Partners In Passion

Photo by Monica Wang

Sustainable Style

Anne Sage wears many hats—designer, stylist, author, and blogger, to name a few—but no matter which role she’s executing, a keen sense of style is crucial.

It was this eye for design that led her to discover Jaipur Living, after stumbling upon one of our inspirational lookbooks. And while she was initially drawn to the brand’s fashion-forward designs and high quality, Sage was also delighted to discover the sustainable practices Jaipur Living is built upon. “I’m never sacrificing style to make the ethical choice; I’m getting the best of all worlds,” she says. “A lot of times when people hear ethically made or sustainable, they assume there’s going to be a style sacrifice, and that’s not the case with Jaipur Living at all.”

Fresh Perspective

In 2016, we invited Sage—who had by then become a loyal customer and brand advocate—on a trip to India to see firsthand the communities of artisans behind our handmade rugs. From shearing sheep to creating each knot by hand, Sage witnessed every step of Jaipur Living’s sustainable production process during her two-week visit.

“I knew the company was very proactive in terms of community building and preserving heritage craft, but of course seeing it firsthand and seeing the benefits it’s created—I was awestruck,” Sage says. It gave me a huge degree of respect for the craft and the artistry of what they do there—and now I am such a rug snob,” she says with a laugh.

“A lot of times when people hear ethically made or sustainable, they assume there’s going to be a style sacrifice, and that’s not the case with Jaipur Living at all.”

Human Design

What made her trip particularly significant, Sage says, were the people she met along the way—from the weavers who invited her into their homes for dinner to the women taking reading and accounting classes, which are an initiative of the Jaipur Rugs Foundation. “I could tell how committed these women were to acquire new skills and how it would put them in better positions for their lives,” Sage says. “That’s one more check mark in the boxes of why I would recommend Jaipur Living to a client or [use them in] a project over another rug.”

And when she does recommend or purchase a Jaipur Living piece, “I’m thinking about that young woman who’s getting up every morning and has a family to support and kids to send to school,” she says. “I’m advocating her while advocating for more well-made pieces.”

Britta Plus – BRP09; Photo by Monica Wang

Modern Heirlooms

We often hear well-made furniture described as investment pieces, but sometimes the story goes deeper. “It’s nice to be able to speak to home decor as investments,” Sage notes. Investments in your own space, investments that will appreciate over time that you can hand-down—I mean we’re talking about heirlooms when we get to these hand-woven rugs—and then also investing in the people who make them, in the communities, and in the global environment.”

“Now when I try to convince a client to spend a little more on a piece, I’m thinking about that young woman who’s getting up every morning and has a family to support and kids to send to school. I’m advocating her while advocating for more well-made pieces.”

BI17 – Basis; Photo by Echo & Earl

Built to Last

Three years later, it’s 2019, and Sage remains a Jaipur Living partner—noting that, for her, this kind of loyalty is not easily won. “When I find brands that I love, those are my go-tos” she says. “A lot of that loyalty does come from the types of practices that a brand uses, but if the product design and style isn’t there to begin with, it doesn’t matter how sustainable or how much good a company does. The great thing about Jaipur Living is the style quotient and the trend quotient, in accompaniment with the quality and sustainable manufacturing practices, they’re all up at a 10.”