Jan Kath @ Salone del Mobile

The collaboration with Jan Kath has always had a special significance for Vivamo. The ‘Bochum boys’ Jan Kath and Volker Brunswick - Vivamo founder and managing director - have been friends for decades. Both have built up successful companies in different business areas from scratch in the heart of the Ruhr region.

However, Jan Kath's success can hardly be compared to anything else; today, Jan Kath is a globally active producer of iconic luxury goods. He has also provided the decisive impetus to kiss the dusty carpet industry awake and catapult it into the 21st century. Jan Kath was one of the first to link traditional carpet craftsmanship with modern design, there by making a contribution to global cultural history.

Despite all the successes that Vivamo has achieved in its almost 20-year history, we are absolutely humbled by the Jan Kath story and grateful that our business paths have been crossing at trade fairs for several years. Starting with a project at Domotex Hanover, we have been organising trade fair stands for Jan Kath since 2010; first at IMM in Cologne and now at the Salone del Mobile in Milan.

The conceptual basis for the trade fair stands usually comes from Jan Kath himself. We at Vivamo then realise his vision, first in 3D and then physically at the respective trade fairs.

The stand design itself is kept very minimalist and clean, taking a discreet back seat in the style of a gallery in order to set the stage for the large-format textile artworks and allow them to unfold their effect in the best possible way. An important factor here is a strong lighting design, which requires a great deal of care both in the planning and in the installation on site.

For a few years now, the beautiful custom of integrating a knotting frame on the stand and demonstrating the art of carpet knotting at the trade fair has also developed. This is often done with passion by Jan Kath's son Sanchir, who learnt his father's craft from scratch and, like his brother Adia, is now active in the company. For all its globalisation, Jan Kath is also a family business and we at Vivamo are therefore looking forward to many more joint projects!