Introducing: Mancunia Ugly
Interview: Jess Barker @jess.barks
MancuniaUgly/Manchester Fashion Week
Photographer: Ines Bahr
Hair lead: Jay Bowen
Make up lead: Antonio Cruz
Designer: Janey Cribbin
Models: @lovelinabell @dylans_1005
Meet Janey Cribbin - The Maximalist Mind Behind Manc Ugly.
In a world of polished minimalism and fast fashion, Manc Ugly is a loud, unapologetic breath of fresh Mancunian air. Founded by designer Janey Cribbin, the brand transforms upcycled materials - including everything from deadstock fabric to discarded car interiors into wearable statements of identity, chaos, and colour. Drawing influence from JDM car culture, classic upholstery, and the textures of Northern grit, Manc Ugly challenges what sustainable fashion can look and feel like.
We sat down with Janey to talk about material obsession, designing 'ugly’ with pride, and why the North is a creative engine that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Your bio describes Manc Ugly as “loud, proud, and bonkers Mancunian” - how does your Northern heritage shape the brand’s vibrant identity and aesthetic?
Mancunia Ugly is deeply rooted in my Northern upbringing. Growing up in working class Manchester, you’re surrounded by industrialism, music, and humour, and all of that shapes my brands identity. My love for Manchester’s music scene taught me to be unruly and unapologetic, so the brand will never feel polished or mass-produced. It’s about pride, grit, and standing true to your roots. The city was built on textile mills and metal. With my family having worked in manchesters textile factories; my passion for textile and fabrication is in my blood. I love reworking tough, functional and classic woven materials into something unexpected and luxurious. There’s also this unapologetic wit
in the North - we don’t take ourselves too seriously - and that’s where the louder, clashing, sometimes deliberately ‘ugly’ aesthetic comes from. It’s off the wall, cheeky, and a bit bonkers, but that’s the point. At the heart of it all is pride. Northerners are proud of where they come from, and Mancunia Ugly reflects that spirit: loud, proud, industrial, and impossible to ignore.
Your work often uses deadstock and waste materials, including discarded car interiors - what drives your focus on up-cycled fabrication?
For me, using deadstock and scrap isn’t just about sustainability, it’s about storytelling. A discarded car seat or a set of airbags already carries history, scars, and character. When I rework those materials into a bag or jacket, I’m giving them a second life - and you can still feel that past in the finished piece.
I also love the challenge. Luxury doesn’t have to mean new or pristine; it
can be about craftsmanship, rarity, and transformation. Taking something overlooked, dead-stock or unwanted and elevating it into a collectible object is much more exciting than ordering something that’s always available.
At the end of the day, Mancunia Ugly is about defiance. Repurposing helps us to rethink the possibilities of fashion and textile innovations. My obsession for the excessive comes straight from cars. I’ve always been fascinated by classic and JDM interiors - when I was at university I fell in love with Japanese Dekotora trucks and their outrageous detailing, and I’ve got a real soft spot for the gaudy interiors of the ’70s. That sense of nostalgia and overload still feeds my aesthetic today.
When I design, it’s about channeling that maximalist spirit into textiles - bold, clashing, unapologetic - but balancing it with structure and craftsmanship so the pieces are still functional and wearable. It’s excess with roots, excess with intention.
Creative Director: Janey Cribbin, Photographer: Gabe Purcell
your design language - from prints to hardware choices?
First things first, I am classic car MAD. Growing up with my head under a bonnet or in my dad’s auto trader magazines, classic car upholstery and JDM culture are my biggest references. I’m obsessed with the textures - classic wool checks, velours, leathers - and how they were used in old car interiors. Those patterns and finishes inspire my prints and fabric choices. From the JDM side, I draw on the precision and customisation culture: the way every detail, down to the stitching or badge, feels intentional. That comes through in my hardware - I use fastenings, trims, and sprayed finishes almost like car parts, designed to stand out as features rather than disappear. It’s about treating fashion the way a car enthusiast treats their build: obsessive, expressive, and rooted in craft.
As an award-winning designer based at The Yard Atelier, how has Manc Ugly evolved since you launched the brand?
Since launching Mancunia Ugly, the brand has grown from an experimental side project into a fully formed design studio. Being based at The Yard Atelier has given me space to push the craftsmanship further - from spray-painted leathers to collectible, one-off textile pieces. Winning awards has helped shine a light on the work, but the core spirit hasn’t changed: it’s still about turning car culture and scrap materials into something bold, unapologetic, and luxury. The evolution is in the scale and ambition -bigger projects, new collections, but always rooted in that same Northern, maximalist attitude.
Looking ahead: are there new product categories or materials you’re excited to explore in the next year?
I’m really excited to push Mancunia Ugly into new territory. I’ve been exploring more automotive-grade wools and vintage seat fabrics, which have incredible texture and heritage. I’m also looking at expanding beyond bags and accessories into small runs of outerwear that blur the line between fashion and collectible design. The goal is always the same - to take materials that feel industrial or overlooked and reimagine them as bold, maximalist luxury.
Left image: Creativer Direction: @twentyeight.social, Photography: @fayerosss, Model: @___ecarg
Right image: Backstage Manchester Fashion Week, Photographer: Gabe Purcell
Creative Director: Janey Cribbin, Photographer: Gabe Purcell
