Liro Apparel
From Peru to Akron, LiRo Offers Heirloom-quality, Handmade Alpaca Apparel
The small business located inside the Northside Market started with a serendipitous bus route in Vegas and continues to spread community building values and fuzzy warm apparel in Akron.
By LeAnna Faulknier & Julie Cajigas
Akron native Matthew Powell had moved to Las Vegas to attend culinary school when he noticed that a young lady rode the same bus every day on her way to her work at a local Mexican Restaurant. At first, they didn’t notice one another, but over time he noticed her, and one day got up the courage to give her a puff pastry swan he’d made in culinary class.
Shaking, he sat next to her and said he had a gift. After she took it, wrapped in its little aluminum foil pouch, he was too nervous to say anything else. After a few awkward moments of silence, he reached his stop and muttered goodnight as he headed for the bus doors.
She stopped him and asked for his number.
And, that’s the story of how LiRo Apparel, a small business offering traditional Alpaca garments and accessories in the Northside Marketplace of Akron, had its start.
The name, LiRo is a combination of their children’s names. Lilly and Rose, twins, were born very premature and spent six months in the NICU.
To survive that long stretch and to cope with postpartum depression, Estela Powell began knitting. At first, it was hats. But, after she started wearing them, family and friends wanted to know where she got them. This inspired her to keep at it.
It’s no surprise that the hats were popular since she had been knitting and crocheting since childhood.
What Matt Powell didn’t know when he approached the girl on the bus is that Estela was born in a small village in Peru, and had grown up there, knitting and crocheting using traditional materials and methods.
“She grew up in a small village in Peru,” Powell said. He smiled and said, “There wasn’t a lot to do, so she got really good at it.”
Matthew and Estela Powell on their wedding day. Photo courtesy of the Powell family.
Twins Lily and Rose a few weeks after coming home from six months in the NICU. Photo courtesy of the Powell family.
It only takes a glance at their large area in the Northside Marketplace to realize just how good at it she must be. With racks and racks of hand knitted and crocheted Alpaca sweaters, dresses, hats, gloves, and a variety of home décor and summer wear as well. It’s hard to believe that one person is largely behind the massive inventory.
One of the things that makes LiRo apparel special is the traditional, handmade yarn and materials they use to craft their clothing.
“Her brother journeyed around Peru to find the most traditional material for us,” Matthew Powell, said. “Everything is done by hand.”
The farmers they work with herd the Alpaca up and down the mountains of Peru. After gathering the Alpaca fleece, it is washed in the river, hand shrunk, hand dyed, and hand spun in the most traditional way possible.
After the twins were home, the couple began selling in farmer’s markets in Massachusetts where they had settled after Vegas. Just about a year ago, Matthew brought his family back to his hometown, Akron. The twins are now six and healthy.
Explore LiRo Apparel's Northside Marketplace Shop in photos:
(Photos by Julie Cajigas)
Powell helps construct the garments, but also serves as the sales and operations lead for LiRo. At first, Estela worked on the business full-time, and Matt worked outside the home, but they have since switched roles so he can focus on the business.
Their product offering has expanded over time to include a complete winter and summer line. The winter line heavily features the traditionally made yarn, while the summer line uses some traditional methods with more modern and light fabrics to create swimsuits, cotton sweaters, shorts, vests, and sandals.
The winter line includes lots of warm-weather gear as well as a variety of sweaters and ponchos in a range of colors, sizes, and fabrics.
Matthew stressed that Alpaca is for everyone. “We try to make our clothing inclusive,” he said. “We don’t want to leave out any size, gender, preference; we try to make something for everyone.”
Another place that the couple strives to be inclusive and accessible is with the pricing. “We don’t want to make things that are out of reach for people,” he said. “We are all about community and everyone belonging, so we want it to work for everybody.”
In touching the Alpaca sweaters, the high quality of the handmade yarn shines through easily. LiRo’s pieces are so unique and well-crafted that they may well be passed down from parent to child in the future.
The passion for community goes beyond size and price inclusiveness for LiRo.
The couple gives a portion of what they make back to the villages that supply their yarn to help those communities grow and thrive.
They’re also interested in growing the Akron community. “We like to donate products to charities,” Powell said. “We do that through Northside Marketplace and ran a fundraising campaign for the war in Ukraine to raise funds for peace efforts.”
In the Northside Marketplace shop, a small display of bracelets sits on top of the largest rack. A sign next to it simply says that “Funds raised from the sale of the bracelets will go to families in need.”
When asked about them, Powell explained that he doesn’t want to be political in the marketplace, but that the funds are used to help refugees and immigrants to pursue their best life.
“We are helping families that are having problems coming over,” he said. “Everyone has the right for their best life, and I want to do my best to help them get here.”
When asked about the future of LiRo, he briefly mentioned wholesaling, but then went right back to talking about the community.
In the Northside Marketplace shop, LiRo has a rack of bracelets marked as a fundraiser for families in need and racks of sweaters and other apparel. Photos by Julie Cajigas.
The Powells with Nicole Marcellino from New Day Cleveland on Fox8, courtesy of the Powell family.
“We want to provide more, to eventually produce enough to donate to shelters,” he said. “Even if we’re just making blankets at that time, just to help people in need.”
As far as small businesses go, buying from LiRo not only helps the family who own it, but spreads far into the local community and as far away as the mountains of Peru.
Those looking for unique, beautiful, high quality apparel gifts with heirloom potential will also enjoy knowing that their purchase is making a difference on a global level.
For Black Friday, LiRo is offering 20% off their winter line and home décor items. Shoppers can find them in the Northside Marketplace. LiRo has one of the largest retail areas in Northside, and its located near the back.
The Rubber City can welcome LiRo by purchasing gifts for family and friends there this holiday season.
Northside Marketplace is located on 21 Furnace St, Akron, OH 44308. The hours of operation are Tues.-Sat. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
You can find LiRo on Facebook at, LiRo Apparel & Accessories.
To reach content author LeAnna Faulknier, email her here.
Downtown Akron Partnership Announces Downtown Dollars E-Gift Card Program > read more here.