Agolde and Maria McManus Launch 16-Piece Sustainable Denim Capsule Collection

When a mutual friend introduced Irish-born, New York-based designer Maria McManus to Amy Williams, chief executive officer of Citizens of Humanity Group, the conversation moved quickly from shared values to shared product. McManus wanted to move into denim but lacked the wash infrastructure to do so sustainably, to her own aesthetic standard. Agolde, the L.A.-based denim-forward ready-to-wear label under Williams's group, had exactly that infrastructure and was actively looking to extend further into ready-to-wear. The result, which launched on March 7, 2026, is a 16-piece capsule that neither brand could have made alone.

The collection spans tailored wide-leg denim trousers, an ultra-high-waisted pair cinched with a coordinating belt, skater shorts cut just below the knee in two colorways, oversized organic cotton shirting, a denim field jacket, a long circle skirt, and an A-Line Massive Coat described as weightless in Crinkle Indigo. A Deep V Tunic in black is cut from Japanese renewable sateen, and a flyweight bandana in Stone Wash Powder Pink rounds out the quieter end of the palette. The broader color story moves through pale indigo, white cotton, washed black, and a washed icy pale pink. "It's a very concise capsule," McManus told Harper's Bazaar. "There's nothing superfluous; just a great jacket, a great coat, great jeans, a great skirt."

Every piece draws on Agolde's responsible supply chain, specifically regenerative cotton sourced from the brand's farm partners and Eco-Indigo, the low-impact dye Agolde pioneered in 2025 that was named one of Time's Best Inventions. Many of the fabrics are also woven with Tencel. "What's so lovely about the pieces is that there's obviously a focus on sustainability, but also on softness," said Agolde creative director Karen Phelps, who oversaw fit and wash development on the collection. "A lot of the fabrics are woven with Tencel, so you have the most incredible hand feel."

McManus's eponymous ready-to-wear line already sources recycled, organic, natural, and biodegradable fibers from Europe and Japan, so the sustainability alignment with Agolde was not cosmetic. The brands were also deliberate about process: rather than developing entirely new silhouettes, they reworked shapes from McManus's existing pattern roster, several of which first appeared on her Spring 2026 runway, and applied Agolde's fabrications to them. The decision to reuse patterns rather than start from scratch was an explicit waste-reduction strategy. Every piece of hardware, label, and hang tag in the collection was custom-made, a level of finish that signals this was never conceived as a quick licensing play.

Phelps described the partnership as a natural alignment. "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." Williams framed the collaboration in longer strategic terms, positioning it as evidence of Agolde's ambitions beyond its denim category: "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."

The capsule is available on Agolde.com and MariaMcManus.com and is stocked at Harrods, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, 23S, Holt Renfrew, and Net-a-Porter. Williams's description of the project as "not about a one-off moment" suggests the infrastructure built for this capsule, from the custom trims to the Eco-Indigo wash program, was always intended to outlast a single season.