USC alum Maria Inés Echeverria dreamt before she slept. It helped the dreams come true.
Echeverria has always had an interest in fashion from a very young age. She founded INÉS, a luxurious sleepwear company where elegance meets comfort.
Growing up, Echeverria said she watched her stylish mother always making an effort to look put together both inside and outside of the house. Echeverria was influenced to have her own sense of style and be more aware of how she presents herself, even when at home.
“I feel like if I wear something I feel comfortable in and if I look nice, it’s going to make me feel nice,” said Echeverria.
She recalls grabbing and flipping through fashion magazines in the grocery store while following her mom around while she was shopping. She didn’t know what she wanted to do in the fashion world, but she did know she had an interest in it.
She loved styling, but said she isn’t artistic in a drawing sense. So she thought she couldn’t go into fashion. Because of her hesitations, she attended USC and earned two degrees in international relations/global business with an emphasis in finance and vocal arts.
Through studying finance she realized that there are other parts to fashion. She knew she wanted to have her own line but didn’t know how to get started.
“In college, I had a very sacred nighttime routine. I just really loved coming home and unwinding from the day. That part of my day was something that I looked forward to. All my friends had the same thing. They had a similar nighttime routine where they came home and relaxed, put their PJs on and took their makeup off,” said Echeverria.
After she graduated and was out of college, she still had her nighttime routine. About three years ago, she decided it was time she needed to do something with her love of fashion.
“I’ve always been that girl that has my pajama set put together. It always just coordinates. I would never wear tee shirts or sweatpants going to bed. I’ve always wanted to look good in a way, not for like other people, but for me, because it just makes me feel comfortable,” she said.
“Being stylish and keeping my style, going to bed in my PJ’s just made me feel good.”
With her love of fashion and the sacredness of her nighttime routine, Echeverria launched INÉS. She wanted to bring beauty sleep into earlier hours of the night, before sleep actually happens.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico and moving to Los Angeles at a young age, Echeverria wanted to honor her Mexican roots and culture. She grew up with Mexican traditions and values having a strong presence in her household.
“I am super proud of my roots and like I have a big love of the Mexican culture. I just love how rich it is, and how there’s so much history. Even the fashion, it’s very up and coming and what really interested me most was just the artisanal side of the culture because it’s just so prominent. It’s something that I’m super passionate about,” she said.
Mexican culture influenced INÉS when Echeverria was looking for inspiration for fabric, buttons and details on the sleeves.
All of their pajamas are handmade in Mexico from manta, an artisanal organic Mexican fabric dating back to the Mayans, known for being lightweight and soft to the touch.
Her pajamas are eco-friendly as INÉS has a commitment to minimizing their environmental impact and contributing to the preservation of the planet.
Echeverria faced her fair share of challenges but they were more than worth it to her.
“It’s hard to start a business. When I started this, I was very optimistic and I saw things from a very rose-colored lens and I didn’t really see the obstacles. But at the end of the day I really encourage people to do what they’re passionate about even if it’s hard,” said Echeverria.
“Seeing INÉS come to life, be official like wow, people are buying it, people are wearing it, it’s so rewarding. It makes me so fulfilled, and just really proud of, what I’ve done. Seeing it unfold has been really rewarding.”
Naming the company after herself, Echeverria wants INÉS to showcase her customers’ raw beauty.
“I want women around the world to look forward to wearing INÉS to make them feel beautiful, like something that they can look forward to when they come home. My goal is to make women feel confident in their raw beauty when they wear our sleepwear.”
INÉS’ goal is to intertwine the concepts of beauty, self-expression and quality sleep.
“You prepare for your beauty sleep so why not look beautiful and feel beautiful in your pajamas as well?” said Echeverria.
“Having pajamas that make you feel pretty, and they’re very simple, but they have a very nice touch to them. You’re going to feel good and that can make you sleep better. In a way, it’s kind of just like beauty sleep.”