Founded in the U.S., Inspired by Silk's Origins

Before SILKAVA was a brand, it was a childhood.

SILKAVA is founded in the United States by Emma Shi, who grew up in Suzhou, China—a city that has been at the heart of silk for more than six thousand years. There, silk is simply part of everyday life. Like many children in Suzhou, Emma raised silkworms, feeding them fresh mulberry leaves, watching them spin their cocoons, and witnessing the quiet miracle of a single, delicate thread.

At the time, it didn't seem extraordinary. It was simply home.

Life eventually took her elsewhere. Emma studied art and animation, moved to study and work in the United States, earned an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management (Go 'Cats!), and built a career creating products, stories, and brands. Silk wasn't part of the plan. It was simply where her story had begun.

Emma with her artwork, exhibited in Metamorphosis: The Art of Transformation at the Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Northwestern University (2025).

 

The way back 

Years later, silk found her again.

As an adult, Emma unexpectedly developed allergies to pollen and dust mites, leaving her with highly sensitive skin. Despite countless attempts to find lasting relief, there never seemed to be a clear answer. While searching for greater comfort in everyday life, she returned to silk—and rediscovered the comfort it had always offered.

It wasn't a discovery. It was a homecoming.

The material that quietly improved her daily life was the same one she had held in her hands as a child—the same thread she had watched a silkworm spin years earlier, an ocean away. Something she had grown up with had found its way back to her, and this time she understood its value in an entirely new way.

 

Why we created SILKAVA

When Emma began looking for silk products she truly loved, she kept finding the same two extremes: silk reduced to a cheap commodity, with many products lacking the quality and authenticity of real silk, or silk marketed almost like medicine. Very few brands celebrated silk for what it truly is—a remarkable natural material with a rich history, thoughtful craftsmanship, and timeless beauty.

So she created the brand she wished existed.

Emma learning traditional silk-weaving techniques at the Suzhou Silk Museum.

 

Today, SILKAVA is an American brand that combines authentic silk heritage with thoughtful modern design. We believe exceptional silk should be genuine, beautifully crafted, and created with intention—to become part of your everyday rituals.

We named our first collection the Origin Series because it honors where silk begins: the silkworm, the mulberry leaf, and the cocoon. It also reflects, in many ways, where Emma's own journey began.

When you open a SILKAVA package, you're holding more than a beautifully crafted silk accessory. You're holding a story rooted in heritage, shaped by design, and made with genuine care.