About Us
Live Beautifully
YEMA dresses people who already know their worth — the bold, the grounded, the unapologetically alive. We exist for the dreamers, the doers, the culturally curious, and anyone who believes that what you wear should carry meaning as far as it travels.
Your Chosen Family
YEMA is a global tribe stitched together not by geography, but by creativity, connection, and the courage to show up as your full self. At YEMA, you belong.
Our pieces are wearable art, designed to hold stories, spark conversations, and carry culture with taste, intention, and pride. Each silhouette, print, and detail is shaped by where we come from and where we're going — from Kibera to Tiburon, Fifth Avenue to Ginza to the Champs-Élysées.
We create pieces that help you be seen, build your tribe, and contribute to something bigger. Fashion is our medium. Connection is the outcome.
Our Story
YEMA began with a journey from Kibera, Kenya — one of the world's largest informal settlements — to Tiburon, California. Founder Yema Khalif met his wife and co-founder Hawi Awash while attending university in California. Hawi grew up as an orphan in Ethiopia before finding her chosen family. Together, they built a brand that carries their story in every stitch.
The giraffe is our symbol for a reason: giraffes have the largest hearts of any land animal — two feet long, pumping blood all the way to the sky while their feet stay planted on the earth. Reaching great heights while remaining grounded.
Every Piece Tells a Story
Everything at YEMA is intentional. Every color, pattern, symbol, and word connects to East African heritage — Amharic script, Kenyan patterns, colors named after places that matter. This is art you can wear. Culture you can carry. The colors of resilience.
Every YEMA piece is made in the frequency of Tizita — an Ethiopian concept with no direct English translation. A longing for something beautiful you may have never had, but recognize in your soul. [Learn more →]
How We Make It
Every piece is produced in small batches with family-owned manufacturers who share our commitment to ethical labor practices. Current partners are in China and Ethiopia, with 2026 expanding to artisans in Kenya, Taiwan, and Italy.
Materials matter: recycled bamboo, recycled polyester, and cotton. How something is made is as important as how it looks.
The HAWI & YEMA Foundation
Education changed everything for Yema and Hawi. The Foundation exists to pay that gift forward — that every child with dreams should have access to the education that unlocks them.
Twenty percent of proceeds on every sale — in-store and online — goes directly to education initiatives in Kenya and Ethiopia. In six years, we've supported over 400 students and built two schools.
When you wear YEMA, you're championing opportunity. You're part of something bigger.
[Learn more about the Foundation →]
Live Beautifully. From Ethiopia to everywhere.