Women We Admire: LiLi Tan

In our Women We Admire series, we celebrate inspiring female entrepreneurs who are redefining their industries with passion and purpose. This month, we’re thrilled to feature LiLi Tan, Emmy Award-winning journalist and founder of KAILU Silk—a brand that blends heritage craftsmanship with modern luxury.

LiLi’s journey began with a deep appreciation for storytelling and textiles, shaped by her experiences as a journalist writing for ELLE, Huffington Post, and NBC News. But it was a personal connection to silk—steeped in tradition and wellness benefits—that led her to launch KAILU in 2018. Inspired by the artisans of the Yangtze River Delta, she has made it her mission to create exquisite silk pieces that honor their craft while offering a luxurious, mindful approach to self-care.

What inspired you to start Kailu Silk? Was there a personal experience that led you to explore silk as your medium?

I grew up hearing about these magical silk-filled duvets – my Aunt brought one for my mother when she visited us at my family home in Wisconsin. They’re coveted in Chinese culture, and are usually given as wedding gifts or other big life events. Chinese women also use them for menopause because of its cooling properties. I was a kid at the time, so I was definitely not allowed to touch the silk duvet. But later, in 2008, I bought my own silk duvet during my first trip to China. It was white and very randomly covered with ocean waves and sheep. I was 28 at the time and working as an associate features editor at ELLE, and my editor had sent me to Beijing to write a story about the Olympic uniforms. During a sightseeing trip, we stopped at a home goods store and there were four women standing around a table tugging, coaxing and stretching these small pieces of fluffy raw silk into super thin layers. I was mesmerized – it was unlike anything I’d ever seen. 

Can you share a bit about your background before launching Kailu Silk? 

I’m a journalist, and I started in magazines (People, ELLE, Tatler Asia) and then switched into TV broadcast news (NBC stations in San Francisco, Seattle and San Luis Obispo) halfway through. So, I’ve always been a storyteller and genuinely believed in amplifying people’s voices, plus I’ve always loved textiles. I brought my silk duvet everywhere, moving from New York to Beijing to Hong Kong, then back to the U.S., without ever giving a thought to turning it into a business. In 2018, I was staying with a friend in L.A., and I woke up several times so sweaty and hot because it was a synthetic comforter. I crankily asked my friend why she didn’t have silk duvets. And she asked, “Well, where can I get one?” 

So, I started looking for silk duvets in the US, but couldn’t find many. And when I did find one, it was hard to figure out where the silk was farmed and the designs were more traditional. During my travels, I learned about these struggling silk villages in the Yangtze River Delta. It’s such a beautiful area filled with arched stone bridges and waterways. It was the favorite silk region of the Qing Dynasty emperors and the beginning of the maritime Silk Road. But in recent years, the villages and the craft has been practically abandoned because the younger people left to work in mega factories to make cheap products. I really hoped by creating KAILU that I could not only create high-quality heritage products but also help these small silk villages and the artisans by bringing some business back. I wanted to create a brand that I could be proud of. 

What sets KAILU Silk apart from other silk brands? What makes your silk special? 

KAILU Silk is specially-sourced, spring-harvest artisan silk. Springtime brings the best weather to rear silk, so you get the finest, softest silk. The artisans told me I was the first American to visit them. Many companies usually just stop at big trading centers in border cities, without traveling to where it’s made. So I make sure to go to the actual workshop, visit the mom-and-pop farmers, and see how things are being made. I watch the farmers hand feed the silkworms mulberry leaves only, so that’s why the silk is so fine and ivory-colored. KAILU Silk is like the Kobe of silk because the silkworms get an exclusive diet of mulberry leaves. If they were left to fend for themselves, eating anything, everything, plus pesticides, you’d be able to tell. The silk would be brown, clumpy, and very uneven. Plus, the artisans pour so much love and care into our silks. When I record them for our website videos and social media, the artisan aunties light up because they’re so proud of their heritage. It’s truly a passion for them. 

Your silk pieces exude luxury and mindfulness. How do you see the connection between high-quality materials and self-care?

Thank you, that’s so kind and definitely what I was going for! I wanted to create goods that were not only beautiful but very functional. For me, natural materials lead to a better quality of life, and buying higher-quality means longer lasting and buying less too. I’m a big proponent of low-waste, so the water to clean the cocoons is recycled limestone-enriched water from the Delta. KAILU silk duvets and throws should easily last at least 20 years if you take care of it. We should be able to live in the beautiful things we invest in. So benefitting ourselves, the people who make them, and the places they come from, well, that’s the ultimate self-care because it nourishes the body and soul.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in building your business, and how did you overcome them? 

The biggest challenge is navigating the geo-political situation between the U.S. and China, plus overcoming the perception of “Made in China.” Tariffs come and go, but mindsets take a lot longer to change. I’ve been asked whether I own a sweatshop, whether I use child labor, all sorts of, quite frankly, offensive things. Even if something is made in the U.S., we have to do our due diligence because quality depends more on the brand’s practices than it does on the country of origin. It is absolutely possible to make a high-quality, ethical product in China if you do the work. And I did and still do the work. To overcome attitudes, I have to balance how forward I can be with my heritage, which is kind of sad but it’s necessary. I stress the quality, how it’s made, and that it’s made by artisans who have nothing to do with governments. And if people still aren’t convinced, they’re not my customer.

As a female entrepreneur, what lessons have you learned that you’d share with other women looking to start their own business?

Work with other female entrepreneurs. The community, especially the mid-life/menopause community or the “meno-posse,” is really special. I have never met so many genuinely helpful women who want to do things to lift each other up. Don’t get annoyed by male entrepreneurs when you have no idea why their business got funded. You know why their business got funded! We female entrepreneurs have our own community, so turn towards them, ask questions, ask for help, and we’ll get through this.

How do you incorporate self-care into your daily routine? Does silk play a role in your own wellness practices? 

Self-care and work is difficult, but I try to exercise and take baths whenever I can. Silk plays a role in all of it – I use our silk hair ties when I go running, use a silk cocoon to gently exfoliate my skin, slip into a silk robe after baths, use our Silk Pillowcase for my hair and skin, sleep with our Oversized Silk Eye Mask instead of getting black out curtains, and tuck myself under our Heritage Silk Duvet so I can sleep deeper and longer every night. And when I travel, I bring the Open Road Portable Throw with me so I don’t overheat at night. Silk, especially silk filling, is like mother nature’s smart blanket. When I’m hot, it cools me down. When I’m cold, it warms me up. It’s such an incredible fiber for wellness. 

What’s next for Kailu Silk? Are there any exciting new launches or collaborations on the horizon?

Our signature print is a 1950s archival bird-and-peony print on emerald from Shanghai. We’re currently designing a duvet cover and other accessories inspired by that print. I’m also hoping to launch a “Double Silk” throw, meaning silk on the outside and inside. So, sumptuous silk fabric covers are on their way this year! In the future, I’d love to work with designers to create their own duvet cover designs as well.

If you could gift one Kailu Silk piece to any woman in history, who would it be and why?  

I’d give our two-tone Open Road Portable Throw in our signature print to Frida Kahlo. She very much celebrated her Mexican heritage and culture in her work, and was able to spark meaningful conversations about social issues and have an impact. I hope through KAILU, I can help improve the lives of our artisans and our customers’ sleep wellness. 

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received earlier in your journey?

Trust your own instincts. If something doesn’t feel right at that moment, shelve it and when it’s the right moment, it’ll come to you. You don’t need to ask all of your friends. They don’t always know. Oh, and Quickbooks.