Meet The New Brand That Gives 90 Per Cent Of Its Profits To Charity

The concept might sound preposterous, but for Shafiq Hassan it was time to take drastic measures against the damaging impact of fast fashion. A successful factory owner in Bangladesh, Hassan had produced clothing for H&M, Debenhams and New Look, among other global brands, before deciding to start his own company. Alongside co-founder Para Hamilton and creative director Ben Matthews, he has created Ninety Percent, a new London-based womenswear brand that will donate 90 per cent of distributed profits to a selection of charitable causes.

While many other brands donate a portion of its profits to charity, few have committed to making such a large and long-term contribution. Why did they feel it was necessary? "We want to create a movement," says Hassan. "We really want to be different and to re-think how businesses are run." Ninety Percent certainly succeeds in that respect, turning the conventional fashion business model on its head. Customers place their orders online and when the items arrive they have unique codes printed on the care labels. They can then visit the Ninety Percent website and enter the unique code to vote for their chosen cause. At the end of the financial year, the company will calculate how much each charity is due to receive.

"The key for us is empowerment for the customer," Hassan explains. "Our distributed profit model allows customers to nominate causes which will receive 80 per cent of the company's profits. After that, five per cent of the distributed profits will go to the people who manufacture the product and five per cent to the team that runs the business. The remaining 10 per cent will go to the shareholders." The charities currently supported by the company include War Child, Big Life Foundation and Children’s Hope, which supports impoverished young people in Bangladesh, where much of the company's clothes are produced. Ninety Percent's aim is both to sell clothes that are responsibly made and to keep customers informed about the positive impact of their purchases.

Best of all, the brand's sleek debut collection is a far cry from the hemp and hessian often associated with sustainable fashion. There are organic cotton T-shirts, jersey dresses, slouchy sweats and sumptuous cashmere-blend knits. Creative director Ben Matthews describes them as "detail-driven staples that complement your wardrobe." Previously buying manager at Net-a-porter, he says he joined the company because he knew it would be "an opportunity too good to miss." For Matthews, it is crucial that the clothes speak for themselves. "We spent a lot of time honing fit and fabric to ensure the collection is modern without being austere, but also feminine without being overly girly," he explains. "Ninety Percent is a thoroughly modern brand and we want to transform the relationship women have with their clothes."