In January 1991 the wheels
began to move for what would become Liro Investments 10
years later. Robledo E. Aybar moved to New York from
Dominican Republic to begin his university education.
Because of the sudden death of his father, destiny takes
him to Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where he
enrolls in Continuing Educations courses until he is
able to transfer later to his Alma Mater, University of
Miami, FL. During the same period Indiana Aybar,
Robledo’s mother, an experienced seamstress continues to
run a Couture Shop in the Heart of the New World’s
capital, Santo Domingo along with the support of her
friend Virginia Dalmau, owner of Casa Virginia, the
premier luxury goods shop in the Island of Hispaniola.
Robledo’s goal was to be able to create a firm that
could foster growth in the Free Zones that had been
taking strength in the Dominican Republic in the late
80’s and 90’s; however, this was not an easy task to
achieve overnight. In any case, while working on his
graduation project in 1996, given his mothers ties and
involvement in the Fashion Industry, Robledo conceived
the idea of a textile corporation integrated in such way
that it could offer to its clients a complete productive
process, starting with the development of the product,
selection and acquisition of raw material, cut, sew and
finish - including the delivery of the final product-
all with the highest quality standards of its clients.
While Robledo is finishing his schooling in Miami, FL
Rosagna Hernandez and Joel Diaz, two fellow Dominicans
are in the forefront of the fashion business in NY.
Teamed up with fellow Chavonero, they create a couture
clothing line for women: Nahayo & Cutupu. Both WWD and
the New York Times immediately noticed Rosagna’s
architectural structures.
Its premier season was immediately picked up by Henri
Bendels, Barney’s & Saks. At this time, Rosagna and Joel
where utilizing Indiana Aybar’s seamstress services to
create there lines. Thus, the relationship between the
Rosagna, Joel and Robledo begin to develop. They were
the most influential people for the project, given their
involvement in the forefront of the business and their
need of the “back office”.
Upon graduation, the project and Fashion Business dream
was set aside and Robledo returned home to work for
financial corporations. In the summer of 2001 Rosagna
and Robledo meet after some 5 years in a Shopping Mall
in Santiago and thus begun to develop the idea of what
today is Liro Investments.