Actually, Magnus Trinkwalder from the Augsburg textile company Manomama just wanted to make a statement on LinkedIn: against right-wing extremism, for social attitudes and the responsibility of companies. To do this, he digitally mounted the “FCKAFD” lettering on a pair of jeans from the in-house collection. He didn’t expect the response.
“In the hours that followed, I was completely overwhelmed with news,” says Trinkwalder. Numerous readers of the post wanted to know whether and where the jeans were available. It quickly became clear to Manomama: the model should actually be produced. The concept was in place within a few hours. Because the entire jeans supply chain – from denim to sewing thread – is located in Germany and production takes place in Augsburg, the project can be implemented at short notice. “We talked to our ribbon weaver about how quickly he could produce the FCKAFD ribbon, and he immediately gave us the green light,” explains Trinkwalder.
The company is collecting pre-orders via manomama.de/fckafd until the end of May. A quantity of 200 or more jeans will be produced. Just 24 hours after the launch, there were 170 orders.
Sustainable, regional and socially oriented
Manomama was founded in 2010 by Sina Trinkwalder, the mother of Magnus Trinkwalder. The idea: to show that textile production is economically possible in Germany. Since then, the Augsburg company has stood for sustainable fashion, regional production and social responsibility. People who have difficulty finding opportunities in the regular labor market are specifically employed, including refugees against whom right-wing groups are stirring up sentiment. Around 60 employees currently work for Manomama in Augsburg.
In addition to shopping bags made of organic cotton for large retail chains and various upcycling projects, denim production is at the heart of Manomama production. The “Augsburgdenim” line includes four jeans models for men and women as well as overshirts, hoodies, T-shirts and accessories. The products are sold in the company’s own store in downtown Augsburg and via the company’s online shop.
The company has not held back from political statements for years. The public positioning against the right repeatedly leads to hostility, says Magnus Trinkwalder, “including hate letters and death threats.” He didn’t want to be intimidated by it. “We represent the middle class. We have to position ourselves clearly because we do nothing other than give a chance to people who have a harder time in life than others.”
