Verso, designed by Gill Thorpe, woven in Afghanistan.

The name Verso relates to how the craftsmanship behind the making of each rug is revealed from the back, telling the story of both maker and process.

Woven as part of a partnership with a local NGO, with the objective of maintaining a steady workflow and to support the weavers who are predominantly female through education and health services whilst preserving the craft of weaving.

Verso from versus, meaning turned or changed, also directly links to how designer Gill Thorpe began to notice unusually placed urban ‘manhole’ covers around East London, many being placed back to front. Spotting them became part of the designers daily routine, so why stop there?

Gill transformed these unusual urban details into compositional rug designs; Overlay, Quad, Pleat and Inset are a direct translation of this. The designs feature tactile motifs such as dots, intersecting lines and brickwork, each handmade in a range of complementary colours using hand-dyed Ghanzi wool.

The use of Ghanzi wool provides a textural effect as the dye is only absorbed by parts of the curled wool, creating an overall texture similar to abrash textiles. This graininess is perfect for illustrating the nature of the East London landscape, adding character and depth.

The production of each rug in this collection is certified by Label Step, a Swiss non-profit who ensures a comprehensive set of fair-trade standards are met, including good working conditions and the prohibition of child labour.