We recently connected with Ratha Kim and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ratha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The idea came about at least 10 years ago, however it was a service free of charge. I enjoyed designing and styling and it was a way to promote Khmer textiles, so I did not mind volunteering my time. It was not until 2018 when a few friends and family members encouraged me to start a business. It took over a year to make connections. I even flew out to Cambodia to meet my potential partners and sourced textiles. It was important to me that we share the same values in uplifting our culture and introducing authentic textiles to the world! I knew what I wanted to do was not just a business but that we were engaging in ethical practices and fair trade. We launched Rajana Threads at the end of 2019 becoming the first Khmer-American owned fashion brand in the states to promote and use authentic handwoven textiles through contemporary ready to wear designs. Our tagline: Traditional textiles Meet Modern Wear

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in the Khao I Dang Refugee camp in Thailand. At an early age, I developed a burning desire to learn about all things Cambodian (or Khmer) from my mother who, among many things, loves to sew as a hobby. As an indigenous Khmer woman, she taught me a lot about our culture and textile. At about age 7, my mother gave me the opportunity to design my very first Khmer outfit for Cambodian New Year. I already love to draw clothing so the idea of sketching something that was going to be made specifically for me was so exciting. When the day came, I selected a purple color silk textile. Purple is my favorite color. And within a few months, my outfit was ready and I remember proudly wearing my design for the Cambodian new year!

I started Rajana Threads to showcase the eclectic beauty of authentic Khmer textiles through contemporary fashion while also supporting a collaborative of women artisans in Cambodia. I wanted to provide women with simple, yet wearable everyday designs so they can wear their threads proudly wherever and whenever and not just restricted to temple or cultural events. I found myself wearing many of my pieces for non Khmer functions and have done so seamlessly. Khmer textile and the weaving heritage have always been a historically important component of Khmer culture and it deserves a place in the arts!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I was born in the Khao I Dang Refugee camp in Thailand. At an early age, I developed a burning desire to learn about all things Cambodian (or Khmer) from my mother who, among many things, loves to sew as a hobby. As an indigenous Khmer woman, she taught me a lot about our culture and textile. At about age 7, my mother gave me the opportunity to design my very first Khmer outfit for Cambodian New Year. I already love to draw clothing so the idea of sketching something that was going to be made specifically for me was so exciting. When the day came, I selected a purple color silk textile. Purple is my favorite color. And within a few months, my outfit was ready and I remember proudly wearing my design for the Cambodian new year!

I started Rajana Threads to showcase the eclectic beauty of authentic Khmer textiles through contemporary fashion while also supporting a collaborative of women artisans in Cambodia. I wanted to provide women with simple, yet wearable everyday designs so they can wear their threads proudly wherever and whenever and not just restricted to temple or cultural events. I found myself wearing many of my pieces for non Khmer functions and have done so seamlessly. Khmer textile and the weaving heritage have always been a historically important component of Khmer culture and it deserves a place in the arts!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience took a while for us but we are very happy with 3000+ organic followers and loyal customers off of social media.

The faux textiles have saturated our markets in Cambodia and here in the states. What makes us stand out from other businesses that appear to be like ours is that we actually educate our audience on what is real and what is not so that our audience not only learns but can make an informed decision when making purchases. And all of our designs use authentic handwoven textiles, with the exception of a few pieces made from printed batik that are imported from Indonesia but have become a staple home wear in Khmer households.

Furthermore, our partners are reputable award winning social enterprises in Cambodia and as such their innovation has allowed us to introduce many new textiles to the diaspora for the first time. We continue to make history!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rajanathreads.com
• Instagram: @rajanathreads
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rajanathreads