Our Founder

PATRICIA ASSUI REED

Patricia  was born in Brazil to Japanese grandparents. She spent her childhood in Brazil and moved to the US after graduating from college to attend UC Berkeley and FIDM. She felt at home right way and decided this was the place she wanted to call home and build her career. Since then, and for over 20 years, Patricia has proudly worked as a buyer and communications executive in luxury and fashion retail for companies like Tiffany & Co., ABC Carpet and Home, and Polo Ralph Lauren.

Most recently, and through Brazilian powerhouse Iguatemi, she has had the privilege to collaborate with Goyard, Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Diane von Furstenberg, and many more. Patricia launched Matriark in 2018 after witnessing gender inequalities in her own industry and learning some grim statistics (75% of fashion customers are women, only 14% of major fashion brands are actually led by women, and less than 3% of all VC money goes to women-led companies).

Acting from the simple premise that money is power, Patricia started Matriark to funnel as much money as possible in the hands of women as the most effective ways to tackle gender inequality in her industry (and beyond). In May 2019, she debuted Matriark’s first concept store in Sag Harbor, proudly showcasing unique women-owned brands, supporting women-focused charities, and welcoming people of all genders to gather, learn from each other, and support women’s causes.

In the short period of time since Patricia started Matriark, she was able to build a beautiful community of woman-owned independent business owners, women artists and supportive customers from all walks of life. In these last few years, we’ve learned so much more about gender identity, gender expression, gender norms, and sexual orientation, and as our culture evolves, so does Matriark. Patricia named this company MATRIARK as an antidote to the patriarchal system, and although women are deeply affected by the patriarchy, they are not the only ones. So in June 2022, she announced that Matriark is growing its community, and in addition to women-owned brands, Matriark will start to actively search for brands owned by the LBGTQIA+ community.

She is excited about evolving Matriark’s mission, and she hopes you can join forces to create a more equitable world for all. Patricia lives in Sag Harbor with her husband Ron, her children Sophie and Ethan, and her dogs Umi and Nori.