Damson Madder Taps AMK Atelier for Sustainable Workwear Denim Capsule

The collection brings together Damson Madder’s whimsical designs with AMK Atelier’s focus on sustainability and function.​The collection brings together Damson Madder’s whimsical designs with AMK Atelier’s focus on sustainability and function. 

Damson Madder, the London-based fashion brand known for small-batch production and a commitment to sustainability, has teamed with Amsterdam-based AMK Atelier for its first workwear denim capsule collection.

The collection brings together Damson Madder’s whimsical designs with AMK Atelier founder Maria Gunnarsson‘s laser-sharp focus on sustainability and function. Their shared vision going into the project was to create pieces that support women in being active, creative and connected to their environment. While the garments are described as workwear, Gunnarsson said the pieces are really designed for much more than that.

“They’re versatile enough for gardening, hiking, farming, or simply staying comfortable and stylish in the city,” she told SJ Denim.

The collection includes the Julia Workwear Denim Jacket, a raglan longline silhouette with a cinch-tie waist and multiple pockets; the Laura Workwear Denim Zip Off Jeans, a straight fit jean with a zip-ff constriction that transforms them into knee-length shorts; the Lisa Workwear Denim Overalls, a straight-leg dungaree with reinforced knee panels; and the Everyday Workwear Bag, a denim and ripstop crossbody or shoulder bag. The pieces retail for $85-$335.

“For me personally, the vision was to see more women wearing these pieces and, hopefully, creating their own memories in them. By producing the collection on a slightly larger scale than my atelier allows, it also became possible to offer them to more women, across different sizes and ages. That inclusivity is something I feel very proud of,” Gunnarsson said.

The inspiration for the collection was Rooted, AMK Atelier’s workwear project with Cone Denim and local growers. Gunnarsson presented Rooted last year at Kingpins Amsterdam to document denim workwear’s wear patterns and durability. It was there where she met Damson Madder designers Catrin Thomas and Chloe Dorr and discovered they share the same values around fashion: creating collection with purpose and that honor nature.

“After this meeting, we began discussing which pieces would best suit the Damson Madder woman. They loved the idea of presenting the collection on the farmers I had worked with, so we chose designs I developed together with the farmers, and each design is also named after a specific farmer: the Laura zip-off pants, the Lisa dungarees and the Julia worker jacket,” Gunnarsson said.

Though Rooted was designed for “real workers,” Gunnarsson said she had no idea there would be so many women who had been “craving beautiful, strong and functional workwear.”

“Through this, I truly believe there is a gap in the fashion industry for clothing meant to be worn in everyday life outside—on days in nature when you’re off, connected to the land, or in a more creative flow. These are the kinds of moments I believe we need more of in our lives today,” she said.

Gunnarsson and Damson Madder spoke the same language when it came to choosing the best materials to use. The entire collection is made with organic cotton and durable hardware trims and produced in Turkey in limited quantities, keeping both quality and intention at the core of the process. They also pivoted away from “fashion washes,” applying just a soft rise to the garments to remove potential shrinkage.

Gunnarsson emphasized how the fades are meant to be created by the women wearing the pieces themselves.

“The result is garments that feel so good to wear—you don’t want to take them off. To me, that is sustainability: a great fit that makes you feel supported, beautiful, and comfortable. It becomes a piece you will hold on to for a long time,” she said. “Hopefully, these are garments that will be worn for decades, becoming more beautiful with each season and every wear.”

Gunnarsson said the Damson Madder team was open and receptive to her designs and processes. As a pattern cutter, she was very intentional about creating all the patterns herself. She also took part in the fit sessions.

“In many fashion brands, suppliers develop the fit blocks and patterns, and while many of them are highly skilled and deliver excellent fits, for me the pattern is my handwriting,” she said. “It’s where the essence of the design lives—in every detail, curve and shape that comes together to create the most comfortable fit, especially in womenswear.”

Damson Madder created a logo and label featuring two women pulling a large carrot out of the ground as the main patch for the collection. Gunnarsson said it was a joy to collaborate with them and to see how their graphic design skills added extra value and playfulness to the collection. “They also created hangtags made from denim scraps, upcycled from Damson Madder’s production waste, which is music to my ears. It was inspiring to share ideas around how everything can have a purpose. A truly great collaboration where both of our strengths came together in a small capsule collection,” she said.

Gunnarsson said she was drawn to Damson Madder’s ability to create fashion with a sense of humor through playful uses of color and interesting silhouettes. She added that the brand’s designs feel crafted and youthful, but in a smart, considered way.

“Having my designs incorporated into their collection felt very natural,” she said. “The decorative topstitching on the pants adds a playful and refined detail, which I feel aligns with the Damson Madder DNA that runs through many of their collections.”

The collaboration reinforces Gunnarsson’s belief that sustainable fashion can be achieved at scale. Looking ahead, she plans to continue the journey with AMK Rooted, which will offer more workwear drops for women and men.

“After years of working with denim, I feel very excited about what is coming for AMK Atelier. We have launched collections and storytelling but have not been able to produce in bulk. However, this capsule collection has now given me the opportunity to explore whether fashion and workwear can be created in a different way—through collaborations and considered drops, rather than traditional seasonal collections,” she said. “Each collection is made with purpose, designed to be valued and worn for a long time. To me, that is what fashion should be.”