Founded in 2019, Salam Hello is a sustainable textile company that brings Moroccan rugs from the Atlas Mountains directly to the United States.
Moroccan rugs are famous around the world. But few people stop to think about who created them or the history of the tradition in Morocco. Salam Hello founder and California native Mallory Solomon wishes to change this by highlighting the artisans behind the handwoven rugs. Solomon was inspired to create Salam Hello (salam means “peace” in Arabic and is used as a greeting, similar to “hello” in English) after a two-week trip to Morocco.
The intricate rugs sold by Salam Hello are crafted deep in the Atlas Mountains, roughly five hours from Marrakesh. They are created by artisans who are part of Association Anezal, a Berber women’s weaving association.
Berber women from North Africa have been hand-weaving textiles since 600 BCE. The craft is not only part of their culture, but is their livelihood. However, in the existing system, women invest months or even years into these pieces, only to be taken advantage of by greedy brokers. For too long these artisans have been at the mercy of middlemen, subject to manipulation.
“Artisans can easily spend months, or even years, on these pieces, often as they raise children and run households. They are invaluable works of art. But when it comes time to sell, the stories behind these textiles are lost to bulk buyers, and the artisans are at the mercy of middlemen or brokers. The brokers use manipulative tactics to slash the artisan’s asking prices so the women rarely earn back what they’ve invested in time, material and craft,” reads Salam Hello’s website.
Salam Hello rights this wrong by taking a different approach to the marketing and selling of these artful pieces. The American company meets directly with the women creating each rug and seeks to understand the time, labour, and story behind it. The artisan then names her selling price and it is Salam Hello’s policy never to negotiate below this price. From there, the rugs are polished, shipped to the United States, and sold online. Alongside the price, size, materials, pile, and rug style, each rug for sale on Salam Hello’s website also includes the “Story Behind the Weave” and the “Time to Make.” This information allows consumers to better understand the Berber artisan behind the rug.
Beyond providing Berber rug weavers with international recognition and financial empowerment, every single rug sold by Salam Hello is sustainably made. Each rug uses 100% live sheep wool and natural dyes. Yellow and orange dyes come from saffron, blue from indigo, green from mint or alfalfa, and red and pink from henna or pomegranate. Each rug is created by just one artisan from start to finish using nothing but a wooden loom and a hammer comb.
In addition to rugs, Salam Hello also offers pillows.
