TEAM X

founder

abraham moradzadeh

abraham moradzadeh recognized his passion for the art of antique rugs when he was just 18 years old, opening a small rug gallery near the british embassy in tehran, iran. the shop became a tourist attraction, and abraham found educating clients about the informed way to buy an antique rug addictive. so addictive, in fact, that he often would host lectures to peace corp workers on the vast culture surrounding antique rugs and tapestries. in 1979, the revolution led abraham and his young family to los angeles, where he re-opened his namesake rug shop in the heart of the world-famous los Angeles design district a year later. and abraham's zeal for rugs remained the same. his historical knowledge combined with an eye for truly special, one-of-a-kind pieces from around the world quickly attracted important designers and their clients. he is able to discern truly important pieces from the less noteworthy, so each of his clients can be confident that they are getting a special piece with an accurate value. today, like a modern day indiana jones (with the hat collection to match), abraham still uses his impeccable eye on sourcing trips to paris, morocco, turkey and germany, where he specializes in seeing the unique details and potential in antique decorative pieces spanning the late 1800s and beyond. he thinks of his buying trips as treasure hunts, and is just as passionate about helping clients conceptualize their perfect rug as he was when he was 18.

ceo & creative director

sam moradzadeh

sam moradzadeh is woven’s ceo, an entrepreneur with an expansive vision, and the silent determination to make it a concrete reality.

since joining the family business in 2005, sam introduced a series of innovations to continue make the company stand out as a one-of-a-kind brand where trend meets tradition. abraham’s oriental rug gallery was renamed woven accents (now simply woven).

organically over the years, sam has assembled a talented team of sales, development and design professionals to help him invent and insert a certain west coast vitality into the age-old rug trade, and attract an audience of almost exclusively interior designers.

when working on the launch of studio woven, an in-house design office to produce series of hand woven rugs that aim to become contemporary classics, it was his new design director who remarked that sam is so intimately involved with the actual design of the rug, going back and forth on every detail about materials, colors, pattern and texture etcetera that he might as well be called studio woven’s creative director. so she does, as does design within reach (dwr). since 2016 studio woven has designed and sourced 5 custom rug collections for dwr, adding a new wholesale chapter to the enterprise. 

president

danielle barr

as woven’s president,  danielle works closely with our ceo building a strong foundation for our growing business.  she is responsible for strategy across all aspects of the business and is spearheading growth into new markets.  a trailblazer with a proven track record, she is a respected innovator in the decor industry. 

after honing her skills in the fashion industry with top international brands like dior and ferragamo, danielle took her experience in branding, marketing and business development to the design industry. she learned about craftsmanship while working at clarence house and the rug company and successfully grew those businesses in the united states.


new york sales

lauren cusack kaloudis

with over a decade of industry experience, both as a practicing designer and a seasoned sales manager, lauren has developed a distinctive ability to dive right into a project, working alongside her clients from concept development to completion. this creative collaboration has allowed lauren’s unique perspective to shine, propelling her desire to grow and foster the creative process. exceeding the expectations of her clients is integral to her core beliefs. she prides herself on delivering the type of experience that nearly blurs the lines between business and friendship, a true advisor every step of the way.

at home, lauren is currently refinishing her hudson valley, mid-century ranch with her husband and two small children. she draws inspiration from her surroundings and brings her love of design and creative zest into every interaction.

new york outside sales

gina zolezzi

having worked as a multi-line outside sales, brand ambassador, gina understands the needs and wants within the luxury residential and hospitality industry. she is extremely passionate about cultivating new and existing relationships within different territories and learning from different cultures.

gina is a new jersey native, having gone to fashion institute of technology with a b.s. in home products development and minor in textile development and marketing. she immediately immersed herself and fell in love with the design process, sourcing and development of textiles within the industry.

NY SALES

danielle tomassetti

Danielle graduated from the Fashion Institute in New York City in 2017, where she studied home products development and honed her passion for design. She followed her interest in travel right out of school, exploring the world as she scouted top hotels and destinations for renowned music artists. She eventually returned to her first love, interior design.

Highly personable and hands on, Danielle sees herself as an extension of a designer’s team, helping them to actualize their vision for clients. She’s a foodie at heart and always excited to try the newest restaurant in town or go for a walk in the state park with her velcro vizsla.

la sales

hailey hudson

hailey's background in restaurant management, an environment in which design dictates tone and intention, led her to explore work rooted in collaboration with creatives -- those who celebrate and elevate spaces wherein form and function merge. she has found purpose in fostering growth within businesses that prioritize true artisanry, and has earned the trust of her clients not only through diligent, consistent support, but by bringing levity and humor and finding calm in the chaotic.  

hailey's true interest in people and their stories, their perspectives, is the driving force within her work -- which has now brought her to woven, where she finds this mirrored in the generational knowledge and communal memory emphasized in our designs, art brought to life by our weavers. 

LA OUTSIDE SALES

sarah nehamen

Through overseas travel and innate curiosity, Sarah developed a passion for interior design after many years of working in branding and product development. Learning how to apply creative principles of color, texture and space to three dimensional settings opened a whole new world for Sarah and a new way of collaborating with clients. Since then, she has immersed herself in the A + D industry with a focus on lighting, wall coverings and now textiles, having worked with a number of designers on projects from start to finish. 

Sarah combines a broad range of creative skills with intuition and a true love of helping people to provide a tailored experience for every client she interacts with. Sarah's assistant Leo, a silky brunette cocker spaniel, is always happy to provide a second opinion or some puppy warmth to brighten the day. 

creative content designer

kyle ortiz

“the creative swiss-army knife”. this is what the connecticut-born creative artist, j. kyle ortiz is best known as; due to his comprehensive understanding of visual arts. 

kyle went on to study computer science at platt technical high school. during his time at platt, he was top of his class and the lead software developer in his grade. at age 16, he was scouted by a brazilian skate brand, who took him on tour for 3 years. kyle continued to compete in the amateur league until he suffered a major injury, rendering him unable to ride for several years. while recovering, he focused on expanding his skills in photography, branding, and user interface design.

after recovery, kyle began working in connecticut’s creative industry, assisting with both large & small scaled visual projects. this was until he was hired to photograph a hip-hop artist's adventure to los angeles. while walking down melrose, he knew he was where he belonged.


production director

christy payton

 
christy payton is a los angeles native with a b.a. in business entrepreneurship and a studio arts minor from loyola marymount university. she found a career in production was the perfect fit to combine her business sense with her love for art, fashion, and travel. 

with experience sourcing overseas and building relationships with international partners she continues to be passionate about forming a deeper connection with other cultures.  having a background handling wholesale and mass production for the fashion industry, she is excited to utilize her experience to create beautiful handmade rugs.