An Everlasting Journey of Love for Nature

For Nanimarquina, a rug is an expression of many things: heritage, innovation, comfort, soul, and care. Over the past three decades, Nanimarquina has not only aimed to establish an emotional connection with the end user but also to create a positive impact on our world. “All my creativity is based on observing beauty in its purest and cleanest form”, confesses its founder. “Nature has been my source of inspiration ever since I started designing, and trying to preserve it has been one of my greatest obsessions”. Hence, her deep love for the planet and respect for their communities, processes and materials, beautifully encapsulated in each of their handmade creations.

By combining tradition with research and embracing a practical understanding of sustainability, Nanimarquina has been a responsible company from day one, placing craftsmanship at the heart of the business after falling in love with traditional techniques during a trip to Asia in 1992. “We have been designing long lasting rugs that do not contribute to the throwaway consumer culture, thus promoting a more conscious form of consumption,” states Maria Piera Marquina, Managing Director.

Preserving and protecting our natural resources is a commitment made at an early stage. As a result of an extensive study in materiality, Nanimarquina remains dedicated to using natural fibers for manufacturing their rugs, whether they are of animal origin, such as wool or silk, or plant-based, such as jute, nettle, cotton, or linen, meticulously assessing the extraction and transformation processes for these materials. Recently, they have integrated recycled PET into the transition from indoor to outdoor spaces. This material is obtained by recovering and reusing polyethylene waste, thereby reducing the environmental impact that would result from burning plastic bottles.

Deep reverence for craftsmanship stands as one of their fundamental principles. By incorporating eco friendly handmade processes, often sourced from countries with a rich tradition of crafting rugs such as Pakistan, María believes “we shape the relationship we want to have with the planet”. Each individual stitch carries within it the soul of the weaver, their community, and their homeland, whilst imbues the final design with profound storytelling and bridges ancient techniques with modern practice.

Their firm contribution to a better planet finds its tangible expression in iconic collections such as Bicicleta (2005), crafted from recycled bicycle inner tubes, and Wellbeing (2019), which utilizes natural, sustainable, and locally sourced fibers. This devotion is equally celebrated in Re-Rug (2022), their inaugural circular collection. Both an exploration of the beauty within waste and an open invitation for reflection, Re-Rug was born from the aspiration to breathe new life into leftover wool. “Instead of trying to sort the heterogeneous mountains of unclassifiable wools, we have chosen to accept them as they are and shred them”, explains Nani. “The result is a collection with a unique, vibrant marbling effect”.

Nanimarquina recently achieved a significant milestone in its 35-year sustainability journey by earning the Climate Neutral certification, marking the first time a rug company has received this label. Over four months, their team measured the carbon footprint resulting from all their actions and activities in the year 2021, and devised an annual reduction plan to enable the brand to continuously decrease CO2 emissions and resource consumption. “We strive for our products to inhabit a healthy and beautiful planet, where homes inspire respect and products convey positivity”, promises María.

This ambitious initiative will continue in the years ahead. The plan is to cut emissions in half by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. “My steadfast commitment is to embed this foundational vision into every decision I make, so that we can keep connecting with our customers through rugs that promote well-being while harmonizing with our planet’s nature, resources, and the people who inhabit it”.