Photo Credit: Anthony Tamayo
On Friday March 6 at Expo West, textiles sourced from communities where Whole Planet Foundation funds microcredit were featured on the runway at Beauty in all Beings, the Whole Foods Market fashion show benefiting Whole Planet Foundation.
The event was a beautiful team effort – a true example of the Beauty in All Beings. Featured Apparel was created by The Blessing Basket Project, Gaiam, Maggie’s Organics, PACT Apparel, prAna, Satva, Synergy Organic Clothing and Threads for Thought.
The Whole Planet Foundation Programs Team of Steve Wanta, Brian Doe, Claire Kelly, Armando Huerta and Daniel Zoltani sent textiles produced by microcredit clients of our microfinance partners to Austin. Textiles and fabric from Ghana, Guatemala, Thailand and Uganda were featured as finished products on the runway with support from Synergy. Additional fabric and textile sourcing support and event production was provided by Theresa Carrington of The Blessing Basket Project.
The apparel lines showcased alongside Whole Planet Foundation textiles featured sustainable materials like organic cotton and recycled content and are produced in countries such as Peru, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Guatemala, Uganda and Mexico – countries where Whole Planet Foundation alleviates poverty through microcredit.
Speakers at the event included:
Walter Robb – Whole Foods Market Co-CEO & Whole Planet Foundation Board Member
Magatte Wade – Founder of Tiossan & Whole Planet Foundation Advisory Board Member
Philip Sansone – President & Executive Director of Whole Planet Foundation
Maren Giuliano – Whole Foods Market Executive Global Whole Body Coordinator with Lizanne Falsetto – founder of thinkThin
Thanks to the partnership of Whole Foods Market, thinkThin, sponsors, featured brands, in-kind donors, the event production team, models and volunteers, we raised $100,000 for global poverty alleviation. Our current average loan size is $191 and these funds will create 523 new loans. And as each loan helps an average of five people, the dollars raised will give a hand up to 2,615 people in 63 countries. Microcredit loans get repaid and re-loaned again and again, at an average of 97%. Using the Impact Calculator on our website for the Central-America region, that $100,000 will help 40,450,671 people over 60 years.
We are especially grateful to our sponsors who helped make this unique inaugural event a possibility!
Gold: Hain Celestial beauty brands (Alba, JÄSON, Avalon Organics), New Chapter, So Delicious and event co-producers thinkThin
Silver: Nordic Naturals and Nubian Heritage
Bronze: ACURE, Burt’s Bees Baby, Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods, Gaiam, Golden Door, Gustus Vitae Salts & Spices, Lifefactory, Neocell, Paddywax, Papyrus-Recycled Greetings, SeaSnax, Seventh Generation, Threads for Thought, Wholesome Sweeteners and Zorbitz
Event Support & In-Kind: Thank you to Kim Tonge of New Connections Marketing to for giving a gift in support of our fundraising goal, and to our in-kind donors: AI Root Candle, Badge Bomb, Begin Again Toys, Better World Goods, Chavez for Charity, Global Girlfriend, Green Toys, Green Tree Jewelry, Gypsy and Loic, ONEHOPE wine, Replay Rethink-It Inc., Rising Tide, Seaweed Bath Co., Toe Sox, U Konserve, West Paw, Whole Foods Market Global Produce, Whole Trade® flowers, Wick’d Bean Candles, WILL Leather Goods, Yellow 108, Zing Anything and Zorbitz