Standing-Room-Only Crowd at Oscar Isberian’s Third-Annual Carpets for a Cause
By Diane Cotton Caplan

When the Chicago design community comes together for charity, magic can happen. Such was the case Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at Oscar Isberian Rugs’ third-annual Carpets for a Cause fundraiser to benefit DesignsforDignity.org.

“It was enormously gratifying to see so many friends and colleagues come out for this remarkable celebration of design and giving,” said Oscar Isberian’s Sarkis Tatosian.

Designs for Dignity’s (D4D) CEO, Jennifer Sobecki, shared in the excitement. “Carpets for a Cause drew lots of people, raised lots of money and shared great energy.”

At this year’s event, 16 participating firms were invited through a collaborative effort between Oscar Isberian Rugs and the team at D4D to create distinctive and original rug designs for auction, with the proceeds going to D4D. Oscar Isberian Rugs has been loyal D4D supporter, whose mission is to empower lives through design.

“We’ve always believed in the D4D mission and the local design community that makes it a reality,” said Sarkis Tatosian.

This year’s dream team of designers created stunning rugs ranging from feminine, colorful and textured to elegant, complex and edgy – all imaginative works of art. Kudos to the 2019 creators, representing some of Chicago’s most exciting names in the design and architect scene today: Relativity Textiles LLC; Stephen Young Design; Rebel House; Project.interiors; Simeone Deary Design Group; Brianne Bishop Designs; Yamini Designs LLC; dSpace studio; Brynn Olson Design Group; Gensler; Jorje; Elizabeth Scott Design Group; Dan Rak Design; Andrea Goldman Design, Melissa Lewis Interiors; and Honsen Interiors.

Next year — 2020 — will mark the 20th Anniversary for D4D and the 100th Anniversary for Oscar Isberian Rugs. Will 20 design pros be invited to design 20 rugs? To be determined. What is critically important, according to Sobecki, is to continue to engage with designers and the design community to make a real difference in the lives of so many through events like Carpets for a Cause.