Holding Patterns

Makrosha’s maximalist rugs mine the cross-cultural motifs of Japan’s early-20th-century textiles

- —HANNAH MARTIN

As early as the eighth century, Japanese artisans used katagami stencils cut from washi paper to print kimono fabrics with eye-catching patterns. “There are 1,000-year-old designs that feel so contemporary,” reflects Esha Ahmed, the New York–based textile designer and founder of Makrosha. Her deep dive into the historic tradition has now inspired her first full rug collection, titled Shinki and launched in May. “By the 1800s, they were already blending Eastern and Western influences, a precursor to Art Nouveau and Art Deco,” she explains.