Lily’s Style Loft collaborating with Owego Maker’s Boutique

By Lauren Royce —

Longtime fans of Lily’s Style Boutique in Owego can expect a special visit from the shop’s original owner, Theresa Lepkowski, on Aug. 21-23 to kick off a new chapter for the Owego Makers Boutique. Lepkowski said she will be opening a permanent pop-up shop of her items there in collaboration with current owner, Carrie Tompkins.

Lepkowski opened shop in 2015, and was going into her 11th year of business. She said her lease on the building at 190 Front St. was expiring, so in December 2024 she closed shop and decided she wanted to travel. Lepkowski’s new shop, Dunedin (Do-need-in) is in Clearwater, Florida. Lepkowski said she graduated in 2005 from Bridgeport University in Connecticut with a degree in fashion merchandising and knew it was her purpose to help people look and feel their best.

“I’ve actually kept in contact with a good amount of my customers since moving down here,” Lepkowski said, so when Tompkins reached out about a month ago, she was delighted at the pop-up idea. Within hours, at least 400 people had commented on her Facebook post about it. “My ladies are ready, so I’m super excited,” she said. “There’s nobody like my New York ladies.”

“She wants to see and greet all of her people as they come in,” Tompkins said. On Aug. 21, the shop will be open from 5-8 p.m., as a “girls’ night out,” Lepkowski said.

Thompkins said she reached out to Lepkowski because she wanted to connect and show Lepkowski what she had done with the space.
“I got to thinking as more and more women kept saying, ‘Oh, we love your store, but we miss Theresa’s clothing here in Owego,’” Tompkins said. “So when I reached out, I said, ‘I have an idea, and let me know what you think of it.’ And she was all on board, and said it brought her to tears because she missed her Owego ladies.”

Lepkowski said her store is popular with anyone looking for something comfortable yet stylish. 

“My niche is dresses,” Lepkowski said. “I thrive on the interaction with people, like seeing them smile when they find that perfect dress for a wedding. Or they find a couple of tops that are just going to complete their wardrobe and make getting dressed in the morning faster.”

She said she carries sizes small to 3X, though sizes may be more exclusive in the pop-up shop. Items will always be freshly stocked each week.