Armadillo&Co

Australian entrepreneurs Jodie Fried and Sally Pottharst joined forces eight years ago with a simple mission. They wanted to create simple, high quality, handmade rugs, produced with social responsibility.

In 2009, they launched Armadillo&Co – inspired to create a business that would give back to the communities in which they worked. Today, Armadillo&Co provides employment, education and life-changing investment in the Indian villages where their weavers are based. Their rugs are super beautiful, too!

Written

Lucy Feagins

Armadillo&Co‘s new rug designs from its luxurious Heirloom Collection. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

This new Agra Knot range takes the company’s Heirloom Collection in a fresh direction, distinct from the rich textural designs and patterns that have been its signatures. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

Jodie Fried and Sally Pottharst are excited to be exploring the ‘perfect imperfections’ of hand dyed and spun wool in this new range. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

The rugs come in six colours variants: Duchess, Pearl, Midnight, Kingfisher, Oyster, and Byzantine. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

Rug sizes include: 2.4 x 3 metres, 2.7 x 3.6 metres and 3 x 4.2 metres. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

Armadillo&Co will be exhibiting at Denfair at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is open to the public on Saturday June 10th. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

Following their showcase at Denfair, Armadillo&Co has its sights set on a US expansion! Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.

Writer

Lucy Feagins

2nd of June 2017

Jodie Fried and Sally Pottharst of Armadillo&Co are unique entrepreneurs. Their business is based on social responsibility – giving back to the communities with whom they collaborate in tangible ways. That means paying a fair wage, investing in traditional craftsmanship, supporting community-building ventures and educating children. A very rewarding way to make a living!

‘First and foremost we work closely and responsibly with our weavers, providing them with fair salaries and support to their families when they need it, this is fundamental to our operations,’ explains Jodie. Armadillo&Co are also the primary funders for a local primary school in their weavers’ area, with more than 450 children in attendance! ‘We pay for all the salaries, uniforms, books, maintenance and have plans to build extra class rooms,’ Jodie says.

On top of this, the business is also the primary sponsor of The Anganwadi Project, an Australian Not For Profit association founded by Jodie in 2007. This project builds ‘Anganwadis’, which are preschools in slum communities in India, for children between the ages of three to six years. Here, Jodie says, ‘they receive much-needed education, nutrition and love’.

ALSO, the rugs are beautiful. Armadillo&Co’s new hand-knotted design for the Heirloom Collection, in a distinctive palette of earthy, rich colours, is a departure from their previous flatweave ranges. The newest addition, Agra Knot, has been a labour of love for Jodie and Sally, using hand dyed wools in single colours, with a plush deep cut pile and subtle tonal variations – we love the jewel-liked deep Kingfisher green.

Exciting times are ahead for Jodie and Sally, with with expansion into the US on the horizon! Melbourne-bred Jodie is now based in LA, and will be opening the first flagship store in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles in September this year! The pair also have some very exciting collaborations coming up with like minded creatives both in Australia and the US. Stay tuned!

Armadillo&Co will be exhibiting at Denfair at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre next week, from Thursday June 8th to Saturday June 10th (open to the public on Saturday only).

Armadillo&Co‘s new Heirloom Collection rug, pictured here in the Kingfisher colour option. Photo – Felix Forest. Styling – Claire Delmar and Tamara Maynes.