You've made a name for yourself with your unique blend of fierce yet friendly, badass and generous, whipsmart and sensible. You work hard every day for what you believe in, with every handshake and email laying the foundations for your vision of your community and the wider world.
You’re a woman leader looking for a new kind of luxury: fashion that reflects your values.
You recognize quality, and you appreciate the artistry in fine clothing. You’ve cultivated your own style, and you’re looking for something special. In a word, you’re seeking polished separates that work well in the office and fit seamlessly with the rest of your wardrobe.
What we do
manuma crafts timeless style for women with vision who cherish the craft behind their clothes.
manuma's design-driven collection seeks to bring forward ancient techniques and elevate undervalued fabrics, connecting style for the modern woman to the global history of textiles. The collection is trendless, with unparalleled respect for the human touch. Everything we do revolves around great fabric.
#ClothisCulture
Polished, timeless jackets designed for every body
Fine fibers and unique fabrics
Investment quality, hand-tailored construction
How we do it
We believe in a virtuous cycle of apparel manufacturing: everyone benefits when everyone involved can experience the power and pleasure of beautiful clothes. Our business is designed as much for you as for our production partners and the planet.
manuma is deeply committed to standing for human rights and a vital climate. We center marginalized textile artisans, working with women refugees in Connecticut, and championing culturally-specific craft throughout the world. We fight for compensation, not appropriation. Going beyond doing “less bad”, we aim to do “more good”.
Founder
manuma is designed by Allie McConnell, who grew up on the edge of a protected watershed forest in northwestern Connecticut. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Fashion's accelerated fashion design program. Allie also holds a BA in International Relations from the George Washington University, and previously worked as a case manager supporting refugees and survivors of human trafficking throughout Connecticut.
manuma was born in the depths of the Great Recession, during Allie’s "hero's journey" of a major career pivot. It's been a gantlet of starting a new career from scratch, divorce, multiple moves, Black Lives lost, actual Nazis, #MeToo, and more family and career challenges.
Through it all, she has tended the flame of an idea: crafting a system of separates for grown-ass women that is cool and beautiful and functional for your everyday life.
manuma exists so your closet doesn’t undermine your values, no matter what life throws in your way.
We are testing the market and would love to get to know you as we grow toward an official launch.
#PlaceBasedFashion
We live and work in the region called Quinnektukqut, land of the long tidal river, which we acknowledge as the traditional and unceded territory of the Tunxis, Sicoags, Wangunks, and Poquonock, who have been stewards of this land from time immemorial.
about the name:
manuma started out as a portmanteau Allie invented, combining the Latin root for "hand" and the almost-universal word for "mother". Turns out, manuma is also the name of a beautiful bird species found in Samoa and Fiji, also known as the Many-Colored Fruit Dove, Ptilinopus perousii.
