Looking to buy a gift and help out a local charity?
Little Moo is a Pittsburgh-based children’s clothing brand that will check both boxes. A portion of all proceeds are donated to Austin’s Playrooms, a project by the Mario Lemieux Foundation that brings playrooms into medical settings to offer support and comfort for families and their children.
The clothing label is the brainchild of Stephanie Lemieux, daughter of decorated Pittsburgh Penguins veteran and part-team owner Mario Lemieux. Its specialty is sustainable pieces for babies and toddlers made from wholesome fabrics, including organic cotton and bamboo blends.
An affection for children and an entrepreneurial spirit inspired her to start the company.
“Anyone who knows me will quickly tell you that if there’s a baby in the room, I’m usually not very far from them,” Ms. Lemieux says. “I knew I would do something with children in my adult life, but I didn’t know it would be children’s clothing.”
While attending Carnegie Mellon University to earn a degree in entrepreneurship, she worked as a nanny and was underwhelmed by clothing options for little kids.
“It was all like bright and bold and in your face,” she recalls. Little Moo focuses on classic neutrals that can be mixed and matched. Plus, they’re oh-so soft.
She launched Little Moo in 2018 with children’s blankets, which are still best sellers. By request, she expanded to blankets for adults, too. Then came the clothing. She fulfills orders from home and strives to collaborate with other local businesses when possible. Some items are manufactured overseas in a fair trade factory.
The name Little Moo came from Ms. Lemieux’s admiration for cows, as well as being a play on her last name. For now, it’s a one-person team, with help from her mom, Nathalie.
Looking ahead to 2021, her goal is to release a couple new collections.
“We’re just trying to continue to build the brand and let people become aware of what the brand is,” Ms. Lemieux says, “and how purchasing Little Moo can help you help others.”
Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.
First Published: November 27, 2020, 1:00 p.m.