Ali Nowroozi, Founder of Manchester-based Masumi explains how the brand is putting ethical British fashion on the global map.

Ali Nowroozi is the founder of Masumi, an ethical and luxury headwear brand founded in Manchester back in 2016. Over the past five years, Masumi has secured headwear distributors in most European countries and has been listed as the number one headwear supplier to Simply Wigs, one of the biggest online retailers in the industry.

Hi Ali. Please tell us a little about your business - what is it and how was it founded? 

Masumi is a headwear brand with a difference. We design and distribute fashionable headwear, hats and turbans that are for women who are affected by hair loss, whether they’re undergoing chemotherapy as part of cancer treatments or for those who have a specific condition such as alopecia.      

I founded Masumi for two core reasons. Firstly, I was inspired by my wife, Anna, who had been diagnosed with cancer as a teenager and later recovered. 

Secondly, I’d gained more than 10 years of experience working as a manager for a retail company that specialised in wigs. During that time, I saw lots of women coming through the doors who were experiencing hair loss for various reasons. They were looking for headwear options at a pivotal moment in their lives and I wanted to make sure they could access products designed to the highest standards, instilling confidence and comfort at a time when it really matters.    

Whilst via Access to Finance, we’ve been able to better understand what funding options are available and improve the financial management of the business.

In addition, Isabelle introduced us to the GC International Trade team which helped Masumi secure a grant to grow the business internationally. As result of this, we’ve been able to expand Masumi’s online presence in the US, using Amazon fulfilment, setting up an Etsy shop as well as setting up a new office resulting in £25,000 sales.

With support from contacts in Germany provided by the Hub team, we’ve also worked with Amazon to build our European presence and, set up an office in Germany last year to counteract the EU exit challenge.

How has working with the Hub made a difference to your business? 

Working with the Hub has enabled us to win more contracts and increase Masumi’s brand awareness in the UK and abroad. This has led to increased ecommerce activities and export sales and we’ve reached new markets.

Without a doubt, the Hub has played a key role in the success of our business. Their services have been a solid backbone since we launched and in the nicest possible way, they’ve never left me alone.

We now have a 4.9 rating on Trustpilot and a Gold Star awarded by customer feedback experts, Feefo. Masumi is also on track to surpass its turnover target this year, which will be an increase to £250k turnover from £175k last year.

Of course it’s great to see the financial growth go from strength to strength but the main aim of our business is to empower and help people. The most important thing is that what we do both inspires and helps people, even if it is only in a small way. That’s what matters.