LiRo Apparel

In their first ZipsGuide story (below), we learned about the Vegas meet-cute of Matthew and Estela Powell as well as their newer-to-Akron shop filled with their signature Alpaca sweaters, hats, gloves and more.

Even though that guide came out a few short months ago, their shop is filled with new ponchos, large totes, summer slacks and the sweater everyone is talking about – the Akron sweater.

Also over those short months, the Powells have been feeling a groundswell of support from the Akron community and Downtown Akron Partnership in particular.
 

“Akron is a place for small businesses to thrive and grow,” Matthew Powell said. “We wanted to create something to represent this city.”

Estela Powell, who was born in Peru and learned to knit from a young age, decided to blend a traditional design for children in Peru with one of Akron’s most recognizable images. The traditional version of the sweater features appliqué animals to teach children about nature.

“Usually this style is for children,” Estela Powell said. Their shop offers the traditional version of the children’s sweater with adorable chicks, bunnies, and other critter friends. “So many adults asked that we made an adult version of the children’s sweater,” she said.

The next stop was experimenting with other imagery. In this case, the imagery is large, felted letters that spell out “Akron, Ohio” and a Goodyear Blimp on the back underneath the traditional cloud.

The Akron sweaters, like all their apparel, are crafted with high-quality, handmade materials sourced from Peru. Powell gave the first Akron, Ohio sweater to Professor Julie Cajigas, the editor of ZipsGuide, who snapped a photo and shared it on her Instagram account.

The next day, the photo appeared as “photo of the week” in the Downtown Akron Partnership newsletter, and people began asking about it. 

LiRo’s Akron sweaters took more than six months start to finish to design, source, and produce. It only took one day at the bustling Akron Sakura Festival to sell out all 50 sweaters.

“It was crazy,” Estela Powell said. “We are still getting questions about stock.”

Now the question on everyone’s mind: When will the Akron sweaters be available again?

Powell estimates that they will have a small stock in June. We heard a rumor that they may have children’s sizes at that time (but you didn’t hear that from us).

So, sorry moms – there won’t be an Akron sweater hiding inside your Mother’s Day gift. But, to make it up to you, the shop has released a special Mother’s Day gift basket available at the shop at Northside. 

“We used Aguayo, a traditional fabric from Peru and Bolivia, to give the Apron and Bowl Cozy color,” Estela Powell said. 

For her, the colorful fabric emits joy and happiness.

The packages contain the colorful apron, a ceramic serving bowl, and a bowl cozy to protect your kitchen table. They come prewrapped with ribbon and a Happy Mother’s Day message. Just stop in and grab one anytime the market is open, and you’re all set for Mother’s Day gifting.

If mom isn’t a fan of the kitchen, never fear. LiRo is offering 30% off all sweaters from now until Mother’s Day. Though the Akron sweater is out of stock, they have many other beautiful sweaters in a variety of patterns and colors to choose from.

For dads and grads, though, the Akron sweater should be back in stock. 

We especially like the Akron sweater for University of Akron graduates since it has a vintage college letterman sweater look. 

While they are grateful the Akron sweater has been such a success, it wasn’t about selling out, it was their way to say thank you to the community that has welcomed them.

They are thrilled that the sweater is also fostering brand recognition and helping them spread their message of cultural education.

“Cultures everywhere are beautiful,” Matthew Powell said. “Just because you don’t have the opportunity to leave your city, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to experience those cultures and understand those cultures."

"You can understand a lot about culture through its art and the clothing design,” he said.

The couple is also proud of the Peru branch of their team. 

An Alpaca farmer and weaving artist, Elizabeth and her husband in Peru collaborate with Estela and Matthew. Elizabeth and Estela are cousins.

“They have been with us since the beginning of LiRo Apparel,” Estela Powell said. “They helped us start working with Alpaca fiber.”

Over the years, Elizabeth shared with the Powell family about challenges the children in her village were having in school due to lack of funds. The two families came together to help.

When you visit the LiRo shop in Northside Marketplace, you will see bracelets labeled “help buy a lunch, help buy supplies, help buy a desk.”

All proceeds from these items are donated to the schools in Elizabeth’s village to provide those needed items.

The couple continues to work as part of the LiRo team, coordinating with the Alpaca farmers to help LiRo source their materials.

Where is LiRo headed for the future? Beyond sales, the family’s vision extends to empowering others through entrepreneurship, as they explore avenues into the wholesale market.

LiRo Apparel envisions partnering with retailers who share their values of quality, craftsmanship and appreciation of cultures by offering them the opportunity to showcase LiRo’s unique creations in their own stores. 

Additionally, LiRo plans to continue selling the yarn used in their apparel production. This not only provides an additional revenue stream but enables fellow artisans and designers to access the same high-quality materials that define LiRo’s signature style.

Their advice to fellow entrepreneurs is steeped in their experience: never give up, stay resilient, and embrace the journey, even when faced with adversity. 

For LiRo Apparel, their path forward is paved with threads of cultural appreciation and education, creativity, and a commitment to making the world a little warmer, one sweater at a time.

LiRo Apparel is gearing up for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and Graduation season with exciting deals and promotions. 

You can stay updated on the upcoming promotions by visiting their website at www.liroapparelaccessories.com and following them on social media @liro_apparel_accessories

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, who 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 (knitting).”