Our Brand Story

From First MFG Co. to FMCo

FMCo's story goes back four decades to 1987, when First MFG Co. began making and selling leather jackets in New York.

A story that started with a small operation and a suitcase full of leather grew into a major wholesale leather business, supplying independent retailers across the United States of America. Along the way, we learned the business from the ground up: how to make a jacket comfortable, how to add finesse, and, most importantly, what our customers wanted to keep coming back for.

Today, FMCo is the next chapter of that story.

We still have the same appreciation for a well-made jacket, but we've expanded far beyond our beginnings in motorcycle leather. Today, FMCo’s collections span classic leather, motorcycle jackets, varsity styles, bombers, suede, and even vegan and faux leather.

Here's how we got here:

1987- First MFG Co. Begins

First MFG Co. was founded in New York, focused on leather apparel and motorcycle jackets.

The business was built around a straightforward idea: make good jackets and protective gear for moto enthusiasts and hog members, and make them accessible to the people who actually needed them.

In the early days, that meant working with small shops around New York City, trying to get to know retailers so that our work would be seen by the average New Yorker.

Those relationships became the foundation for everything that followed.

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The Early Years

Growing One Store at a Time

Overnight success stories are few and far between, and this one took time and effort.

First MFG Co. grew slowly by building relationships with independent retailers and motorcycle shops one at a time. As more stores began carrying the jackets, the business expanded beyond New York City, and into markets across the USA.

More jackets meant more learning: how to work with different leathers, craft new fits, and understand what people really want. And there were plenty of lessons along the way.

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Over the Years

Learning What Makes a Good Jacket

After decades in the business, we've handled just about every kind of leather jacket you can think of.

One thing has stood out: the little things matter. How a jacket hangs on your shoulders, how the leather feels when you first put it on, how it softens with wear and the kind of patina it gets after years of use.

That experience continues to influence what we make today. We try to make jackets that look good when they're new, but become even better once they're well and truly yours.

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2016

A New Direction

After nearly three decades working in wholesale with businesses as their clients, First MFG Co. began wanting to connect directly with the people wearing their jackets.

In 2016, we expanded into retail with a renewed focus on the motorcycle lifestyle.

It gave us a chance to do something we'd wanted to do for a long time: build a closer relationship with our customers so that everything we do is a conversation with the people that helped us get where we were.

That became an important turning point for the company.

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The FMCo Chapter

More Than Motorcycle Jackets

Motorcycles are a big part of where we come from. But over time, we saw that the appeal of a great leather jacket wasn’t just limited to the motorcycle community: it was something everyone needed as a foundational wardrobe piece.

People wore our jackets with jeans and sneakers, with dresses, on nights out and on ordinary days. They wanted the same quality and character in different silhouettes and materials that matched who they were.

So we expanded: leather remained at the core of it all, but our collections grew to include varsity jackets, bombers, fashion jackets, suede, vegan leather and other forms of outerwear.

FMCo grew out of that evolution.

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Today

Jackets for Wherever Life Takes You

Today, FMCo brings together everything we've learned over our four decades in the business.

We still make jackets for riders; but we’ve become so much more. Now we’re for everyone who wants to bring leather’s edge and heirloom appeal into their lives, whether they’re looking for their first leather jacket, or have owned the same one for twenty years.

Some of our jackets are made for the road. Others are made for the city. Some are timeless classics; others are designed around what's happening in fashion right now.

What connects them is the same belief we've had since the beginning:

A good jacket should be something that makes you reach for it.

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What's Next

Today, we're learning, experimenting and still finding new ways to make outerwear. After all, it’s our favourite thing to do. 

The world of fashion has changed a lot since 1987, and we're happy to change with it. And after all these years, we haven't lost our appreciation for a really good jacket.

FMCo
Since 1987