SUSTAINABILITY, ETHICS AND REFINED DESIGN
ARE AT THE HEART OF ARMADILLO & CO
Words HOLLY BYRNEARTISANS ABROAD
W
hen Armadillo & Co founders Sally Pottharst and
Jodie Fried first crossed paths at a trade show in
2009, serendipity struck. “We just hit it off,” says
Sally. Jodie had been living in India, running a textiles business
with local tradespeople in an effort to help rebuild communities
in the aftermath of a horrific earthquake. Sally, based in Adelaide,
South Australia, was working with her husband in his family’s
floor-coverings business. “Together we decided to make what we
couldn’t find in the market – simple, beautiful and sustainable
rugs,” adds Jodie. And Armadillo & Co was born.
Fast forward 10 years and the brand has an overflowing trophy
cabinet worth of awards and accolades, with offices in New York
and Los Angeles, where Jodie is now based. In 2017, the pair also
launched their not-for-profit Armadillo & Co Foundation, which
provides educational and health services to underprivileged
communities in India, where their rugs are made. “We launched
the foundation to formalise the work we had already been doing,”
says Jodie. Since 2014, the business has fully funded the Kantilal
Vidya Mandir school (above), in India’s carpet belt, to include
staff salaries, school uniforms and maintenance. “Establishing
an official non-profit organisation has enabled us to focus our
fundraising initiatives in a more impactful way.”
The charity is funded by proceeds from each product sold and
online donations, which helps to educate many of the weavers’
children. “Having these children feel so comfortable, that being
at school means so much to them, and knowing that we’re able to
make that happen is just wonderful,” adds Sally. As for the secret
to keeping the business so strong for the past decade, Sally says
it’s about staying true to their ethics. “It’s something that we both
live by... we are all humans on this planet, so let’s be kind to each
other and the planet. That’s really the hallmark, it’s in our bones.” >Right: Jodie Fried (left) and Sally
Pottharst, co-founders of Armadillo
& Co, are pictured at the Indian
school they fund. The ‘Heirloom
Egyptian’ rug in Thyme (below)
and the full ‘Egyptian’ rug range
(bottom) are all created by hand
in India’s carpet belt region.
“WE HAVE WEAVERS, WE HAVE FINISHERS
[BELOW], THERE ARE DYERS – IT’S ABOUT 3000
ARTISANS WHO AT SOME POINT TOUCH OUR
RUGS” - Sally Pottharst, Armadillo & CoDESTINATIONstyle
AUGUST 2019 I HOMEBEAUTIFUL.COM.AU 65