Lianides was founded as an ethical bridge: preserving the cultural artisan traditions of the Peruvian Andes into unique fashions while directly channeling prosperity and recognition back to the hands of the artisans that make it all possible.

After traveling around rural areas of Peru and seeing how many families live in impoverished conditions and have little hope for a better future, Matthew knew he had to help and left the world of Silicon Valley tech for the artisan communities in Peru.  From Piura to Puno, Matthew traveled to various rural communities learning of artisan traditions passed from generation to generation as well as social capital structures in how ancestral and contemporary knowledge is transferred among the communities.  Often as such ancestral knowledge is held in secrecy, Matthew worked years to develop mutual trust sharing his knowledge with community members with the goal of collective advancement of the artisan crafts for the economic growth and cultural preservation of the artisan communities.

Coming from a Peruvian and Greek background, and inspired by artisan traditions, Matthew took a sustaining approach to cultural preservation of artisan heritage, by integrating ancestral techniques, natural alpaca and Pima cotton fibers, and symbolic patterns to ensure the Peruvian artisan heritage thrives and is not lost to mass production.

Each garment is handmade with love and features specialized knitting techniques. With a commitment to sustainability, all pieces are locally produced by participating artisan members maintaining an unwavering traceability from fiber to final stitch.