If you could experience the warmth of Emily’s home, you would understand that Tea was inevitable. She has an eye for fusing her love of mid-century design with her affection for art and decorative pieces from her world travels in Asia and Africa.

Emily and her husband bring so many worlds together—he spent his childhood years in Taipei speaking Mandarin with his family; she grew up in Texas, influenced by her mother who speaks fluent French and Spanish and who encouraged her daughters to explore the world. They both did—Emily’s sister now lives in Belgium with her husband and their two children.

While creating a home for her own family, Emily knew that she couldn’t decorate a nursery in the traditional décor prominent in America at the time. She also knew that she wanted to send her niece in Brussels a gift that reflected the importance and inspiration of her global heritage. At that moment, she realized the children in her family would be citizens of the world.

I was inspired by Emily’s vision for Tea and her desire to bring the tastes, textures and patterns of the world into the home. I saw how making the foreign familiar could help broaden a family’s horizons and make the world a more accessible and beautiful place.

We are thrilled that five years later, Tea is available in hundreds of retailers around the country as well as overseas. We have two labels:  our signature, globally-inspired Collection and our new mix and match play clothes called Daily Tea. Stores have embraced Tea and are introducing new moms, dads and grandparents to our full collection that brings a little bit of the world into their children’s lives. We have been honored to hear from the parents—well-read, well-traveled and completely committed to raising good citizens of the world.

Each season, Emily identifies a new place for inspiration and introduces prints and patterns that reflect that culture. We believe that in some little way, we can help children see that we are all citizens of this world.