If your social media feed has been filled with pictures of The Giving Movement for the past few weeks, you are not alone.
Offering "slick-looking" althleisure wear, this new clothing brand – which launched only four weeks ago in the middle of a pandemic – is the brainchild of British UAE resident Dominic Nowell-Barnes.
When I did the research, I could not believe that it really is not that difficult to find sustainable materials
The entrepreneur believes that clothes can be functional, fashionable and have a social conscience, and so he donates $4 (Dh15) to charity for every item sold.
“We want to achieve over $100,000 in donations this year and based on just the last three weeks since launch, we are already on track to do that. That is a great first start, especially in this environment.”
An unconventional brand in many ways – not least for debuting during a global crisis – The Giving Movement was born out of a desire to offer something different.
“I wanted to do something that would excite me and that would also have a positive impact.”
Nowell-Barnes started his first company at 13, selling things on eBay. By the time he was finishing off his A-levels at school, he needed two staff to help him run it. Successful, wealthy and working seven days a week, at the age of 25 he had something of an epiphany.
“I had this lightning moment. I had reached a certain [financial] level and I realised that money does not make you happy. So, I sold the company and moved to Dubai. I had already been coming here and it felt like a happy space for me."
That's when Nowell-Barnes spotted a gap in the market for sustainable active wear, and started looking into options, despite having no previous experience in this field.
“I did really want to do something disruptive – and I mean that in a positive way – to break the mould of the way fashion is currently manufactured and the way it is consumed. But when I did the research, I could not believe that it really is not that difficult to find sustainable materials when you are manufacturing.”
The brand offers leggings and hoodies, cropped T-shirts and even sneakers. The items are priced from Dh99 for a beanie up to Dh550 for a hoodie, and the collection is mainly unisex.
And forget dull black and navy, the brand's palette features lemony yellow, pistachio green, pale khaki and sorbet orange.
Only available online, and made to be worn as separates or head-to-toe, the fabrics are soft, quick to dry and breathable, with four-way stretch for comfort.
Best of all, everything is made from sustainable certified organic cotton and bamboo, and from nylon created entirely out of plastic water bottles. Even the packaging is made from vegetable starch that will decompose in 90 days.
“It took a long time to get the materials right. I spent a year understanding and developing them. I wanted it to be a step above everything else in the market. We have 20 different styles in nine colours and everything can be mixed and matched," Nowell-Barnes says.
The factory is based in the UAE
He has designed every garment himself. "The quick way to launch a brand is to go knock on the door of a manufacturer somewhere in China,” he says. “They will have set patterns and fabrics that you put your logo on. For me that was never an option.
“Our factory is based in the UAE and I decided to work with them because the staff work standard hours. Whatever job within the company, everyone works the same hours, five days a week. Paying a little bit more to produce locally was a no-brainer."
Having ticked so many boxes, some would be content to stop there. Not Nowell-Barnes. “Of course, the most important part is the charity aspect. We donate $4 from every garment, and partner with Dubai Cares, as well as with Harmony House, a smaller charity that has a very direct impact with children living on the streets [in India].
"The reason we choose the sum of $4 is that it [is enough] to give a child on the street [in India] education, shelter and food for one week. The idea is with every garment you buy, you can change someone’s life". For one week, at least.
Of launching during a pandemic, Nowles-Barnes is sanguine. “We have been planning for a year and just as we were launching, we went into 24-hour lockdown.
“But when we are forced to go back to basics, we begin to appreciate things maybe we did not before. People can now look at the world and see what is actually important.”
North Pole stats
Distance covered: 160km
Temperature: -40°C
Weight of equipment: 45kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 0
Terrain: Ice rock
South Pole stats
Distance covered: 130km
Temperature: -50°C
Weight of equipment: 50kg
Altitude (metres above sea level): 3,300
Terrain: Flat ice
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Fifa%20World%20Cup%20Qatar%202022%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFirst%20match%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2020%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%2016%20round%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%203%20to%206%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQuarter-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%209%20and%2010%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESemi-finals%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2013%20and%2014%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinal%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDecember%2018%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
About Proto21
Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group
Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
'Manmarziyaan' (Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Vicky Kaushal
Rating: 3.5/5
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Racecard
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20TV%204K%20(THIRD%20GENERATION)
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More coverage from the Future Forum
The%20specs
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.
6pm: Al Ruwais Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 1,200m
Winner: RB Lam Tara, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinal.
6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.
7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.
7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.
