The Ahmadi family has been creating beautiful and unique carpets for three generations. It all began on a trip to Iran in the 1950's, when Shaer Ahmad bought two looms that he brought back with him to Afghanistan and began a small production of silk rugs woven in the traditional Caucasian patterns, full of beautiful colors and very soft to touch. At the time, they were immensely popular in Europe, and the humble business grew into hundreds of looms and buyers from all over the world. In 1979 Russia invaded Afghanistan and Shaer's Sons fled, leaving the business to be run by their sister, Gulsom Ahmadi. She continued to grow the business until the war forced her own family to flee to Pakistan several years later.
Gulsom Ahmadi, 1970s
Ahmadi Family, Today
In Pakistan, Gulsom's sons were not allowed to go to school, so their father connected them with several professionals so that the boys could work as "apprentices". During that time, the brothers worked with an artist and a rug repair man, where they learned valuable skills and honed their creativity. After several years in Pakistan, the Ahmadi family immigrated to Los Angeles and upon their arrival the brothers and sisters of the family enrolled in school and acclimated to the language and life in America. To make ends meet, the brothers would repair rugs for many of the prominent rug companies in the city and soon established themselves as experts in the field. Several years later, they opened a small rug shop where they would buy antique rugs, from estate sales, flea markets and auctions, to repair and sell.
Through years of hard work, the Ahmadi brothers grew the business and created their own line of namesake rugs. Revisiting their roots in Afghanistan, the brothers created a rug workshop where they set up 5 looms and employed several expert weavers. Six months later they received their first few rugs and a collection was born. Today, the Amadi Collection encompasses hundreds of designs and is sold throughout the world. Taking the skills that they learned as children, the Ahmadi brothers continue to create imaginative, hand-crafted rugs using the highest quality materials that lend beauty and value to last a lifetime.