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Chapter 01

The Matriarchs.

Portraits of the women who hold families together.

Captured with care by @edith_kenny_smith_ and @ryanwheatley

Ukoo is the Swahili word for extended family and lineage. In most families, that lineage runs through women: the ones who remember the recipe, keep the names straight, and notice when someone needs looking after.

This is a series of portraits. No scripts, no product in hand. Just the women our community calls the heart of the house, photographed where they are most themselves.

The women.

01Rowie
02Rena
03Sophie
04Edna
05Vanessa
06Jill
07Kate

Rowie Cooke, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Rowie

I’m Rowie, a mother, a doula, and a deeply caring and compassionate human.

When I think of a matriarch, I think of a calming, grounding, wise woman energy, something I continue to grow into.

Renako Spizzica, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Rena

I’m Rena, a mother, a connector, and a third-culture human.

Motherhood cracked me open into vulnerability, into something far more expansive than I knew was possible. It’s where joy and immense love live side by side.

Hands at a basin beside a bottle of UKOO wash and a sprig of wattle — Care, shared.

Sophie Walker, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Sophie

I’ve built a beautiful online village supporting women through pregnancy and postpartum.

Being present to listen, to really hear them, means everything to me.

Dr. Edna Lekgabe, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Edna

I’m Dr. Edna, a perinatal and reproductive psychiatrist, co-founder of WARM Health Collective…

Community, to me, is something you actively tend to like a garden, not a given.

An open hand holding out a bottle of UKOO lotion in dappled light — Rooted in community.

Vanessa Furci, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Vanessa

I’m Vanessa, oncology nurse, mother of two, and runner-up of The Great Australian Bake Off.

My love for food began in my Nonna’s kitchen, where everything was made with intention, patience, and heart.

Jill Dzadey, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Jill

I’m Jill, a couples therapist, a mother of two, and an African Australian woman shaped by many homes.

I’ve learned to release the pressure of doing it all at once. Presence, even in small doses, is enough.

Dr Kate Stone, photographed for UKOO's The Matriarchs

Kate

As a doctor and women’s health specialist, responsible leadership means providing the highest quality care to women in our community.

Kindness, and the ability to see things from another’s perspective, matters greatly to me.

A sunlit bathroom with a leadlight window, a hanging towel and UKOO bottles on the bath shelf — Loved at home.

Everyday rituals, done well.

Morning wash, evening lotion, the same bottle for everyone at the basin. Gentle enough for a 2 year old, effective enough for a 100 year old.

Formulated for the whole family.

More from the Journal.

A hand holding up a bottle of UKOO wash in dappled sunlight

Care,
shared.

Join the UKOO list for new releases and rituals.

Ukoo respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, eat, and play – the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Kin Assembly, Office 3446, Ground Floor, 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC 3004

ABN 15 680 103 762 © 2026 UKOO