“Not your ordinary rug” as the Instagram states it, the Hype Rugs carpets are the ultimate edgy home decoration that steal the show. Perfect in modern interiors, ideal to clash a more traditional setting, these New Zealand wool wonders were born about the same time the whole World shut down. Flash forward a few months and Yasser Dahan’s brainchild lands a collaboration with one of the hottest online shopping destination, MR PORTER in an exclusive collaboration. JDEED spoke to Dahan to know more about Hype Rugs. Please take your shoes off.

Hi Yasser; Can you tell us more about Hype Rugs and how the brand started?

My name is Yasser Dahhan. I’m 31, I graduated from the AA (Architectural Association, UK) with a Masters degree.
Hype Rugs started right around the time when the whole world shut down for a couple months. I saw this as an opportunity to stay active. Since our business was also on hold these same months, I had all the time and space to prototype rugs in our own facilities. I am a third generation rug maker, born in Syria and raised in Morocco. I draw and collage avidly on my Ipad and PC, and I have always had an interest in translating my drawings into the textile medium. Since I work in the rug making industry, it was the perfect opportunity to seize and create the Hype Rugs brand on my own terms.

Where do you find your inspiration and what makes a very special rug to you?

Inspiration comes and goes, as most people would tell you. To find that sweet spot and keep producing is tough. On a good day, I spend hours on the Internet looking for that “gut-feeling” idea then spend hours again drawing and collaging different ideas on my Ipad or PC.
This process of creating without too much thought, tens of images per day, helps with the creative process. If I think too much, I get stuck with one idea. I’ll come back to them a few days later and that’s when I decide which only few are going to be further developed and translated into rugs.
What makes a special rug to me is ultimately a good gut feeling. Sometimes, the rug I make doesn’t photograph well or the colors we used don’t translate well so I scrub the idea entirely and start over. Still, what brings me joy in the end is the process.

“Ultimately the goal is (…) a new approach to modern tapestry.”

You work on New Zealand premium wool- Why this choice?

New Zealand wool is a great yarn to use primarily because it’s a soft natural fiber that sheds, and I find that poetic as opposed to synthetic yarns. The rug is alive, somehow, shedding its fibers for the first couple of months, meaning you would have to take care of it. I primarily use natural undyed wool and we hand dye our colors in our studio.

What’s next for Hype Rugs?

Ultimately the goal is to move our rugs off the floors and onto the walls of peoples interiors. a new approach to modern tapestry.










Shop Hype Rugs on MR PORTER, right here!