Hannah Lavon
HEATHER M. ROSS | STAFF WRITER
H annah Lavon is changing the world through socks.

Since she started her business Pals Socks, her brightly
covered wares have grown to be available at more than
800 retailers online through Amazon and via the company’s website,
palssocks.com. At first, Pals Socks were just for kids, but as the business (corporate
name: Hooray Hoopla LLC) grew and evolved, Lavon expanded the
socks to fit adults, too.

Lavon, 38, didn’t start out making socks, but said she’s always been
hands-on in the creative process. After studying design at Syracuse University
12 APRIL 28, 2022 | JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
in New York she began with a series of mit-
tens that were sets of predator and prey.

However, Lavon knew she wanted to
do more with her creativity.

“Being female, being a Jew, being in
the LGBT community, I believe that
we need more humans who are open-
minded and accepting,” Lavon said.

The idea behind Pals Socks, Lavon
said, is that even though we’re all dif-
ferent and we don’t all look alike, we
can still be friends and complement
each other.

Lavon wants to teach kids that it’s
OK not to match. Every pair of Pals
Socks has two socks that don’t look
alike but are designed in a way that
makes it clear they go together.

Although Lavon designed all of the
original Pals Socks herself, she now occa-
sionally collaborates with artists like Paul
Frank, Jason Naylor and Nate Bear.

Pals Socks also sells see-through
boots, so customers can show off their
socks everywhere they go.

“The more Pals you have the more
vibrant your life will be,” she said.

Lavon said she doesn’t just aspire to
create social change through her designs:
She uses her business to give back and
participates in fundraisers with a variety
of local organizations dedicated to mak-
ing life a more inclusive and welcoming
place for people of all kinds.

When Lavon started her journey
as a businesswoman she knew she
wanted to give back to the commu-
nity and began working with charities
focused on schools and special educa-
tion groups.

Since the program launched, Lavon
said that more than $250,000 —
$70,000 of which came this year —
was donated to organizations like the
Down Syndrome Diagnosis Network
and Gigi’s Playhouse.

Local charitable causes that have
participated in fundraising using
Pals Socks include the Schoolhouse
in Flourtown, Zipporah S. Abramson
Center at Beth Or, Never Surrender
Hope (Declan’s Sock Drive), Bucks
County Down Syndrome Interest
Group, Montgomery County Down
Syndrome Interest Group and the Fort
Washington Elementary School PTA.

Pals Socks uses the hashtag
#WeDontMatch to group the photos
of people enjoying their Pals on social
media, but Lavon hopes to develop the
hashtag into a larger campaign.

Lavon juggles this all while parent-
ing her 1½-year-old daughter, Cleo,
who just had her first matzah pizza.

Since becoming a mother Lavon feels
she has gained a better understanding
of the importance of teaching the next
generation about Jewish heritage and
traditions. JE
hross@midatlanticmedia.com Photos courtesy of Hannah Lavon
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