Recent Heritage Graduate, MacKenzie Duffy, combined her love for travel, art and design to launch the company of her dreams, Modern Myth. Modern Myth sources only the highest quality rugs, textiles, baskets & poufs from the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco to give your home culture and an artisan touch. Each piece is ethically sourced directly from female-cooperatives and artisans to preserve the ancient lineage & craft.
Continue reading to learn more about MacKenzie and her journey that inspired the creation of Modern Myth.
About MacKenzie
Im a 34 year old Portland native. I started traveling at 18 and never stopped. I’ve explored much of SE Asia, Indonesia, Mexico, Australia, Africa and a bit of South America. The world has been my most favored form of education. I love immersing myself in a culture and learning traditional ways of life. Sourcing art has always been a part of my travels. prior to the launch of Modern Myth, I used to gift my finds out to friends and family. About three years ago I met the daughter of an importer while traveling on the southern coast of Morocco. She spoke of the exotic collections she grew up surrounded by and put me in contact with her father. It was in that conversation that I believed this could be a real career instead of a lofty dream. Today, I am so grateful I took the leap as a solo entrepreneur and am keeping hand made art alive & accessible to my community.
Interior design was the next leap of faith. Designing spaces has been my passion for as long as I can remember. Whenever I walk into a room, I am constantly tearing walls down, rearranging furniture and creating color stories in my mind for a balanced, functional, and beautiful space. I never pursued interior design as a career, until this past year. Creating Modern Myth gave me the opportunity to design a business from the ground up. It was a true pleasure and it gave me courage to again turn what I thought was only a dream career into reality. I spoke with a previous student of Heritage and she couldn’t have been more encouraging for me to take Modern Myth to the next level. I am thrilled to now be offering interior Design services through Modern Myth Decor.
The Creation of Modern Myth
Modern Myth started out with a month long solo road trip through the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. This is where the majority of exquisite weavers reside tucked away in villages surrounded by mountain peaks. I had always had an affinity for weavers, and spent a majority of my time traveling seeking out weaving communities and art alike. When I had arrived in Morocco the year prior, you can imagine my excitement to get to witness the craftsmanship of these artists first hand. When considering turning this passion into a business, my goal was to support female weavers by sourcing all my products directly from their villages and homes– and I did just that. I created a rough itinerary based off styles of rugs I was attracted to and villages they were loomed in and meandered my way through. My time spent with the berber people taught me a lot more than just where textiles are concerned. They taught me about true community and welcomed me into their homes for tea, bread and shelter time and time again. I am forever grateful for this experience and have continued to build relationships with the artisans and continue to import remotely.
My inventory is entirely hand made home decor, and is often one of a kind and vintage. If you see something you like, I always recommend you check in and see if it’ll be a recurring item or if it’s limited edition. Every piece has a story. Whether it’s from a remote village I traveled through and stayed with a family or a one of a kind hand knotted rug made from recycled clothes, there’s always something unique and special to share. These pieces I’ve hand selected breathe life into interior spaces and have an organic, tactile expression of authenticity. We currently carry a variety of blankets from Morocco and Ecuador. We also stock woven wall hangings, pillows, baskets and rugs and floor cushions in both woven textiles and leather. New inventory from various countries are constantly weaving their way in and out so be sure to watch my stories on instagram for first picks and flash sales while I am traveling!
How to Find Modern Myth
If you are wondering how to find Modern Myth there are a few options. First and foremost check out the web shop www.modern-myth.com & Instagram @modernmythdecor. Also, my Moroccan rug inventory is featured at SMG collectives showroom in the Portland Pearl District. Just on the horizon (starting in July) I’ll have a permanent retail space at Urbanite on SE grand alongside many other small business owners of Portland. I highly recommend taking a peek at what this shop has to offer even before you can shop Modern Myth. It’s a treasure hunt of goodies.
Future goals for Modern Myth include sourcing specifically for designers. I currently have access to large inventories of hand made rugs in both Morocco and Turkey so if you have a client in search of a specific style, please feel free to reach out and I’ll be happy to develop wholesale accounts with you! I look forward to connecting with you!
— MacKenzie + Modern Myth Decor
