Today we’d like to introduce you to Shana Azad.
Hi Shana, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started inhvn (originally inheavenus) the week before the
world shut down in 2020. I had just
graduated college with a BA in
Psychology and Women & Gender
Studies – unsure of what was next, but certain that I wanted to create
something of my own. I thought about what I loved and what I felt
was missing in that space, and from there, I began designing oversized 100% cotton sweats and sweaters from the ground up. The idea was to feel like you’re wrapped in a cloud when you wore them – that’s where the name “inheaven” came from.
When the pandemic hit, production paused, and I had to pivot. I repurposed the fabric I had sourced, and made face masks with detachable necklaces, selling them online and at local farmers markets. That income helped me restart clothing production, and little by little, the brand began to grow.
Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with jewelry. As mask mandates lifted, I continued making the necklaces, and what started as a pivot became the core of inhvn. I worked retail to keep funding the business and eventually began selling inside Showfields, a concept pop-up store at the Westfield Century City Mall— right across from the retail store I was working. That full-circle moment gave me the confidence to keep going, and inhvn has been evolving ever since.
I knew I wanted to build a true
community around the brand, so I became a weekly vendor at the
Melrose Place Farmers Market. That space has become one of the most meaningful parts of the journey—I’ve met so many incredible people and built something that feels much bigger than just a business. My best
advice for anyone just starting a brand: get into your local markets or events. You’ll make sales, but more importantly, you’ll start building something bigger than just a customer base.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The journey has been far from
smooth—and I’ve learned that the
challenges are often what shapes the most meaningful progress. There will always be setbacks in businesses and life; what matters is how you respond and how much you trust yourself to keep moving forward.
When started, I had no background in fashion—I just wanted to create. I taught myself (with a lot of help from my mom): from sourcing fabric to working with dye houses, dealing with delays, production errors, and miscommunication. It was a lot of trial and error, long nights, tears, and endless drives across Los Angeles trying to pull it all together. Those moments test you, but they also help
you grow.
You won’t always have it figured out, but you have to believe in what you’re building even on the days when no one else can see the vision but you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At the heart of my work is creating jewelry that feels sculptural in form, imperfect by design, and personal in meaning—often guided more by instinct than a fixed plan.
A creative high for me was designing jewelry for Gabriel Salcedo’s Paris Fashion Week Collection. Seeing the pieces styled in unexpected ways, like earrings repurposed as brooches—was both surreal and fulfilling. Those experiences push me in the best way. The lead-up is always intense, but it reminds me to stay open, instinctive, and true to the heart of the brand.
What sets inhvn apart is how
personal it feels—both in the pieces and in the way the brand has taken shape. I’ve worn a lot of hats: designing the jewelry, building the website, running social media, packing orders, and showing up at weekly pop-ups. Today, inhvn is available at ATLAS inside both the Westfield Century City Mall in Los Angeles and Westfield UTC in San Diego. There’s something special about seeing someone discover your work off-screen, trying it on, and experiencing the pieces up close.
At its core, I’m most proud that the brand is about connection— creating pieces that hold meaning and resonate with the those who wear them.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Growing up in Los Angeles gives
you a different kind of connection to the city. There’s still something nostalgic about living here. I love the palm trees, the weather, the food, and the way you can drive two hours in any direction and end up somewhere totally different—the mountains, the desert, the beach. What I appreciate most, though, is that LA really shines when you’re surrounded by the right people. That’s when the city feels like home.
What I like least is the reputation the city has grown to have. A lot of the restaurants and storefronts that have been around for decades are closing, and the city has become overly modernized. There’s so much history and beauty here — I just wish more
of it was being preserved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://inhvn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhvn__/
Image Credits
Lorenzo Martin
Ron Mey
Amanda from Snaps Studio
