Silk Thunder on Duty, Building Legacy, and Sustainable Fashion
Meet the Vintage Curator
Karina Amaya, Silk Thunder Jaguar Warrior Priestess, possesses the sacred gift of remembrance, channeling her ancestral memory to illuminate truth, flavor, and harmony with nature. Karina is a mother and vintage curator.
DH: In conversation, I profoundly felt Karina Amaya’s gentle influence. Her voice carried a truth, echoing wisdom born from trial and transcendence. In this interview, Karina unfolds a narrative of self-discovery, illustrating a path of intentional living over fleeting trends.
Spiritual Duty
DH: Tell us about your name, Silk Thunder Jaguar Warrior Priestess.
KA, STJWP: I was in the kitchen when it came to me, not with force, but like a soft wave moving through my busy mind. My hands were full, my thoughts racing, and then suddenly it was there: Silk Thunder Warrior Priestess. It felt less like I chose it and more like it chose me—a reminder of who I have always been. The name is tied to my life-altering awakening in 2020, when everything I thought I knew cracked open, and I began to remember myself more fully.
Silk speaks to strength through softness; Thunder to the truth that shakes the air; Jaguar to the ancestral guardian that protects me; Warrior to the resilience I have carried all my life; Priestess to the sacred duty of tending the space between worlds.
“It felt less like I chose it and more like it chose me—a reminder of who I have always been.”
Building Legacy
DH: You have a vintage treasure chest with sustainability as the key. What has it been like as a business owner and mother of five children?
KA, STJWP: As a first-generation U.S. American, a teen mother, and the child of an immigrant, I have always known how to work hard. The vision and hustle have never been the issue. I can create something from nothing. But in America, a business is more than just work. It becomes its own entity, almost like another being to feed and structure. That has been the most challenging part for me, learning to build not just a hustle but an actual business inside a system that was not designed for people like me.
Thanks to some incredible people around me, I am learning how to slither my way into that system and claim space in it. It has not been easy, but every step has made me stronger and more intentional about the legacy I am building for my children.
Sustainable Fashion
SHOP VINTAGE
DH: What do you look for when curating vintage clothing for women and children? Where can we buy your finds?
KA, STJWP: I am drawn to clothing that feels alive. I love 1940s through Y2K fashion, the elegance of feminine silhouettes, the edge of asymmetrical details, and the comfort of natural fabrics. You can always tell when something is mass-produced for quick cash versus when it has been crafted with intention and love. After more than ten years of touching and sourcing clothes, I have developed a real knack for recognizing quality.
Clothing has taught me about the world, how regions dress for weather, how traditions are woven into fabric, and how here in the U.S., we have lost the thread by chasing trends instead of resonance. For me, curating is about finding pieces that hold soul and longevity, so that the wardrobe becomes not only fashionable but deeply personal. You can find my collections through Karina’s Vintage Archives on Instagram and at pop-up markets where each piece is offered with care and intention.
