Ninety Percent places charity at forefront of label

London-based premium womenswear brand Ninety Percent is looking to make it easier for consumers to dress ethically, by launching a label that brings together ethics and aesthetics, and gives 90 percent of its profits to charitable causes.

Getting behind the #DressBetter movement, Ninety Percent is aiming to revolutionise the fashion industry by prioritising product and people over profits, with the hopes of starting a consumer movement that empowers makers and wearers, the new brand explains.

The ‘positive’ business model of Ninety Percent will see the womenswear label sharing 90 percent of its profits to a diverse range of charities and those who make the collection happen, aiming to challenge poor working conditions in the fashion industry and to help reduce our negative impact on the environment.

Behind this one-of-a-kind business model are the founders of Echotex, a pioneering ethical trade and Leed Platinum, a certified manufacturing unit in Bangladesh, and they hope that their commitment to sustainable practices that nurture people and the planet will challenge industry standards that they state have becoming “accepted norms”.

Explaining the inspiration behind the new premium brand, Shafiq Hassan, co-founder of Ninety Percent, said: “It was about creating a business model that has 360 degree empowerment, which is not a charity, but a commercially successfully run business. A business that gives an opportunity to its customers, that leads to making a positive difference in the social and environmental arena.

“Unhappy how big businesses are run and are allowed to run, that impacts on our lives and our planet negatively, and not giving back much either we decided to come up with an alternative. We decided to create a movement that is real as we know that there must be another way. We wanted to create a legacy that would continue to make a positive difference.”

Ninety Percent changing fashion industry with ‘positive’ business model

Ninety Percent gives its customers power to make a difference, as each shopper will also have a say in where the money goes, as with each purchase comes the option to vote for a cause. For 2018 and 2019 those charities include: Children’s Hope, a charity that educates underprivileged children living in the slums of Dhaka; Big Life Foundation, which is seeking to protect and sustain East Africa’s wildlife; WildAid, who’s mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade; and War Child, a specialist charity for children affected by conflicted across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Commenting on why these charitable causes, Hassan added: “We wanted a balance between children and environment – both are our future.”

The label is also sustainably driven, with materials and manufacturing closely monitored to achieve the aim of being more ethical and sustainable, with everything sourced only from suppliers that operate under the best codes of practice from manufacturers in Bangladesh, China, Italy, Japan, India and Turkey.

Sustainable fibres like organic cotton and Tencel feature heavily in the womenswear collection, which is described by the brand as “feminine but low maintenance” with relaxed silhouettes, including slogan T-shirts, full skirts, deep v jumpsuits, stretch-jersey bodysuits, maxi dresses, sweatshirts and relaxed knitwear.

Key highlights include the ruched dress, the Serena tennis dress, slim-leg sweatpants, ruched drawcord bomber jacket and zip-back jumpsuit. Prices ranging from 30 pounds for a simple vest to 350 pounds for a cashmere-blend cardigan.

So, what can we expect for the future of the brand? “We hope to continue building a passionate team that believe in both the vision and the mission, that delivers fantastic products that our customer shall cherish,” explains Hassan. “Use more and more sustainable raw materials and processes and be part of this innovation.”

Hassan added: “We want to build a consumer movement that make our business grow and engage our customers to be part of this change and choice.”

Ninety Percent’s debut collection is available now online via its own e-commerce website, ninetypercent.com.

Images: courtesy of Ninety Percent