Pad

Years before Michael Rossmann of Bavaria-based Pad ever thought about making affordable and fashion-forward handmade rugs, he was thinking about how to put a dent in the problems faced by less advantaged families. Today, with the support of GoodWeave, his eco-friendly Indian wool and cotton rugs are making lives better for weavers and their children. “With GoodWeave the ethical value of my goods is assured and easily transmitted to my clients,” he says.

Creating happiness for others by sharing his passion for justice and beautiful sustainable products drives his work. He says he always was interested in textiles but it was an experience as a backpacker visiting an Indian weaving operation that made him decide to go into the business. “I saw that it really was possible to work sustainably and help families.” From there he moved to consulting on both sustainability and design in the industry and finally, opened his own company, Pad.

While the principles underpinning the company are serious, the rugs themselves are whimsical, colorful and fun.  Michael admits that he is a bit of a fashionista, regularly attending clothing and furniture shows in Paris, Milan and Copenhagen.  “Our company is fashion-based from color to design,” he says with delight. “That is our inspiration!”  He laughingly admits that often the design and color palette come from what is hot in running shoes. One example he points to is his favorite rug, colorful “Nova” with its stripey geometric patterns. Michael says his moment of inspiration for that rug came in a Paris café when someone walked by wearing a Balenciaga running shoe. “Oh my God,” he says he said to himself, “that color combination on a wooden floor would be amazing!”

Pad’s motto, Michael tells us, is “Do It With Love or Not at All”. He stands by that. While he understands that for most buyers the purchase is about the look, he hopes on top of the look, his customers will realize the ethical value of a GoodWeave certified rug. “If you add that value in then every purchase just feels so much better!”

Learn more at www.padconcept.com