Botanica & Mineralia

Creative team

Gabriele Chiave & Francesca Mueller

The work for Illulian is not about rugs, but about weaving a unique and intricate artwork.

Controvento announces its first collaboration with the historic rug brand Illulian during Milan Design Week 2026, exploring material as the core of the creative process. The project unfolds through two statement rugs, Mineralia and Botanica, conceived as unique masterpieces connected by a shared vision that moves between what lies beneath the earth and what emerges on its surface.

Mineralia Rug

Mineralia draws inspiration from the hidden layers of the Earth, translating minerals and subterranean landscapes into rich, tactile surfaces. Each stone element is defined by a different height and composition, creating a dynamic interplay of textures that enhances the perception of depth. Light moves across its surface, revealing details gradually, like entering a cave where concealed elements slowly come to light.

Botanica Rug

Botanica shifts the focus to the surface, celebrating the richness of living systems through references to flora and fauna. The plants are developed across three different pile heights, while insects emerge with a distinct elevation, adding further dimensional contrast. Fringes appear organically from within the natural design itself, extending the composition beyond its boundaries. Its textures and patterns capture the energy and complexity of nature, evoking a landscape shaped by growth, diversity and continuous transformation.

It is an invitation to observe, to get lost, and to continuously rediscover meaning within matter.

Each piece is a masterwork of materiality, meticulously hand-knotted in Nepal using a 100% natural process that blends Himalayan wool with a refined silk derived from soy, banana, and bamboo fibers. By utilizing ancestral tools and vegetal dyes, the collection achieves a unique depth through varying pile heights and irregular, organic shapes that defy rigid boundaries. Guided by a "detected vision," the designs balance scientific observation with intuitive creativity, transforming the ancient language of tapestry into a living, evolving presence where nature and craftsmanship converge.

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