When starting her company in 2001, two of Rosemary's primary directives were to provide sustainable product to her clients as well as support to textile artisans in indigenous cultures, such as Peru, Brazil and Nepal. Today, this commitment to craft and craftspeople remains central to her firm's mission.

Sustainable Materials

Peruvian Alpaca
The alpaca population, whose fleece is used to make Rosemary’s rugs, pillows and throws, is free roaming. They are herded in the evenings by local shepherds into stone enclosures. The animals are shorn just once a year, in the summer, the time most appropriate for them to shed their heavy hair. Pigments used in dyes are environmentally friendly.

Tibetan Wool
The Himalayan sheep, which graze at altitudes of over 17,000 feet, grow one of the most luxurious wools in the world. Known for its natural abundance of lanolin and resiliently long staple, the wool needs little treatment when hand carded and knotted into a rug. Rosemary uses vegetal or environmentally friendly chrome dyes in all of her rugs.

Tibetan Cactus, Nettle and Hemp
Rosemary’s Botanical Collection is comprised of all natural fibers processed entirely by hand in the villages of Nepal. The fibers are untreated, naturally colored, and completely sustainability harvested in the high mountain plains of Katmandu. Cactus, Nettle and Hemp are notably the most environmentally friendly materials currently available in rug design.

Brazilian Cotton, Wool, Rustic Silk, Banana, Leather, Jute and Sisal
Brazil boasts an immense selection of locally grown plants and fibers. No Amazon forests or other indigenous forests or wetlands were destroyed in harvesting any of the materials used in Rosemary’s rugs. All farmers, weavers and artisans are paid a living wage and work in compliance with the national labor laws of Brazil.

Artisanal Process

The majority of Rosemary Hallgarten products are hand-made by local craftspeople, who carry out the dyeing, tufting, knotting, weaving and embroidery in their own homes. It is common that families and friends, even husbands and wives, work together when weaving a rug. This eases stress on the artists’ family by allowing them to work in their own environment and choose their own schedule. In keeping with Rosemary’s involvement in RugMark, no child labor is used in the production of any of Rosemary’s products.

A second-generation craftsperson herself, Rosemary recognizes the importance of family legacy. Investing in the lineage of second and third generation native artisans imbues the finished product with a strong sense of “place”, and simultaneously contributes economically to their communities. Valuable techniques are passed from generation to generation as these special processes are mastered. By providing a market for a unique and local skill, Rosemary also helps to sustain widespread appreciation for the cultures of Peru, Nepal and Brazil.