Ninety Percent: The London Label Giving 90% Back
Sophia, The LuxEco Edit
9/25/20253 min read
Ninety Percent: Quiet Luxury with Radical Generosity
In today’s crowded landscape of “sustainable” fashion, countless labels adopt the vocabulary without fundamentally rethinking how the industry operates. Ninety Percent, a London-based brand founded in 2018, does something altogether different. The label pledges to share 90% of its distributable profits with charitable causes and the people who make its clothing. This radical generosity is not a seasonal campaign or a marketing exercise; it is the very foundation of the brand’s identity. By aligning timeless, minimalist design with a business model built on redistribution, Ninety Percent offers a refreshing counterpoint to the extractive traditions of fashion.
The Philosophy: Ninety Percent, Literally
The name is not a metaphor. Ninety Percent commits to dividing profits in a way that rewires the value chain:
Charitable causes: from women’s education and animal welfare to environmental protection and poverty alleviation.
Supply chain partners: workers who contribute to the creation of the garments.
Each item carries a unique code that customers can use online to vote for their preferred cause. This turns consumption into engagement. Instead of fashion being a one-way flow of capital, Ninety Percent positions the buyer as a participant in shaping impact. It is a rare case where every purchase is also a philanthropic gesture.
This approach directly confronts fashion’s longstanding imbalance, where profit has historically been concentrated among shareholders while workers and communities bear the costs. Ninety Percent’s model suggests another possibility: fashion as redistribution.
Design Language: Quiet Luxury, Wardrobe Integrity
The generosity of the business model is matched by a design philosophy that prioritises longevity. Ninety Percent champions quiet luxury — subtle, refined clothing that elevates everyday dressing without unnecessary excess.
Fabric choices: GOTS-certified organic cotton, sustainable viscose, and Lenzing Tencel are staples.
Silhouettes: Streamlined dresses, ribbed knits, tailored T-shirts, versatile skirts.
Palettes: Neutral shades, soft earth tones, and understated hues that transcend seasonal cycles.
Rather than chasing trends, the brand is building wardrobe integrity: clothing that becomes the dependable backbone of a thoughtful, sustainable wardrobe. For readers of The LuxEco Edit, this aligns seamlessly with the philosophy of buying less, but better.
Ninety Percent’s aesthetic also sits comfortably alongside brands like Studio Nicholson and Asket, which emphasise minimalist essentials and a seasonless approach.
Sustainability in Practice
While the 90% pledge attracts headlines, Ninety Percent’s sustainability commitments extend into production and operations:
Small-batch production minimises waste and prevents the accumulation of unsold inventory. This directly reinforces the principles of circular fashion.
Certified fibres ensure reduced chemical impact and water consumption, with traceability embedded at source.
Transparent partnerships highlight suppliers and processes, an accountability layer missing in much of fashion.
Conscious packaging reduces single-use plastic and uses recyclable materials.
This holistic model avoids the pitfall of brands that lean heavily on messaging but neglect systemic change. Ninety Percent’s supply chain choices reinforce the brand’s ethos at every stage.
Consumer Empowerment
Perhaps the most distinctive element of Ninety Percent is its insistence on customer agency. The voting system repositions consumers as decision-makers, bridging the gap between consumption and philanthropy.
This participatory model deepens loyalty: customers feel not only that they have purchased a product, but that they have joined a community of shared values. In a marketplace where brand narratives often fall flat, Ninety Percent’s interactive model creates genuine engagement.
Market Impact and Industry Questions
Ninety Percent presents a bold blueprint for fashion’s future, but it also prompts important questions:
Scalability: Can a business survive in the competitive retail space while giving away the majority of its profits?
Consumer perception: Will luxury shoppers view generosity as an aspirational brand value, or continue to prize exclusivity above all else?
Impact measurement: How effectively can customer-driven donations be tracked and verified to ensure meaningful outcomes?
These challenges do not undermine the model; they illustrate its pioneering nature. Ninety Percent is attempting to build a new category of luxury — one where accountability and redistribution are as important as design.
Editorial Insight: Transparency as the New Luxury
Luxury has long been defined by scarcity, exclusivity, and aesthetic craftsmanship. Ninety Percent shifts the axis, suggesting that radical transparency and generosity can themselves become luxury values.
For consumers weary of hollow sustainability claims, the brand provides something measurable. Ninety Percent does not merely tell a story; it offers a number, 90%, that embodies its philosophy. In a world where greenwashing remains rife, this clarity is powerful.
For The LuxEco Edit audience, the message resonates: sustainable fashion is not about superficial gestures, but about business models that genuinely redistribute value. Ninety Percent’s quiet luxury pieces prove that ethics and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive — they can, in fact, strengthen one another.
If you are building a wardrobe rooted in responsibility as well as refinement, Ninety Percent offers pieces designed to last and designed to give back. From ribbed knits to structured T-shirts, every purchase is an opportunity to decide where your 90% goes.
