Sustainable clothing wear company, The Giving Movement, just surpassed $1 million in donations (3.6 million AED). The company aimed to start out as the UAE’s first homegrown sustainable clothing brand. They went live online during the COVID-19 lockdown, and with great determination were able to create a successful e-commerce brand. The brand has grown from scratch to being a staple item for influencers around the UAE, such as Noor Stars, Renee Farah, Nadine Abdel Aziz and many more. The Giving Movement donates $4 from every purchase to the Dubai Cares and Harmony House India foundations. In celebration of them reaching $1 million in donations, we spoke to co-founder Dominic Nowell Barnes.
Dominic tells us about the reason behind using sustainable fabrics. “The reason we then chose to only sell products that are made from sustainable fabrics was that we wanted to ensure that whilst we donate, we are also minimizing the impact we have on the planet. Whilst there is no one quick fix for sustainability, we are continuously working on innovating sustainable fabrics and processes to improve our stance on sustainability. Despite the global awareness of the fashion industry’s impact on global warming, fast fashion remains a growing industry that continues to gather a following. This is where the idea is rooted: what if consumers are provided with contemporary pieces… but in a way that’s conscious, sustainable and positive? The brand was built on four pillars of sustainability: fabrics, production, charity and conscious consumerism.”
We also asked Dominic about what makes a successful sustainable fashion brand. He tells us that, “I think it is important to recognize that success is subjective and is different for everyone. Whilst we have one set of goals and aspirations, I am sure there are brands out there with much larger ones and some with much smaller ones. Starting a brand is hard and so even the smallest wins should be celebrated as a success in my opinion. For us, success is defined by creating a movement, a giving movement where we reinvent how fashion is both created and consumed and where we put humanity in motion. I think TGM has scaled through having a fantastic team with a results-focused culture, we work really, really hard every day and it isn’t unusual to see the team still sitting at their desks past 8 pm without any encouragement from our side. I think that could be what makes the difference, when you are a purpose-led brand it changes the dynamic both for the team and the customer. Having points of difference in your brand is definitely a quick way to differentiate in the market and grow also.”
The Giving Movement aims to reach $10 million dollars in donations per year by the end of 2023.
