what could be done with the images. A generous friend suggested turning them into rugs. Ready for an adventure, I started my journey into the exploration of this ancient craft.
I have traveled to Nepal, Turkey, and France to learn the secrets of Dye Master, the different methods of rug construction, and the qualities of the cultures and peoples where the rugs are made. In pursuit of as much knowledge possible so that I could make the most beautifully crafted rugs.
In these first works, I hope to bring a sense of warmth and modernity into an interior, with integrity and respect for the craft and the craftsmen.
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In the time spent educating myself in the making of rugs, I have found the technical expertise of my Nepalese team to be the structure that allows me to explore the "making language" of this textile. An early trip to Nepal was instrumental in this. But before all of that, there were the paintings. I was working in watercolor and ink, exploring Turkish Ebru, marbleizing and Japanese Suminagashi to name a few. I was interested in creating a rug that captured that narrow space of time when a work made with water was in the process of settling into permanency. The way the light was reflected and how the vibrancy of the colors shifted as the paper dried. This was to become an ongoing theme that is now selectively presented as Tome I Aquarelle.
Tome II Imprimer represents rugs designed as works made from block prints. Some block prints take hours or days of carving while others are done quickly and the design is created through a repeat. Any print can be made perfect, usually, with the second or third impression, once I have figured out the right amount of ink. I found the imperfect prints to be far more interesting, they projected a narrative or history to the print as if it had already had time to fade and lose its crispness, thereby the rugs made from these prints seemed to tell a story of a lifetime of use.
Our rugs are made from the highest quality Himalayan wool and silk. Manufactured in Nepal by a family of rug makers, whose decades of experience are reflected and contribute to the success of our designs.
The centuries-old method of hand-knotting rugs in the Tibetian method, where a temporary rod is inserted along the width of the loom and in front of the wrap, the wool or silk is then placed around two warp threads and then around the rod. When the artisan has completed the row, the loops holding the rod are cut to create the knot. This technique produces some of the finest textiles in the world and provides the structure from which our designs are created.
The construction of the knot is crucial to the making of our rugs, but the Dye Master plays an equally important role in getting the rug right. This a.lchemist informs the final product with the various techniques he has in pigmenting the wool and silk. These silks are perfectly aligned with my preference in working with gradients and texture.
read more >Other important roles that contribute to the high quality of a nathalie dougé rug are the designers creating the hand-drawn maps of the rug to aide the weavers in the fabrication, the artisan who cards and spins the wool into yarn, and the finisher's who hand bind, carve or trim the final work.
These are all indispensable components in the outcome and appearance of the rug.
In addition to these extraordinary adult individuals, we are proud to partner with the Goodweave USA, a global non-profit organization committed to ending child labor. Our team in Nepal was one of the first manufacturers of rugs associated with Goodweave.
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nathalie dougé rugs are made from the highest quality wool and silk-manufactured in Nepal by a family of rug makers, whose decades of experience are reflected and contribute to the success of our design.
Represented exclusively by Jean de Merry.