Ten leading Afghan rug producers will be offering their hand-knotted rugs direct to the public in a special pop-up sale in Charleston this week. The Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-up will take place at Fine Rugs of Charleston located at 1523 Meeting Street Road, from June 26th to July 5th, showcasing more than 800 top quality, hand-woven rugs which are made from hand-spun wool with natural dyes.
The pop-up event is spearheaded by Rob Leahy, owner, Fine Rugs of Charleston, and also the founder of the Kabul Carpet Export Center (KCEC). Founded in 2014, KCEC was formed after receiving a large award from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help the people of Afghanistan gain a better foothold in the carpet and rug industry.
“KCEC is a jobs creation program that stimulates employment for women and returning refugees,” said Leahy. “Handmade carpets are still a craft and made, mostly by women in their homes. We aim to help the weavers by selling their rugs here and sending the proceeds back to Afghanistan.”
The monies raised from the pop-up event will be used to stimulate the production of new rugs and create jobs that will enable family businesses to grow, helping the Afghan economy become more stable.
The Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-up will run Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday. Entry is free. For those wanting home delivery of rugs they purchase, a service will be available for a fee.
For more information go to AfghanRugPopUp.com
