From CIA Officer to Founder of Petite Plume, the Luxury Family Sleepwe

Emily Hikade didn’t set out to launch a sleepwear brand. After more than 15 years undercover with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), she shifted toward a pursuit rooted in comfort, family, and timeless design. In 2015, while still abroad, Hikade launched Petite Plume as a side project inspired by classic European sleepwear and heirloom-quality fabrics. What began as a personal reinvention has grown into a modern lifestyle brand celebrated for its exceptional textiles, elegant tailoring, and coordinated family collections that stand the test of time.

At a Glance: How Emily Hikade Built Petite Plume

The turning point: During a CIA mission, Hikade survived a near-plane crash, prompting a reevaluation of her career and priorities. She began designing pajamas inspired by the comfort and safety of home.

Launching the company: In 2015, without prior retail experience, Hikade bootstrapped Petite Plume with the goal of replacing her government salary.

The Prince George effect: International attention followed in 2016 when Prince George wore Petite Plume pajamas at a meeting with the British royal family and U.S. President Barack Obama at Kensington Palace.

Growth and impact: Hikade was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024 and received an Inc. Female Founders Award in 2023. Petite Plume also appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. private companies in 2024 and 2025.

Who is Emily Hikade?

Emily Hikade is the founder and CEO of Petite Plume, a luxury sleepwear and home brand built on craftsmanship, heritage inspiration, and thoughtful design. Before launching in 2015, she spent more than 15 years serving undercover with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), an experience that shaped her resilience, discipline, and global perspective.

While living abroad during her government career, Hikade developed an appreciation for traditional European textiles and the ritual of beautifully made sleepwear.

Hikade was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2024 and received an Inc. Female Founders Award in 2023. Today, she leads Petite Plume as a founder-owned company focused on sustainable growth, profitability, and enduring design rather than seasonal trends.

The First Products That Defined Petite Plume

Hikade initially focused on creating safe, high-quality children’s sleepwear — specifically, pajamas that passed strict CPSC flame-retardancy guidelines without relying on harsh chemical treatments. Using inherently flame-retardant fibers, she introduced innovative children’s pajamas featuring classic design touches and charming prints.

These early designs established the brand’s core principles: safety, exceptional materials, and heritage-inspired elegance.

How Hikade Grew the Brand into a Luxury Name

Before launching Petite Plume, Hikade sought out classic European-style pajamas for her sons, drawn to their tailoring and understated elegance. Building on the early success of elevated children’s sleepwear, she expanded into luxury family pajamas — extending the same commitment to safety, craftsmanship, and timeless design across women’s, men’s, and children’s collections.

Premium natural fabrics became central to the brand’s identity. Peruvian Pima cotton, prized for its durability and softness, anchors core collections, while cashmere and 100% mulberry silk elevate seasonal offerings. This disciplined focus on material quality positioned Petite Plume not simply as a pajama company, but as a true luxury sleepwear brand.

Strategic, limited-edition collaborations with Eden Rock St. Barths, The Colony Hotel, and Veronica Beard further reinforced its place within the high-end lifestyle market, aligning the brand with names known for refinement, heritage, and enduring style.

Becoming Known for Coordinated Family Pajamas

After expanding into adult sizing, Petite Plume quickly became synonymous with sophisticated family sleepwear. Rather than novelty matching sets, the brand emphasized refined coordination through timeless prints and silhouettes.

Collections feature florals, toile, French ticking, modern ginghams, understated stripes, and seasonal hand-drawn illustrations created exclusively for the brand. The result is sleepwear that feels polished yet comfortable — equally suited for holidays, special occasions, and everyday family rituals.

Expanding Beyond Sleepwear Into the Home

As the brand matured, Petite Plume extended its commitment to craftsmanship and natural materials beyond luxury family pajamas into select home offerings. Building on its heritage aesthetic and textile expertise, the company introduced thoughtfully designed home pieces that reflect the same principles of quality, comfort, and timeless European influence.

This expansion reinforced Petite Plume’s evolution from a luxury sleepwear brand into a broader lifestyle company — one centered on elevating everyday rituals, from bedtime to the spaces families gather most.

Celebrity Clients Who Put Petite Plume Into the Spotlight

Petite Plume gained international recognition following Prince George’s appearance in the brand’s pajamas. Since then, the brand has been worn by notable figures including Gwyneth Paltrow, Kourtney Kardashian, Miranda Kerr, Naomi Watts, Jimmy Fallon, and Kevin Hart. George and Amal Clooney have also dressed their twins in Petite Plume sleepwear.

In 2023, Esquire named Petite Plume “The Best Damn PJs on the Planet,” further cementing its reputation within the luxury market.

Awards and Recognition

EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2024) — Emily Hikade
Inc. Female Founders Award (2023) — Emily Hikade
Inc. Best in Business (2025)
Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies (2024 & 2025)
Inc. 5000 Regionals (2024 & 2025)
Featured in leading national and international press as a luxury family sleepwear brand
Named by Esquire as producing “The Best Damn PJs on the Planet”

What Sets Petite Plume Apart in Luxury Family Sleepwear

Petite Plume distinguishes itself in the luxury family pajama market through a disciplined focus on safety, craftsmanship, and timeless design.

Inherently flame-resistant children’s pajamas. Rather than relying on chemical treatments, Petite Plume uses fabrics that naturally meet CPSC safety standards — combining protection with refinement.

Premium natural materials. Peruvian Pima cotton, mulberry silk, and cashmere define the brand’s luxury sleepwear collections, offering exceptional softness and durability.

European-inspired tailoring. Structured collars, elegant piping, and balanced silhouettes reflect traditional European pajama design — polished, not novelty-driven.

Refined family coordination. Instead of costume-style matching sets, collections feature timeless prints and cohesive palettes designed to coordinate effortlessly.

As a founder-owned company, Petite Plume prioritizes longevity over trends — creating luxury family sleepwear built to endure.

Frequently Asked Questions About Petite Plume and Emily Hikade

Why did Emily Hikade choose pajamas?

After surviving a near-plane crash during her CIA career, Hikade reassessed her priorities and gravitated toward creating products associated with comfort and home. As a mother, she wanted 100% cotton pajamas for her children — but quickly discovered that in the United States, strict CPSC regulations made it nearly impossible to produce loose-fitting cotton children’s sleepwear without applying chemical flame-retardant treatments. Many brands relied on those treatments. She refused to.

Instead, Hikade partnered with a factory known for producing uniforms for firefighters to develop an inherently flame-resistant fabric for children’s pajamas — free of chemicals while still meeting federal safety standards. At the same time, she recognized a gap in the market for classic, European-inspired, looser-fitting children’s pajamas made with heirloom-quality materials. That intersection — safety, natural fabrics, and timeless design — became the foundation of Petite Plume.

What makes Petite Plume luxury sleepwear?

Petite Plume is defined by premium natural fabrics, including Peruvian Pima cotton, cashmere, and 100% mulberry silk, paired with refined silhouettes inspired by European tailoring. Details such as embossed buttons, elegant piping, and exclusive hand-drawn prints contribute to the brand’s heirloom-quality garments, designed for longevity and comfort.

What inspired Petite Plume’s signature prints?

The brand draws from time-honored motifs such as French ticking, toile, and classic European patterns, reinterpreted with a modern sensibility. Many toile designs nod to regional scenery, while understated stripes, ginghams, and delicate florals create a timeless foundation. Whimsical hand-drawn illustrations developed exclusively for Petite Plume add a distinctive and playful element to each collection.

Where is Petite Plume today?

Petite Plume is 100% founder-owned and has been profitable since launch. The brand is sold in more than 700 stores nationwide, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus.

From a CIA officer seeking a new path to a founder shaping the modern luxury sleepwear landscape, Emily Hikade has built Petite Plume into a brand defined by heritage craftsmanship, elegant design, and everyday comfort. With an unwavering focus on quality, safety, and timeless style, Petite Plume continues to redefine family sleepwear for a new generation.