Taib Lotfi was born and raised in the Adar village in Morocco. He is of Berber descent from the Idaounidif Tribe. His family split their time between the village and Marrakech, but at 14 years old, Taib moved to Marrakech, where he completed studies in Hotelier Management. After a stint at the iconic El Fenn Hotel, Taib moved on to create his own business, Pot of Rugs. A self-proclaimed “rug addict,” he collaborates on rug design with weavers in rural Moroccan villages. His passion for Moroccan textiles, weaving, design and culture garnered Pot of Rugs an immediate large international following. It was through the popularity of Pot of Rug’s social media that Taib met his Soukie Modern co-founder, Kenya Knight.
Kenya Knight was born and raised in Hollywood, California. She owns two of the top modeling and talent agencies in Los Angeles, Nous Model Management and Nu Talent Agency. With a natural affinity for all things beautiful, Kenya is equally passionate about interior design. While searching online for Moroccan rugs for her office, she found Pot of Rugs, met Taib, and a friendship was born. On weekends, Kenya spends time at her home in Palm Springs, California. Beloved by Mid-Century Modern enthusiasts around the world, Palm Springs is one of the most prolific and sought after destinations for modern living, Mid-Century vintage shopping and architecture.
Kenya and Taib came to realize there were great similarities in the places they call home, Palm Springs and Marrakech, where visitors will find warm desert climates with far more sunny days than gloomy ones, majestic mountain ranges, and many palm trees. Both destinations also have rich histories with famous celebrities and politicians. The beautifully unique elements of the architecture, interior design and vintage hand-crafted home goods available in Palm Springs and Marrakech, have also transformed the two cities into beloved tourist destinations.
With Soukie Modern, Kenya and Taib aim to grow and share their vision they like to call Palm2Palm. Two palms can signify a pair of trees (perhaps one in Palm Springs and the other in Marrakech), two hands pressed together in prayer, or a hand reached out to offer assistance or friendship. Where peace offerings and harmony between cultures can sometimes run scarce, Palm2Palm represents a “Collective Casbah” merging two worlds and creating a loving bond of beauty for all to enjoy.
