Inigo Elizalde was born in the Philippines in the midst of a powerful tropical typhoon. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently lives and works in New York City.

The inspiration for his first collection of fine carpets for the home comes directly from nature; surface textures, landscapes and weather conditions. Inspirations as diverse as the shimmer of light on New York City’s Hudson River, a dilapidated floorboard at a friends house in upstate New York, the shells scattering the beaches of his native Philippines, or snow laden branches in British Columbia.

Taking this a step further with the second collection, lots of color was introduced as well as experiments with texture and materials used. The designer let his love of ethnic fabrics and their vibrant colors and graphics seep into the design process, the result being a mash up of diverse influences resulting in unique designs.

Collection number three focuses even deeper on his fascination with all things Filipino. The designs come from a blend of inspirations, largely pertaining to his hometown of Manila, Philippines, including traditional Filipino textile motifs and the vibrant ‘jeepney’, one of the more colorful examples of modern day Manila. Each different design is named after a jeepney route stop along Manila’s main roadway artery.

“I want to show that beauty and compelling and exciting design imagery can be found everywhere. I’m a big fan of the found object: the design is already there, it’s a matter of seeing it, extracting it and elevating it. In the case of the rugs, I want to bring the outside world inside, and in a sense, create a different way of experiencing the outside environment, so that the surrounding world can be better appreciated. I feel most alive when outside, and want to share that with people through the experience of my designs.”