Crosby Street Studios

It is with his characteristic modesty that Tony Mott, co-founder of Manhattan based Crosby Street Studios, describes his early history working with textile and crafts, a career that began when he was only 20. “I just always liked watching people make things,” he says. That fascination with and reverence for artisans continues today with the work he does through his design driven Crosby Street Studios and through his commitment to GoodWeave®. “We believe in what they are doing, the idea of monitoring, giving back and helping the communities we take from,” he says. “That is something we wanted to be a part of from the beginning.”

When Tony and his two partners Jim McFadden, and Nicholas DiDonato launched Crosby Street Studios in 2015, the team had a mutual passion. “Our focus was really on handmade and, for us,” Tony continues, “it is always about trying to find new fibers and new techniques to create subtle differences.”  Crosby Street Studios does that via their representation of several well-known purveyors of rugs and through their own bespoke rugs designed by a team led by Liz Guarino.  Her painterly and thoughtful designs might evolve through playing with shaving cream, food dye and a comb or be inspired by water color on paper such as the beige, gold and cream “Sandbar” in the Brushstroke series.

Tony, who has always been interested in textiles, says one interesting fiber the company is working with is Luxe Nylon. It is a durable processed nylon with many of the qualities of silk that Crosby Street Studios uses in the moody silver-gray palette of  “Atmosphere”.  Another fiber, Lincoln yarn, from longwool British sheep, is silky and luminous and is considered the highest luster of all wool. He points to “Branston”, a Persian weave with a Tibetan wool base. Another fiber that Crosby Street Studios uses is wild Ahimsa silk as seen in combination with Tibetan wool, in Crosby Street Studios’ turquoise, blue green and orange “Chelsea-Seaworthy”.

Clients that include not-to-be-named celebrities and high-end hotels (the company’s rugs are in the lobbies of stylish venues such as the W, Nomad and Edition) come to Crosby Street Studios, because they not only want quality, they want inspiration, Tony says.

If inspiration is contagious, the clients will get their wish. Crosby Street Studios promises inspiration, originality, problem solving and, in their relationships with the artisans around the globe who make these rugs, integrity. “I don’t paint and I don’t draw. I promote people who do and try to push them to go further.”  And, Tony says, as far as GoodWeave goes, the company’s commitment will grow.

Learn more at https://www.crosbystreetstudios.com/