Inspiration

ILLIRICA grew from all the core values I nurtured over the past eight years through my previous brand, SILVAN. A deep love for cultural heritage and the natural beauty of our region, as well as a desire for products to embody care for both the environment and the community, have been guiding principles for everything I did with SILVAN. These values will remain the foundation of everything I create.

Making soaps started as a hobby in my free time, and I enjoyed it as a form of relaxation. But little by little, the world of creating something from nothing completely captivated me, and I found my calling in it. I love creating—stories and products—and it fills me with joy when I see that I bring something positive into someone’s life.

I’m incredibly happy that SILVAN has often been recognized and rewarded for this: from being featured in the British edition of Vogue Magazine as part of the campaign “Vogue’s Beauty Secrets,” to winning numerous competitions for our ideas, to awards like the at the largest regional sustainability festival, Greencajt.

The year 2024 was full of exciting opportunities and opened my eyes to a new direction. After winning a scholarship for what turned out to be the most intense educational experience of my life—the MIT Innovative Leadership Bootcamp —my vision of what I want to achieve crystallized. It became clear that a new chapter is opening before me, before all of you who enthusiastically used SILVAN until now, and before those of you who are joining our new ILLIRICA community.

Welcome to the new chapter!

ILLIRICA takes everything a step further—more comprehensive and deeper in essence. Together with a team of experts, we worked for months on developing products that will offer targeted solutions for mature skin issues, basing our formulations on extracts of the finest Mediterranean plants.

The nature of the Mediterranean is an endless source of inspiration—and you’ll agree, few regions in the world have such untouched and preserved landscapes. Furthermore, with the name ILLIRICA, I wanted to create an even deeper connection to what has always fascinated me most—the mystical spirit of times long past.

I hope to pass some of this fascination and curiosity on to you, that the design of our packaging will spark your imagination, and that you’ll want to learn more about the mysterious Illyrian tribes who walked this same land thousands of years before us.

ILLIRICA is the Mediterranean, inside and out—enjoy using these products created to awaken all your senses.

Founder of the brand, Jelena Bikić