Founders

Geoffrey Orley

When Geoffrey Orley's grandmother offered him an antique Persian carpet for his 15th birthday, he declined the gift. The gesture was nice, but the carpet was not. Inadvertently, Geoffrey's grandmother had ignited his interest in carpets and quest to find the finest carpets worldwide. On this journey, he met Bahram Shabahang in the carpet market of Isfahan, Iran in 1972. Soon to become lifelong friends and business partners, they began importing carpets into the U.S., and the rest is history.

Bahram Shabahang

Bahram Shabahang traces his family heritage to 16th century Isfahan, Iran. The patriarch of the Shabahang family was the son-in-law of King Tahmass Safavieh. He oversaw the work of the rug weavers in the King's workshop and passed this on through the family. Mr.Shabahang holds a degree in Architecture although his passion has always been carpets, which led to the creation of his first store in 1973.

New York

Ashleigh Miller

Ashleigh Miller opened the New York showroom and continues to direct operations there, as well as exhibitions including ICFF, Modernism and Art 20, SOFA New York, Architectural Digest, and Design Hamptons. She is highly involved in the textile art world, acting as a board member of the Hajji Baba Club, which put on the recent New York Historical Society exhibition, “Timbuktu to Tibet: Exotic Rugs and Textiles from New York Collectors.” Although she is an attorney barred in the State of New York, her deeper interest in textiles has compelled her to choose this path, which was in no small part influenced by the passion that Geoffrey and Bahram have for what they do.

Shirin Shabahang

Shirin brings with her an extensive knowledge of the world of rugs. As Bahram’s daughter, she has been surrounded by Persian rugs her entire life. Also like her father, she shares an everlasting passion for these works of art. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, Shirin decided to embrace her family’s tradition and join the Orley Shabahang team. Dedicated to carrying on the family business for generations to come, she continues to further her education and experience while working with us in New York.

Ethan Orley

Ethan Orley has been an integral part of getting our New York gallery off the ground and running. From organizing our marketing campaign to building our basket displays and pedastals, he has literally framed the look and feel of the gallery. We will greatly miss his input and his energy as he moves forward with his career in the ever expanding New York real estate business.

Alonso Pajon

Alonso Pajon who is originally from Medellin, Columbia, is a trained weaver with over 15 years of experience with the Scalamandre Fabric Company, makers of some of the finest fabrics in the world today.

Whitefish Bay

Mehran A.G. Irivani

Mehran grew up in the carpet business. He studied mechanical design engineering as an undergraduate, however, his longtime passion for Persian carpets took hold and he has been with the Shabahang family since 1987.