Fair-Trade Rugs - Fair Trade With Hand-Made Carpets
High-quality fair trade rugs are on everyone's lips and represent an important criterion for the purchase of a hand-made carpet. For many years the carpet trade industry had fallen into disrepute and had to contend with a number of prejudices. As many statistics show, this negative reputation is unfortunately not entirely unfounded, which is why it is very important to set an example with a real fair-trade carpet - as retailers and end consumers. A signal for fair wages, for sustainable and environmentally friendly production and against abusive child labor.
Various organizations work together with responsible manufacturers for fair trade and ensure that the various conditions for real fair trade rugs are met. Fair trade and the sustainable production of high-quality designer rugs made from pure natural materials - that's a main philosophy of the traditional Swiss company Mischioff. Mischioff is run as a family business in the fourth generation, well-known for the production of high-quality carpets.
Production Entirely By Hand
All rugs in the Mischioff collections are made from high-quality natural materials and entirely made by hand in a traditional manner and under fair conditions. The implementation of the complex designs in our manufactory in Nepal is a great challenge. The design templates are created by the Mischioff design team in the original format and carefully implemented knot by knot over several months by experienced weavers.
Thanks to the constant exchange with the manufactory, the optimal implementation of the designs is always ensured. All workng steps, from spinning and dyeing the materials to weaving the carpets, are done by hand. After a labor-intensive finishing process, the rugs get finally washed on site in an environmentally friendly manner and prepared for export after a strict quality control.
The Design Process
The fantastic world of the Mischioff collections arises from the creativity of the two Mischioff managing directors and designers Dani and Sascha Misio, who create all the carpet designs themselves. The brothers are inspired by modern art, contemporary design and current fashion trends and created their own special design language.
They develop extraordinary and unique modern rugs with great passion and work continuously on the further development of the Mischioff rug collections. Thanks to their creative ideas, they are renowned representatives of the Swiss and international design scene. The experience gained from four generations of carpet production supports and guarantees the high-quality implementation of your ideas.
Fair-Trade Carpets Ensure Sustainable Production
The carpet industry is an important, economic component of the various production countries, including Iran, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal and Turkey. Carpet weaving is a traditional craft here and secures an income for many people and their families. Fair and secure wage agreements are therefore an integral component of the fair carpet trade and form the basis for living wages of the weavers.
Fair-Trade Rugs Made From Pure Natural Materials
All Mischioff rugs are produced under fair trade conditions and consist of exclusive natural materials, such as silk from China and pure new wool from the Himalayan highlands. The materials used are dyed exclusively with plant fibers or environmentally friendly colors, are washed by hand and dried in the sun - so customers can be sure that they are integrating a 100% natural product into their living spaces.
The fair trade in handmade carpets does not only refer to fair wages, but also includes various social and environmental basic requirements that responsible manufacturers undergo. This includes environmentally friendly production, ensuring the health and safety of employees, observing maximum working and rest times and intolerance towards discrimination of any kind or sexual harassment.
Child Labour? Forbidden!
Another important aspect for fair trade rugs is the clear principle: Child labor is prohibited! Thanks to various measures and initiatives, the proportion of child labor has fallen rapidly over the past years. This is also ensured by fair wages, through which child labor is no longer necessary to secure the livelihood of weaver families. Instead, the children are housed in established day-care centers and taught in schools. Compliance with the ban on child labor is checked regularly and is an important license condition for the fair carpet trade.
As a long-term partner of the independent fair trade organization Label STEP, Mischioff advocates the strict ban on child labor and supports the establishment of day-care centers and schools. In addition to the unannounced controls by Label STEP, the two Mischioff managing directors Dani and Sascha Misio also check compliance with the self-imposed fair trade standards in their own production facilities at regular intervals.
The fair production of its own rug collections is not just an affair of the heart for the traditional Swiss company, but a matter of course. The various collections are all certified as fair trade rugs by the label STEP. Thanks to the intensive cooperation with the fair trade organization, the production of our own carpet lines has been sustainably improved.
Fair Trade Carpet Initiatives
Various organizations campaign for fair trade in handmade rugs. These include in particular the organizations GoodWeave, Care & Fair and the Swiss equivalent Label STEP. The organizations take action against abusive child labor and advocate the ecological production of carpets - principles that Mischioff also represents in its own corporate philosophy.
During the unannounced visits, the guidelines are checked and possible deficiencies are recorded for immediate elimination. A seal of approval is awarded to manufacturers and dealers who adhere to the specified guidelines. Only those who meet all the criteria of fair trade receive certificates as real fair trade carpets for their products.
Label STEP Is Our Partner For Fair Trade Rugs
The Mischioff carpet production is certified by Label STEP. The independent non-profit organization has insights into the company's material purchases and supply chains in order to ensure complete transparency. The mission of Label STEP is the commitment to good living and working conditions in the production areas, the promotion of environmentally friendly carpet production and the support of sustainable development in the manufacture of handmade carpets. Fair-trade rugs from Mischioff are not only made under fair social conditions, the company also attaches great importance to compliance with environmental standards.
The ARTE documentation "Fair trade - carpets from Nepal" with Hannes Jaenicke about Label STEP and the fair carpet trade in Nepal offers interesting insights into the world of carpet weaving. At the same time, a 5-minute video clip was produced during this shoot about Label STEP's work in Nepal and provides a brief overview of the important work of the independent fair trade organization in carpet production.
Exclusive Fair-Trade Rugs From The Traditional Swiss Company
The Swiss family company Mischioff is now in its fourth generation as a wholesaler and manufacturer of handmade carpets and is world famous for its extraordinary creations. The exclusive brand rugs inspire carpet lovers all over the world. The diverse collections offer the right design carpet for every taste. Just as important as fair trade is the high quality of the company's own carpet collections, all of which are made from pure natural materials.
Whether a wool rug made of high-quality Himalayan highland wool or a silk rug made of exclusive Chinese silk - only the best materials are processed into a special designer piece. The majority of the collections are now manufactured in Nepal - Managing Director Dani Misio is regularly on site in the production facilities to get his own impression of the working and living conditions of the weavers and to strengthen relationships in the individual countries.
Discover The Great Variety Of Our Fair Trade Rugs
With their special sense for materials, trends and colors, the two designers are constantly developing new collections and extraordinary designs that are revolutionizing the international carpet market. The Mischioff Collection stands for unique designer carpets that live up to their name. Different styles can be recorded in the different collections: Whether robust Berber carpets, cozy deep-pile carpets, modern Persian carpets or decorative vintage carpets - the large range offers the right selection for a wide variety of furnishing styles.
Every single carpet is a real fair trade rug, guaranteed and certified by the fair trade label STEP. All collections are shown in the online catalog and in the large showroom in Embrach near Zurich - around 2,000 rugs from the current collections and antique collectibles are on display here. Make an appointment today - we look forward to your visit!
Collections Overview
In our overview we present you our diverse rug collections.
