ABOUT
Between them, Sophie & Peter have spent 50 years living across Asia. Their exploration of the far-reaches of the continent has revealed beautiful traditional techniques and design that are hard to find in stores throughout the world.
With Peter’s background in interior and product design and Sophie’s eye for aesthetics, SOUQ was conceived to bring original design and curated pieces with their roots in traditional craft.
What We Do
SOUQ’s intention is to combine old-world skills with contemporary design to create sophisticated pieces that are at once traditional and modern. In working with local artisans from remote and inspiring cultures, SOUQ gives the world access to the uniqueness of these traditions that might otherwise remain unseen, providing artisans with a livelihood that enables them to keep their traditional skills and culture alive for the benefit of humanity.
SOUQ believes in the integrity of design. We understand the hard-work and love that goes into creation and we believe all things should endure in both quality and aesthetic. We meticulously select each of SOUQ’s suppliers and materials; from winding road trips into the mountains of Java to long days spent with skilled tradesmen in factories, SOUQ is powered by passion, creativity and conscience.
With a love for indigenous textiles and hand craftsmanship, SOUQ's online store focuses especially on representing homewares and fabrics; from batik silk to embroidered songket, cast brassware to hand-carved petrified wood, SOUQ specialises in championing beauty and the artisans of Indonesia, taking materials in their raw form to create new pieces such as The Batik Silk Sarong & Kimono, our elegant Ikat Napkins and woven Mesh Placemats.
Who We Are
Sophie is SOUQ’s Creative Director.
Sophie began her career as a commercial lawyer in Perth, Western Australia.
During her time in Shanghai co-running and creating for KID cashmere, she developed an extensive creative-sourcing network for homewares and interiors which became the backbone for SOUQ Store in Bali.
Sophie is the creative energy behind the SOUQ Organic Café within SOUQ Store and specializes in sourcing, textiles and art direction for SOUQ Design.
Peter Kemp is SOUQ’s Head Designer. Hailing from Melbourne, Peter has a multidisciplinary design background spanning Australasia over 40 years. Having studied fashion design at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Architectural Drawing at the University of Technology Sydney, Peter has worked in fashion, interior, architectural and product design in Australia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Shanghai and Indonesia.
After working as an architectural and interior designer specialising in bars and restaurants in Sydney, Peter then created the Grand Pacific Blueroom, the luminous establishment on Sydney’s bar scene.
The magnetism of Asia drew him back and he moved to Shanghai where he conceived and created the brand and interior design for a boutique hotel and co-founded the iconic utilitarian cashmere label, KID, with Sophie. He moved to Bali in 2011 for the beginnings of SOUQ Store and SOUQ Design.
SOUQ Design
SOUQ Design focuses on the creation of larger pieces such as furniture and lighting both for large-scale projects and retail. To see more of these pieces, visit us at:
www.souqdesign.co