Inigo Elizalde

Artist and textile designer Inigo Elizalde was born in 1972 in Manila, the Philippines—notably, during a typhoon. In 1985, he left Manila to attend the Portsmouth Abbey School in Rhode Island. After graduating from high school in 1991, he studied fine art and art history at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). He graduated from RISD in 1995 with a Bachelor’s degree in painting.

After college, in 1996, Elizalde worked for a year at a non-profit, experimental performance space in New York called The Kitchen. He next went to work as art director for Rafé, a handbag and accessories brand in New York. He worked there for six years, further developing his skills in graphic design, branding, and visual storytelling. Elizalde launched his own studio—specializing in rug design—in 2010 on the far west side of New York City. In 2012, the studio was severely damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and Inigo Elizalde Rugs moved to a new, larger location in the center of Manhattan.

Elizalde’s work is eclectic and highly conceptual. Elizalde’s inspirations range from travel and architecture to geographical formations and Art Deco jewelry, as well as his Filipino roots. Notable collaborations to date include ongoing work with the Filipino government, including a 2012 throw pillow collection commissioned by the Center for Trade for its twice-yearly Manila Fame trade show; a collaboration with Peter Marino for Christian Dior (2012), a rug design project for Baccarat Madison Avenue (2013); and installations done in coordination with designer Rafael de Cárdenas for the Museum of Arts & Design’s 2014 exhibition NYC Makers: The MAD Biennial.