unexpected AN
JOURNEY
F
ounded by sisters Kura Perkins and Bree Hay-Hendry, Art Hide has made the equivalent of 25,000 square metres of rugs over 10 years, with a large percentage of these being custom rugs. Art Hide operates in Australia and the United States, and has agents in global locations including the UAE and UK. The brand has worked with some of the world’s 34 giftguideonline.com.au
best designers producing custom masterpieces for both residential and commercial projects. Inspired by a visit to Argentina, it has been quite the journey for the sisters so far, says Perkins. ”I was on a round-theworld trip with my young family in 2009 and visited Argentina while there,” she explains. “I had decided I wanted to buy a cowhide while there as Argentina is
known for cattle, ranches, hides and gauchos (cowboys), but while there I stumbled across a unique tapestry that really made my head spin. “We then moved to Italy for two years and while living in a Tuscan farmhouse, I plotted a business plan for Art Hide and registered the business in 2010. “We started with a simple collection using natural cowhides, inspired by a rug I’d found in Argentina,
and had some lucky early wins with customised pieces for Australian clients in the restaurant industry,” she says. “Since then it has really been a journey of evolving who we are in the market and the customers that we serve best. I honestly believe that ‘product to market fit’ is something that is not a fixed dynamic– it evolves and changes, especially in the volatile global retail market of the
last seven years. These days, we know what works best for our brand, which is a broad mixture of B2B and B2C sales channels.” Hay-Hendry is a university trained fashion and textiles designer and when Perkins first started Art Hide, she was working in fashion. However, she quickly joined the business and her ongoing role as creative director has steered the brand much more into the