ABOUTMatriarch is a unisex, sustainable, contemporary footwear brand that I launched and led from 2015-2018 while living in Berlin, Germany.
The shoes were designed in Berlin and developed and produced in Portugal, funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign.
VALIDATION
RAISED$30k in 30 days
SUPPORTERS160
backers
SUPPORTERS10
countries
A successful Kickstarter campaign validated a vocal global interest in gender-universal style. Backers pledged from around the entire globe- from Seattle to Singapore to Saudi Arabia- and beyond.
THESIS 1This brand grew out of a simple thesis:
When we shop, we’re used to choosing a side- left or right, men’s or women’s.
But gender “nonconformity” is hardly a radical act: who doesn’t know someone who likes to shop on- or at least take a look at- the other side of the store?
With this as a guiding light, Matriarch sought to set itself apart via one simple rule:
All styles in all sizes.
Clothing itself is inherently un-gendered: a dress and a pair of pants are both fundamentally just pieces of fabric sewn together.
Who wears them, how they are worn and styled, plays a larger role in what we’re really talking about when we talk about gender.
People are looking for meaning and authenticity in the products they buy and the brands they buy from.
SUSTAINABILITY
A proprietary vegetable-tanned leather was developed with a local Portuguese tannery. All styles were produced with exclusively vegetable-tanned leather uppers.
STYLE THAT TRANSCENDS GENDER
The styles were inspired by traditional Menswear footwear styles - brogues, wingtips, and derbies - styles that work across all genders and that compliment many different looks.THESIS 2
DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
The shoes were developed and produced in small-batch factories in Portugal. The entire supply chain from development to production to logistics was built from the ground up.
Mr Jose, owner of the factory that developed and produced our first production run.
