Agolde, Maria McManus Team Up on Sustainable, Timeless Collection

Agolde, the L.A.-based ready-to-wear collection, and Maria McManus, the New York-based luxury womenswear brand, have come together for a collection rooted in shared values of sustainability, intentional design and a lighter footprint.

The collaboration blends Agolde’s innovation in denim with McManus’ refined tailoring and modern minimalism to create a capsule that’s elevated, responsibly made and enduring.

“Working with Maria was such a natural alignment. Her thoughtful approach to design resonates deeply with Agolde’s values. We wanted to create pieces that feel timeless yet relevant, bridging her tailoring with our denim innovation,” said Karen Phelps, creative director of Agolde.

“Working with Karen on this collaboration has been incredible. We first met last spring in L.A. and immediately recognized the synergy between our brands, especially around sustainability and responsible consumption,” said the Irish-born McManus, who founded her brand in 2020.

“I am blown away by Agolde’s commitment to creating the most sustainable and responsible denim through their partnerships with regenerative cotton farms and their use of biodegradable stretch and recycled leather. We custom-made every piece of hardware, every label and every hang tag, and worked tirelessly with Karen’s team to perfect each fit and wash,” added McManus.

Asked what Agolde gets out of the collaboration, Amy Williams, chief executive officer of Citizens of Humanity Group, parent company of Agolde, said, “At the brand level, our collaboration with Maria McManus reinforces Agolde’s positioning as a modern fashion company with a clear point of view — not just a category leader in denim. Maria brings a refined, values-driven approach that closely aligns with how we think about product, sustainability and long-term relevance. By aligning with like-minded designers, we’re able to strengthen our practices collectively — progress happens faster when we share standards and use our scale responsibly. Ultimately, this isn’t about a one-off moment, but about growing our reach with intention and reinforcing that every extension of the brand is thoughtful and purposeful.” 

Interestingly, McManus’ eponymous ready-to-wear line is also committed to minimizing environmental impact through the use of recycled, organic, natural and biodegradable fibers sourced from Europe and Japan.

The 16-piece Agolde x Maria McManus capsule features tailored wide-leg denim trousers, a skater short in two colorways, oversize organic cotton shirting, and reimagined utility jackets. Each style uses materials from Agolde’s responsible supply chain, including regenerative cotton from the brand’s farm partners and Eco-Indigo, the low-impact dye the brand pioneered in 2025 that was named one of Time’s best inventions, combined with McManus’ timeless silhouettes.

The collection will be introduced Saturday on Agolde.com and MariaMcManus.com, and will be carried by such global retailers as Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, 23S, Holt Renfrew and Net-a-porter.

The collaboration is for one season only.

In an interview, McManus explained what she could do with Agolde that she couldn’t do on her own.

“I mean washing in denim is so huge. We can do denim, and we have really clean washes. We don’t have the incredible wash facilities that Agolde has. The washes we ended up doing for the collaboration, everything is so soft and really worn in and lived in, but also coming from regenerative cotton or organic cotton. So there’s just an authenticity to the way Agolde can do denim, which is just extremely comfortable,” said McManus.

The prices range from $158 for the scarves to $698 for the A-line Massive Coat.

McManus noted that the collection, which contains organic cotton shirting and a little silk cami, is predominantly denim.

“We also played in color, so we have the most amazing kind of shade of pink, and a lovely soft white and black, so it kind of has a little bit of high and low,” said Phelps. “And then to Maria’s point, we have some amazing washes in indigo too. But I think the color is so strong, and it’s one of the focal points for us…”

In terms of working together, Phelps said, “I think Maria and I have very similar aesthetics. It was so collaborative, whether liaising with texts, and we did all our fittings in person.” They spoke with each other on a regular basis, “and I think we ended up with a really strong collection, whether it was taking iconic signature pieces from Maria’s collection and then reimagining it, and vice versa. But we definitely rely on Maria’s ready-to-wear expertise. It was super collaborative,” said Phelps.

The label will have both the Agolde and Maria McManus name, but Maria McManus is in a more textural way, rather than bold. The sustainability information will be on the hang tag and the Bio-Indigo is written on the care labels.

McManus said this was her company’s first collaboration, and Phelps said Agolde hasn’t done much collaborating in women’s in a big way.

Asked what they anticipate the bestsellers to be, McManus said, “There’s a skate short that people really loved. It feels kind of new. And I think the field jacket was another favorite in Paris market and a low-slung trouser.”