Our Makers

Where we are

Carprugs is a new brand, and we are at the beginning of building partnerships with weaving communities and workshops in India. We are not yet in a position to name individual artisans or workshops, and we will not do so without their informed consent. On our demonstration site, product origin and maker details are illustrative, and are labelled as such.

What we ask of our partners

We ask the partners we work with to share these principles:

• Fair and timely payment for everyone involved in making our rugs.
• No child labour in any part of the making process.
• No forced or bonded labour. Work must be freely chosen.
• Safe and decent conditions, with adequate light, ventilation and reasonable working hours, in workshops and, where relevant, in home-based settings.
• Honesty about materials and methods, so that we can describe our rugs accurately.

We aim to support these principles through our own practice: planning orders responsibly, agreeing realistic lead times and paying on clear terms.

The questions we ask

Before and during a partnership, we ask about how and where rugs are made, how workers are paid, how ages are established, what conditions are like, where materials come from and what independent audits or programmes are in place. We will seek appropriate ways to verify the answers.

What we will document

As our partnerships develop, we intend to publish:

• the regions in which our rugs are made;
• how we select and review partners;
• what we have verified, and how;
• any certifications held by us or our partners, with their scope;
• where we have fallen short, and what we are doing about it.

Details will be published as they are verified.

What we will not claim

We will not describe our rugs as certified, fair-trade or free of child labour unless we hold a certification or verification that supports that claim, and we will name it. We will not present illustrative stories as documented fact.

Respecting skill

Beyond conditions, we care about how makers' skill is recognised. We want our design process to learn from weavers' knowledge, not simply issue instructions, and we want our customers to understand how much skill and time goes into a handmade rug. Our journal will explore techniques and regional traditions with care, and without romanticising them.

Get in touch

If you have a question about how a particular rug was made, please ask. If you work in this field, as a researcher, auditor, organisation or maker, and would like to discuss our approach, we would be glad to hear from you through our contact page.

You can read more in our journal article "What We Ask of Our Makers".