For Jaipur Living’s Weavers, Manchaha Is a Chance to Let Their Imaginations Run Free

When Kavi Chaudhary was a child, she would accompany her father, NK Chaudhary, into remote villages in India. Now the design director of Jaipur Living, Kavi noticed that the villagers had different perspectives than she did. “It was very fascinating for me to see their original solutions to life,” she says, “and how it was different from me, living in a larger town at that time.”

Over her years of working alongside thousands of weavers in these communities, who create rugs for the company her father founded, this curiosity would eventually blossom into a unique artistic partnership called Manchaha. The concept behind this rug collection is simple: rather than give the weavers a map that they follow knot by knot on the loom, slowly bringing to life a design created by another, the artisans have the freedom to stitch together their own artistic creations.

An artist with her creation.Photo: Courtesy of Jaipur Living

At first, that freedom was deeply intimidating, Kavi explains: “When we launched, artisans were shocked, and they were like, ‘We can create something on our own and still get paid for that?’” They didn’t feel qualified to design their own rugs, and yet, “they were pleasantly surprised at the same time,” she says. The company employs grassroots leaders who supported and checked in on the villagers, encouraging them to not get overwhelmed by their new artistic assignment and look to things in their own lives—their homes, their religions, and their families—for inspiration in the designs.

Eventually, it clicked. “Often you’ll notice that [the weavers] would start testing patterns in the first few inches [of the rug], and after a few inches, they would have the confidence that they can do it, and you can see the pattern go bolder,” Kavi explains. “Then they would start putting their personal stories into it.” If you scan a Manchaha design, you might notice motifs reminiscent of saris, landscapes, animals, temples, and other elements that the artisans would incorporate from their daily routines—and pull in from their imaginations.

Explore the Manchaha collection →

After years of successful Manchaha collaborations, Jaipur Living is now focused on expanding the line in the US. During NYCxDesign, the brand is staging its first domestic exhibition showcasing the line at VFA Gallery in SoHo, through May 30. Here, the carpets are displayed hanging, as commanding works of art alongside the Warhols and Harings and Hirsts elsewhere in the space.

“While neutral tones remain dominant in the US market, we’re seeing a growing appetite for rugs that act as artistic statements,” explains Asha Chaudhary, the Atlanta-based CEO of Jaipur Living. “That’s where Manchaha shines—because each rug is designed by the artisan herself, the result is a burst of uninhibited expression.”