GATF Annual Report 2010 SMALL

www.globalactionthroughfashion.org
Global Action Through Fashion Annual Report 2010
Published by Global Action Through Fashion
Designed by Debbie Berryhill for thedesignerlab.com
in conjunction with Global Action Through Fashion
Global Action Through Fashion (GATF) is a non-
profit founded with the vision to create a more equitable and sustainable
world through fashion. We provide education & informational resources for
consumers, producers & fashion industry professionals.
Consumers are the most powerful asset in shaping a better world; their decisions drive the behavior
of corporations whose supply chains directly affect lives of millions and the health of our planet. GATF
works to help consumers realize that power and use it to drive positive social and environmental change.
In addition, GATF seeks to equip fashion producers to respond to that demand quickly, efficiently, and
effectively by providing innovative open source solutions and a database of information.
2010ANNUALREPORT

Tableof
Contents
Letters from the Founders and Advisory Board Chair 5
About Global Action Through Fashion (GATF) 6
2010 Programs and Projects 8
The First Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night. April 4, 2010 8
Reconstruct, Reincarnate, and Re-cool your T-Shirt with GATF. June 24, 2010 10
The Future of Cotton Farm Tour. November 4, 2010 12
Online Resource and News Source (the Website) 15
The 25th Street Collective. October 5, 2010 16
University Collaboration 17
Lecture Series and Conferences 18
Workshops 19
Future Goals for Global Action Through Fashion 20
Team 23
Advisory Board 24
2010 Finances 25
2011 Become a Partner 26
GATF Partners, Allies, and Collaborators 27
Global Action Through Fashion ❚ Annual Report 2010 3

- Named “Best of San Francisco 2010”
by San Francisco’s 7x7 Magazine
“Whilewe may besick of hearing about
green, one thing’s for sure — it’s not going away anytime soon. The
Bay Area’s own Global Action Through Fashion is keeping eco-friendly
fun and relevant with fashion events...The nonprofit do-gooders offer
educational workshops and networking events as well, so keep your
eye on their calendar and know you’ve done your part to create a
healthier world.”
Global Action Through Fashion ❘ Annual Report 20104

Message from the Founders
It‘s hard to believe that only one year has passed since we started Global Action Through Fashion. We have made great
strides in furthering our mission to make the world a better place through fashion and we have done it on a shoestring
budget of less than $20,000. We created a comprehensive online database of ethical fashion resources, brought together
thousands of practitioners to learn from each other, began working on a documentary film, and managed dozens of
programs striving to improve the world through fashion. Our dedicated and mostly volunteer team has worked hard to
achieve our shared goals. We are deeply grateful to them and our sponsors for their support.
We are confident that ethical fashion is the “gateway drug” to consumer supply chain consciousness. By opening people
up to the realities of where their most prized and fashionable garments come from, who makes them, and what they are
made of, people will begin to think about the impact of their purchases on the world.
Our work in ethical fashion fosters and guides the growth of sustainable and ethical marketplaces. We strive to provide
comprehensive technical assistance regarding ethical supply chains to producers and to provide resources and information
to the fashion community and the world of individual consumers. The number of for-profit social enterprises with
environmental and social missions is on the rise, but for-profits alone are not enough. In the for-profit realm of ethical
fashion, Global Action Through Fashion is the facilitator of growth and
the moral compass of the ethical fashion industry.
Endless thanks to everyone who believed in us and continues
to have faith in our work. Our success is only possible through
your continued support.
Domenica Peterson & Grant Ennis,
Founders
Global Action Through Fashion
Message from the Advisory Board Chair
The importance of networking to support, educate, and instill the morals and values of sustainable product development to
the global society are at the core of the mission of Global Action Through Fashion (GATF). The act of getting dressed is
a process we each participate in, often several times a day, as we change clothes between roles and activities. Fashion is an
enabling process that allows us the opportunity to adapt to the changing world around us. The vital importance of GATF in
interpreting and proclaiming the change that fashion must make to sustain humanity and the environment is paramount. In
their first year, Domenica and Grant have reached out and connected a global network of followers and leaders to assist in
this challenge. Their work in 2010 has touched thousands, and their capacity to meet their critical
objectives for next year is within reach. The website they created is outstanding, with particular
attention to the ethical fashion resources. I am honored to be working with Tierra, Anthony, Lynda,
and Morten on the advisory board as we support, advise and work with GATF.
Dr. Connie Ulasewicz,
Advisory Board Chair
Global Action Through Fashion
Lettersfrom thefounders
andAdvisoryBoardChair

The $450 billion global fashion industry is one of the most
important sectors of the global economy, creating jobs
and clothes for people all over the world. Unfortunately, as
of 2007, only $3 billion or half of one percent of this $450
billion is fair trade or environmentally sustainable. The
reality of the industry is that many individual producers
in the developing world work long hours under strenuous
conditions for pennies on the dollar, far less than a living
wage. The products they make are often produced using
unclean energy sources and environmentally damaging
materials and processes. Lack of consumer awareness and
insufficient industry know-how allow these problems to
continue and worsen.
Global Action Through Fashion is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization that strives to facilitate and catalyze an ethical
fashion movement in order that consumers and producers
alike become a driving force in achieving global, sustainable
development. Consumers are generally unaware of how
the clothing they buy hurts the environment or how its
production exploits the laborers who made it. The fashion
industry needs increased access to tools and support in
using them, and consumers need to know what they are
buying. By promoting consumer awareness and providing
technical assistance to producers in the industry, we can
bring about a shift in the way the world works by making
production and consumption more ethical. Through
education, industry building, and consulting, we aim to
provide producers and consumers with best practices and
resources needed to make global change.
GATF provides education and informational resources for
consumers, producers, and fashion industry professionals
as well as lectures, e-resources, videos, international
conferences and state of the industry reports. These
programs and workshops serve to build the ethical fashion
About
Global Action Through Fashion (GATF)
Global Action Through Fashion ❚ Annual Report 20106

industry and allow it to grow its impact in the world. Large
retailers and brands, through their sheer scale, have the
greatest capacity to improve the lives of workers and
protect the planet. By making their businesses more
sustainable, they can create models for best practice in the
fashion industry and have a positive impact on our world.
While the industry currently advocates ethical fashion
through a number of pioneering blogs, magazines, and
organizations, GATF goes a step further to serve as the
hub for key information and resources regarding ethical
fashion. Furthermore, the content delivered by most ethical
fashion industry advocates often unquestionably praises the
growing ethical fashion community of for-profit companies.
GATF maintains an objective and critical posture, serving
as the moral compass and information hub of this emerging
industry and providing producers and consumers with
valuable knowledge and best practice guidelines.
GATF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
financed entirely through tax deductible
donations of generous donors such as
yourself or others you may know. This is both
a challenge and an opportunity. We do not
sell clothes, run profitable fashion shows, or
compete in the industry for market share. While
this means it is often a struggle to finance
our work, we do not face the conflicts that
arise from following profits and a bottom line.
Instead, we are able to focus one hundred
percent on our mission to make the world
a better place and provide an honest and
unbiased perspective about the state of the
industry and best practices. Fashion and
consumerism create waste. Ethical, recycled or
fair trade goods do not always have a positive
impact and there are serious challenges to
associating “buy” with positive impact to the
world. We address these concerns as a non-
profit and aspire to serve as the industry’s
barometer for conscious consumerism.
Global Action Through Fashion,
a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization

2010Programsand Projects
A first in San Francisco, GATF’s First Bay Area Ethical
Fashion Night brought together 400 key ethical fashion
stakeholders under one roof to learn from each other,
connect, and foster a community. Industry professionals
and consumers came together for the ultimate night of
networking and learning at the Hub SoMa in the San
Francisco Chronicle building. Participants learned first-
hand about the intricacies, complexities and opportunities
in ethical fashion, from fair trade apparel production in
Peru to refashioning hospital scrubs into stunning couture
gowns. Every detail aligned with the values of ethical
fashion. Sponsors generously provided organic, local and
fair trade food and beverages, including VeeV Vodka,
Alter Eco Chocolate, Mate Veza Beer, Adina Beverages,
FairHills Wine, and Stacy Scott Catering,
Seventeen for-profit ethical fashion companies, non-
profits, and academic institutions networked and
educated participants about how their work positively
impacts the world. Visual media discussed the challenges
and opportunities of ethical fashion, fair trade, social
entrepreneurship, and more. The goal of the night
was twofold: first, to educate people about the many
approaches one could take as a consumer or a producer to
have a positive impact on the world through fashion; and
second, to create a community where these companies
and institutions could work together to create change.
Participants had the opportunity to speak with industry
leaders one-on-one to learn, network and collaborate.
Discussions ranged from the complex, such as how fair
trade supply chains can help thousands of producers
get themselves out of poverty, to a simpler explanation
about how used plastic bottles can become new clothing.
Attendees had the opportunity to handle environmentally
responsible fabrics and learn about the detrimental impact
many conventional textiles have on the environment. A
few participants included Indigenous Designs, Escama
Studio, PACT, Vagadu, Stuart+Brown, VIE PR, Eco
Citizen Boutique, Medium Reality, Teens Turning Green,
Blank Verse Jewelry, The San Francisco Academy of Art,
California College of the Arts and San Francisco State
University. Participants left with a greater understanding
regarding the impact of their fashion choices on the
planet. Professionals left with increased understanding of
the opportunities available to improve industry practices
with the knowledge that the support network was in place
to follow through and implement those
changes.
The location in San Francisco was ideal.
San Francisco is a recognized hub for the
Green movement, social initiatives, and
socially and environmentally responsible
design. The problem facing San Francisco
is that there is no support network for the
ethical fashion community and no united
movement. There is very little opportunity
for different actors to network, collaborate,
share best practices, and work together to
have significant impact on improving the
global apparel industry. At the First Bay
Area Ethical Fashion Night, we achieved
just that, by bringing key designers and
The First Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night. April 4, 2010

producers together to meet and collaborate. We
created the opportunity for leaders to meet on
a large scale and, as a result, new partnerships
formed.
GATF is particularly passionate about empowering
students who are the future of the fashion industry.
It was our goal that students would not only learn
at our event but also feel ownership of it. University
of the Pacific researched and created a display on
Social Entrepreneurship and Fashion. San Francisco
State University created an interactive map for
participants to learn about what part of the world
their clothing came from. California College of the
Arts and San Francisco Academy of Art featured
innovative designs and educational tools created by
fashion design students.
The overwhelming success of this endeavor
established GATF as a leader in the community.
Four hundred participants left engaged, inspired,
and empowered to take action in making the world a
better place through fashion.

Global Action Through Fashion reminds the world that
they indeed can reuse, repurpose, up-cycle and recycle.
That is something you are unlikely to hear from a for-
profit company interested in their bottom line. According
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 2.5
billion pounds of postconsumer textile waste in the U.S.
represents 10 pounds for every person, most of which
goes into landfills. The idea that dressing ethically is not
only about conscientious buying but also about combining
waste and creativity to make new things served as the
inspiration for our second project on June 24, 2010.
Everyone owns t-shirts, usually many. They are staple
items, worn as undergarments, given as gifts at events, and
used to convey messages ranging from what musicians
one likes to messages advocating ethical fashion choices.
The social-environmental statistics on t-shirts alone are
shocking. It takes about a third of a pound of pesticides
and fertilizers and up to 10,000 liters of water to produce
just the cotton to manufacture a single t-shirt. This is not
even taking into account the chemicals and water poured
into the dyeing and finishing process, the carbon footprint
of shipping that garment around the world, the human
labor required to sew it together, and the impact of all
those chemicals on the people along the production line.
An overwhelming 1.2 million brand new t-shirts sell every
day in the U.S. alone.
At Reconstruct, Reincarnate and Re-cool your T-Shirt,
a team of tailors and printers helped participants up-
cycle their old t-shirts into something exciting and new.
Participants who had never before used a needle and
thread learned to turn old t-shirts into new shirts, scarves,
dresses, hats and more. Participants cut fabric, wove fabric,
embellished, and silkscreened “Global Action Through
Fashion” onto t-shirts along with the GATF logo and an
image of the globe as a heart, making old clothes into
something new.
This workshop was much more than a fun evening of arts
and crafts. It addressed some of the solutions to the larger
fashion threats facing our world. It taught participants to
use less for more. Instead of disposing of an old garment,
participants learned to make something new with it.
This keeps old garments out of the landfill and makes
something new without using more resources. Through
the reconstruction process, participants learned how to
sew, enabling them to repair, alter, and prolong the lives
of many more garments to come, saving thousands
of gallons of water, and reducing the use of harmful
chemicals.
Along with cutting, sewing, and refashioning, ethical
fashion designers Joui Turandot of Vagadu and Dustin
Page of Platinum Dirt spoke, educating and inspiring
participants. They are leading Bay Area ethical fashion
Reconstruct, Reincarnate,
and Re-cool your T-Shirt with GATF. June 24, 2010

designers who create their lines out of
postconsumer waste and discarded fashion.
Turandot refashions fabric scrap and old clothes
to create couture garments of the highest
quality for both men and women including
vests, shirts, and dresses. Page creates his line
of high-end leather jackets from salvaged
leather from the car seats of luxury vehicles he
buys at the junkyard.
Both designers prove that used materials, which
many consider waste, can indeed be made into
high-end new products that are competitive
with any conventional luxury product.
Participants networked and met designers,
producers, industry professionals, and
academics working in the ethical fashion arena.
Once again, this GATF event left consumers
and industry leaders empowered to have a
positive impact on the world through fashion.
“Amid sewing machines,
cutting tables and silk screens, the hipster fashion crowd is enthusiastically ripping,
braiding, printing and appliqueing their t-shirts into new looks. Stopping only to
dance a little and flirt (a lot) they listen to speeches from designers from sustainable
lines Vagadu and Platinum Dirt, who encourage and inspire the fervor with details
of the reconstruction techniques they utilize in their designs. Maybe it was the
Veev, but in that moment I wondered if I’d been transported to a marvelous green
utopia from the future. And it was a brief shining spot that won’t be forgotten by
any of us that attended.
” – Rowena Ritchie, Eco Salon

The Future of Cotton Farm Tour. November 4, 2010

Conventional cotton cultivation uses large amounts of toxic chemicals and wastes massive
quantities of water. It is vital that we find alternative methods to grow cotton — one of
the world’s most popular fibers — which are not harmful to the environment. This project
supports that future by providing an educational tour of sustainable cotton farms in
California’s central valley. Hosted by GATF, GAP Inc and the Sustainable Cotton Project
(SCP), participants experienced grass roots sustainable cotton growing. The tour included
industry professional speakers, university professors, and discussion facilitators who
introduced participants to the growing and critical field of sustainable fabrics.

Current consumption of cotton is higher than ever
before, with annual demand over 25 million tons. Ten
percent of all chemical pesticides and 22 percent of all
insecticides go into growing cotton. The World Health
Organization estimates at least 20,000 farmers die each
year from agricultural pesticides. Developing countries
withstand the worst of pesticide’s evils, making up 25
percent of the world’s pesticide use and experiencing
99 percent of pesticide-related deaths. Cotton is
responsible for the release of at least $2 billion dollars
of chemical pesticide spraying each year, at least $819
million of which is classified as mortally hazardous by
the World Health Organization. In India, home to over
one third of the world’s cotton farmers, cotton accounts
for 54 percent of all pesticides used annually despite
occupying just five percent of land under crops. This is an
enormous problem. With organic products and practices,
less chemicals, and improved watering systems, a solution
is in sight.
On the Sustainable Cotton Farm tour, participants
visited farms, cotton growers, ginning facilities, watched
cotton harvesting, and heard local doctors speak
about health issues related to cotton growing and
pesticides. The two full buses of participants ranged in
backgrounds. There were small-scale fashion designers,
representatives of large clothing manufacturers like
Banana Republic, representatives of interior goods
companies like Restoration Hardware, fashion students
from California College of the Arts and San Francisco
State, government officials from the USDA, journalists,
fabric suppliers and more.
This tour is a powerful way to educate and advocate
to large apparel companies to switch to better cotton.
These tours have informed large companies which now
use better farming practices and serve as a great tool
for educating employees and management about the
importance of reducing water and chemical use in cotton
cultivation and the fashion industry.
COTTON is responsible for the release of at least two
billion dollars worth of chemical pesticide spraying each year.

Throughout the course of this first year, the online
presence of Global Action Through Fashion has
expanded immensely. The website now provides the
most comprehensive critical resources available for
producers and consumers, as well as blogs and reporting
on the news in ethical fashion. A team of professionals,
academics, and writers meticulously update the site, the
blogs, and news articles regularly.
The fashion industry is not evil. We believe fashion
retailers, large apparel companies, producers, and
consumers do want to have a positive impact on the
world through fashion but, most of the time, lack the
technical know-how. Complicating matters further,
ethical fashion is not a black and white field. The many
sources of available information are often conflicting and
difficult to filter and understand.
There is no single other resource available that helps
consumers, fashion retailers, and manufacturers make
educated decisions about fashion. For example, what is
the best fiber with which to produce a line of t-shirts?
What certifications are available for fair trade supply
chains stretching from India to the US? What companies
produce ethical blue jeans? GATF’s online resource is
the solution.
Resources for producers include information about
how to reduce their impact on the environment and
be fair to people working along the entire production
supply chain. The resources include information about
fiber production to spinning, weaving, dyeing, cutting,
sewing, finishing, shipping and more. This detailed
resource outlines the definition of ethical fashion,
information about textiles, a guide for all types of social
and environmental certifications, resources for sourcing
ethically, and links to other great organizations and
companies in the field.
Resources for consumers include educational articles
about the issues and a guide on how to be an ethical
consumer. Many consumers are overwhelmed by what
they read about sweatshops and are largely unaware
of the environmental impact fashion has on the earth
and workers. The website lays it out for them in an
understandable way and provides consumers with the
information they need to dig deeper and learn more.
Also provided is a guide for how consumers can make
a positive impact through fashion. This resource covers
how to care for your garments (2/3 of the environmental
impact of a piece of clothing happens after you buy it!),
how to recycle and reconstruct used clothing, and ethical
decision-making for shoppers.
The news and blog sections cover issues ranging from
the real impact of fur and faux fur on animals and the
environment to recent apparel labor riots in Bangladesh
and related government policies. Also included is the
Week in Review that eloquently sums up the top news
each week to keep everyone current with the global
fashion industry. A team of industry professionals and
academics maintains the news section. The online
resource guide addresses one of the biggest obstacles
facing consumers and producers: the lack of information
and education. This guide provides visitors the
opportunity to be educated and empowered to make
choices that will positively impact the world.
Online Resource and News Source (the Website)
Co-Founder Grant Ennis working with ethical denim jeans
producers in Nairobi, Kenya.

In order to foster a local community
of ethical fashion producers, Global
Action Through Fashion co-founded
the 25th Street Collective, an Ethical
Fashion and Sustainable Business
Incubator in downtown Oakland.
Many of the greatest innovations
in sustainable design come from
small independent designers and
recent fashion graduates that have
the freedom to risk, to test and to
play beyond the limits of the current
market. Unfortunately, it is difficult
to establish a small design business
and it is even harder to sustain one.
GATF has teamed up with Hiroko
Hurikara Designs to establish a
collective studio space and storefront
for small sustainable businesses in
the Bay Area. This collective will be
a center for ethical fashion design
and production, and will provide
employment opportunities to many
throughout the SF Bay Area.
The large, well-lit warehouse space
will provide the tools and workspace
designers need to support their own
sustainable businesses. Part of the
space will be a shared commons,
including a conference room, a
collective sewing space equipped
with cutting tables and industrial
sewing equipment, a storefront,
access to marketing and business
services, and a collective set of people
with shareable skills and knowledge.
The first Friday of every month, the
sewing collective will open its doors
for the Oakland Art Murmur where
thousands of social activists and
artists venture through the spaces
while providing collective members
an opportunity to share their work.
Rental space will be available for
private workshops in 5x10’, 10x10’, and
20x10’ studios. This space will house
small sustainable fashion designers
like B Spoke Tailor and Platinum
Dirt. The collective will also provide
non-profit office space in addition to
GATF’s office.
The mobile walls of the space will
permit a spacious open area for large
workshops and events. GATF will
host workshops at the 25th Street
Collective on a regular basis, ranging
from ethical fashion reconstruction,
to environmentally friendly dyeing,
methods of evaluating fair trade
supply chains and much more. The
grand public opening of the space is
scheduled for April 2011. It is our goal
to empower small fashion designers
to have greater impact and create a
replicable model for ethical innovation
and collaboration.
The 25th Street Collective.
October 5, 2010

The future of the fashion industry is currently in the
classroom, in fashion design and merchandising programs
around the world. It is vital that students are empowered
and provided with the tools they need to integrate
sustainability into their studies and future work. In an ideal
2020, ethical fashion will not be a separate class, but it
will be an integrative part of every class and everyone’s
life. GATF promotes the innovative designs of students
developing the field of ethical fashion. The future of
ethical fashion is dependent upon sustainability as an
integrated part of fashion. In order for this to be the case,
it must begin while future fashion designers and industry
are in the classroom. GATF works to empower and
educate fashion’s future leaders by working with university
students and academic institutions. GATF energizes
students through presentations and lectures on Ethical
Fashion, and assists faculty to create integrated curriculum
on ethical fashion. GATF also provides students with
volunteer and internship opportunities. GATF provides
internships to students and recent graduates, giving
them professional experience and knowledge in the
field. Interns take ownership of specific projects and give
significant creative input.
In 2010, GATF presented at the following Universities:
(i) University of the Pacific, (ii) San Francisco State
University’s (SFSU) Apparel Design Merchandising
program and its Graduate Business program, and (iii)
California College of the Arts (CCA). GATF founders
served as judges in the California College of the Arts
sustainability critique for fashion students’ designs.
GATF collaborated with the University of the Pacific
Integrated Development Program to create the ethical
fashion company database. Pacific students researched
social entrepreneurship in the fashion industry and helped
hands-on at the First Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night.
In the process, they learned about how fashion can be a
social entrepreneurial industry and related it back to their
studies. SFSU students created an interactive educational
display at GATF’s First Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night
that educated and engaged participants about clothing
production around the world. CCA and San Francisco
Academy of Art University students also presented their
sustainable design innovations to participants at the First
Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night.
University Collaboration
GATFworksto
empowerandeducate
fashion’sfutureleadersby
workingwithuniversitystudents
andacademicinstitutions.
Global Action Through Fashion ❚ Annual Report 2010 17Global Action Through Fashion ❚ Annual Report 2010 17

The GATF team lectures on ethical fashion and the role of fashion in making
the world a better place. Along with the multiple university lectures, GATF has
participated in lecture series and conferences including the Net Impact Lecture series
and the Start’s With You (SWU) conference in Sao Paolo Brazil.
GATF is an active participant in the Net Impact lecture series. On May 13th, 2010,
GATF founders Domenica Peterson and Grant Ennis joined Heather Franzese
of Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair USA) and Meghan Connolly Haupt of C5
Jewelry Company for a panel discussion titled “Ethical Supply Chains in Luxury
Goods: Exciting, Green and Fabulous“ in San Francisco. The four speakers discussed
sustainable supply chain complexities and the challenges of starting ethical fashion
companies. Participants included apparel industry professionals as well as professionals
from all industries interested in sustainability.
GATF presented at the Starts With You Global Sustainability Symposium in Sao
Paolo Brazil the weekend of October 9-11, 2010. At SWU, GATF connected with
other specialists, thinkers, politicians, businesspeople and representatives of NGOs to
discuss the main themes of sustainability that affect the world in the 21st century. This
Concert-Symposium featured 60 high profile bands including Dave Matthews Band,
Incubus, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, Os Mutantes, Pixies, Rage Against the Machine,
Regina Spektor and many more.
Lecture Series and Conferences

Workshops are essential to creating permanent consumer
habits. They teach best practices and show how
individuals can take action in their own lives. Workshops
provide people with the skills and knowledge they need
to have a positive impact individually and collectively. In
2010, GATF conducted two ethical fashion workshops in
addition to our large t-shirt reconstruction event. These
included an ethical fashion jewelry-making course and an
ethical fashion workshop for kids.
At the “How to Make it Eco” ethical jewelry making class,
GATF collaborated with Do Good Lab to show how
global change can be made through local eco fashion.
Co-founder Domenica Peterson managed a recycled
jewelry-making workshop on June 26 with proceeds
donated to the kids of the Kenyan non-profit Champions
in order to purchase a school building in Nairobi, Kenya.
Champions works in Mathare, the oldest slum in Nairobi,
second largest in Kenya, and with a population of
700,000 and growing. Thirty participants created jewelry
out of waste, including old electronic waste, yogurt
containers, and old jewelry pieces. The event took place
at Press Club in downtown San Francisco.
On November 20, Domenica Peterson taught a
class for young girls aged 10-14 on Ethical Fashion in
San Francisco. The class began early in the day with
a presentation, videos and a question and answer
session about what ethical fashion means, what the
fashion industry is like, and how to be an ethical fashion
consumer. The second part of the day consisted of a trip
to purchase environmentally friendly fabric and a sewing
class in which the girls realized designs they had prepared
and illustrated ahead of time. The purpose of the course
was to empower people to integrate sustainability into
their fashion consumption habits from a young age while
providing them with skills to make their own creations
and enabling them to refashion and repair used clothes,
extending their life and keeping them out of landfills.
Workshops

GATF plans to go beyond what we have accomplished
in our first year. We will continue to host educational
lectures and workshops. We are also in discussion with
large apparel companies to provide fellowships for recent
college graduates to develop innovation in sustainable
design that is applicable to large supply chains and
retailers.
International Ethical Fashion Conference
This first ever ethical fashion conference in alliance
with San Francisco State University and California
College of the Arts will bring together all of the key
local and international actors in ethical fashion. It will be
a participant-led conference with plenary and breakout
sessions with participant speakers. As an outcome of this
conference, GATF is drafting an Ethical Fashion State of
the Industry Report. This document will work to unite the
ethical fashion community through shared, documented,
best practices and increase in the impact of ethical fashion
on society and the environment worldwide.
Ethical Fashion State of the Industry Report
This comprehensive document aims to unite the ethical
fashion community through sharing documented best
practices, increasing the impact of ethical fashion on
society and the environment worldwide. It will thoroughly
outline the social and environmental challenges and
opportunities of the fashion industry exhaustively in a
format easily accessible to consumers, while staying useful
to producers and designers.
As a non-profit in a field of for-profit social enterprise
fashion companies, we are the likely and ideal candidate
to produce this report. Maintaining an objective stance on
the issues, we have the knowledge, staff, and expertise to
make these documents and others like it centerpieces for
the growing field of ethical fashion.
Ethical Fashion Documentary Film,
for Release in 2012
The medium of film enables GATF to educate the largest
audience possible in order to change perceptions about
fashion and consumerism. This documentary will positively
inspire and empower the fashion industry, consumers, and
hopefully governments to take action through fashion
and consumerism. This is a culture of fast fashion, where
clothing is readily available as something that is cheap,
trendy, and disposable.
In October 2010, GATF began filming with
cinematographer Mark Leibowitz at London and Milan
fashion weeks. The film will not only be delightful and
exciting for all people to watch, but it will also highlight the
realities of the global fashion industry and inspire action to
make the world a better place.
The framework of the picture is a provocative series of five
questions each triggering a chapter of the tale we have
to tell. The answers often turn surprisingly serious with
personal stories that resonate clearly with the audience.
To get a wide range of responses, open ended questions
are asked to a broad array of people – from celebrities and
top models to men and women on the streets around the
world; from workers in garment centers to the CEOs of
major corporations. We will ask the rock star, the roadie,
and the girl who treasures the T-shirt from the ‘89 Steel
Wheels tour. We will ask not just the young women passing
the velvet rope at a trendy club, but also the club’s ladies’
room attendant and the valet in the parking lot. The Keith
Richards, The Prince Charles, The Lady Gaga, and The
Oscar de la Renta or personalities of their standing will all
be featured. The method is to find clues that take us deeper
into the mystery of what we wear and why, and what that
says about our future. Will we accept responsibility for the
true costs of our clothing choices? Does it really matter if
FutureGoalsfor Global
ActionThroughFashion

the clothes we put on our bodies are made with respect for
the people who produced them and the environment that
protects us all?
This documentary film is an international exploration of
how the practice of fashion, on an every-day level, from
the most public to the most personal, affects the globe’s
people and its environment. This film speaks to how we
see ourselves, how we want to be seen, and what we
most desire. The film empowers the audience, making
vital connections between what we wear and how fabrics,
trims, and clothes are produced. It aims to reveal how each
purchase we make affects the lives of others. The film
becomes a call to action, portraying the hidden costs of
bargain goods and investigating the global supply chain
that can lead from exploitation to elegance. It also shows
how fresh choices and expanded awareness can result in
permanent and substantial impact. Through the lens of
fashion, the consumer economy can change for the better
of the environment, and humanity.
Presentations and Lectures at international
conferences and Lecture Series
• San Francisco EcoTuesday
• SF Fashion and Merchants Alliance
• Many more
Video Series and YouTube Channel
GATF will upload videos on our YouTube channel about
ethical fashion. These will include interviews with those
working in the ethical fashion industry, spotlights on
leaders, and latest news on innovation in the field.
How-To Guides
On our website, GATF will provide “How To” manuals on
ethical fashion. Experts will write manuals on the topic.
Blog, Twitter, and Facebook
Our team will actively update our blog, Facebook, and
twitter to keep the public in the loop. In 2011, we want to
create a community of 5,000 advocates on Facebook
interacting with us and telling their story. We will
encourage people to come on our Facebook and post a
question/comment so the rest of the community and or
GATF can post answers.
Technical Assistance
Global Action Through Fashion provides technical
assistance that the fashion industry can rely on for high-
quality information services for improving labor and
environmental practices.
Stills from the Ethical Fashion Documentary Film in London, Milan, and Paris

THE REALITY of the fashion industry is that many
individual producers in the developing world work long hours under
strenuous conditions for pennies on the dollar, far less than a living wage.

Domenica Peterson, Chief Visionary Officer
and Co-founder
Domenica’s professional career has focused on using
fashion as a tool to solve global problems and she has
worked with industry leaders in Fair Trade Fashion.
She has led social entrepreneurship organizations,
coordinated international aid projects and worked for
the U.S. based Fair Trade pioneer TransFairUSA on the
first certification standard for Fair Trade apparel and
textiles in the US. She worked in London doing public
relations for the Fair Trade Fashion label PeopleTree and
in Brussels sewing for the couture fashion label NATAN.
In addition to GATF, Domenica serves on the SF Global
Green Committee and is a contributing writer for Coco
Eco Magazine.
Grant Ennis, Chief Operating Officer
and Co-founder
Grant has over 5 years experience working with
international nonprofits both in the field and in the U.S.
He has a background in youth livelihood development
and microfinance and sees ethical fashion as the ideal
framework for promoting supply chain consciousness
among consumers.
Laura Russell, Research Associate,
and UK Representative
Currently working for a large UK apparel company,
Laura’s interest in ethical fashion developed during
her study at Nottingham Trent University, England
in B.A. Fashion and Textile Management. She met
Domenica at People Tree and from there became
involved with GATF. Laura’s university thesis explored
how mainstream fashion companies in particular could
adopt fair trade fashion. Laura enjoys dressmaking and
constructing items from recycled materials.
Melissa Hook, Research Associate
Melissa joined Global Action Through Fashion to
learn and provide insight on textiles and environmental
business consulting. Melissa has worked in the fashion
industry as a fashion consultant. She loves to sew
and produce designs made of recycled or discarded
materials. Melissa graduated fron SF State with Fashion
merchandising major and Marketing minor with an
emphasis in Environmental Studies.
Kestrel Jenkins, PR and Research Associate
Whether the driving force was language or fashion,
Kestrel’s interest in global issues has led her around the
world. She worked as a journalist with El Diario Austral
in Chile, did PR for People Tree in London and taught
English to elementary students in Madrid, Spain. She
found all of her interests collide in Fair Trade Fashion,
where her energy and spirit inspire a thirst to understand
more and more about the field. She has a B.A. from
Hamline University in Global Studies, International
Journalism, and Spanish. Her blog Make Fashion Fair is
fantastic. She currently works in NYC at inhabitat.com.
Jo Gruszka, Marketing, and Research Associate
Jo’s passion for fashion and desire to impact the world
through her work drew her to Global Action Through
Fashion. She also works for local SF Bay Area designer
Babette and in her free time creates collages of others’
stories. Jo graduated with a BS degree in Apparel
Design and Merchandising with a minor in Marketing
from SF State.
Adele Reeves, Graphic Designer
Adele is passionate about art and Japanese culture. A recent
graduate of Ohio State University with a major in Japanese
language and a fine art minor, Adele works as GATFs
Graphic Designer. She is also an amazing seamstress and
plays a key role in assisting at our events.
Team

Under the inspired leadership of Board Chair Connie
Ulasewicz, the five-member professional Advisory Board
is truly a force to be reckoned with. Our board members
provide time, talent and treasure to GATF’s program and
operations.
The uniqueness of this board, whose experience ranges
from academia to business to international development
to fashion design and beyond, sets us apart and provides
us with invaluable guidance and feedback. Board
members also provide resource networking and funding
opportunities.
Connie Ulasewicz, San Francisco State University
(Board Chair)
Connie Ulasewicz is an Associate Professor at San
Francisco State University in Apparel Design and
Merchandising. Her research interests include social
entrepreneurship, community engaged scholarship and
extending the lifecycle of sewn products. She is also co-
author of the 2008 book Sustainable Fashion Why Now,
and speaks at conferences and trade shows to spread
the word. Connie has over 25 years of garment industry
experience managing production, merchandising, and
sales. She is a founding member of ESRAB, Educators for
Social Responsibility in Apparel, and people Wear SF, a
Bay Area non-profit sewn product industry association.
Dr. Ulasewicz earned her BS in Education/ Clothing and
Textiles at Syracuse University, her MS in Historic Textiles
at the University of Maryland, and her PhD in Human
Development at Fielding Graduate University.
Morten Simonsen, Entrepreneur
Morten Simonsen earned his MSc in Trondheim, Norway
before completing his MBA from Denver University in
1982. After working in the shipping business in Norway
and USA for 25 years, he moved to the SF Bay area in
2006. Morten now works with several start-up companies
in the area and invested recently in the all-organic
restaurant Gather Restaurant in downtown Berkeley.
He is also involved in a project in Nicaragua helping the
rural poor. Through his network and business experience,
Morten hopes to add support to the business perspective
of Global Action Through Fashion.
Tierra Del Forte, Fair Trade USA
Tierra Del Forte is Senior Manager of Business
Development, Apparel, and Textiles at Fair Trade USA
and brings over a decade of apparel industry experience
to our board. Tierra spent the early years of her career in
New York, working for the denim brands Mudd Jeans and
Younique Clothing. During this time, Tierra developed
an awareness of the destructive impact that the apparel
industry has on the environment and the people who make
the clothes. This awareness motivated her to launch Del
Forte Denim Inc. — a line of premium denim made from
100% certified organic cotton and produced under ethical
conditions in the USA. In 2009, Tierra joined Fair Trade
USA to help launch the Fair Trade Certified™ Apparel and
Linens pilot program.
Antony Waller, People Tree
Anthony started at Paul Smith, and has since worked at
D&G, the Ben Sherman account and is currently Head
of Press at the London office of People Tree. Antony
knows how to make ethical fashion mainstream, successful,
in turn improve the lives of producers, and protect the
environment. Antony earned his Fashion PR degree from
London College of Fashion and brings over 10 years
experience of high fashion, high street fashion, and ethical
fashion.
Lynda Grose, Designer, Consultant, and Educator,
California College of the Arts
Lynda Grose has been working on sustainability in fashion
for 20 years. She cofounded ESPRIT’s e-collection line,
launched in 1992. This line was the first ecologically
responsible clothing line marketed internationally by a
major corporation. As a practicing designer, consultant,
and educator, Lynda now works in a range of capacities
from advising farmers and artisans, to private companies
and NGO’s.
Lynda has been teaching sustainability in fashion for ten
years. She developed the groundbreaking curricula for
Fashion Design Sustainability at California College of the
Arts (CCA) and currently serves as Assistant Professor in
CCA’s fashion design program.
Lynda’s is a contributing author to Sustainable Textiles,
Advisory Board

In 2010, year one, $19,570.85 was raised.
Global Action Through Fashion Spending Amount %
Programs/ Projects $9,314 48%
Administrative Costs, Utilities, Internet,
Website Costs, Meetings, Rent
$771 4%
Transportation $1,206 6%
Legal & IRS Fees $875 4%
Payroll $4,250 22%
Rent for Office + Ethical Fashion Incubator
Project
$2,850 15%
Total $19,571 100%
FINANCEs
48% went directly into programs.
22% or $4,250 went to payroll, an insignificant number
given the amount of work accomplished. As one
can see, little or no remuneration was paid to the
staff for their work this year.
15% went towards office rent.
6% or $1,206 was spent on transportation over the
course of the year. This includes the metro, the
bus, and gasoline for the various vehicles used
to transport materials, move offices, and get to
meetings.
4% went to the IRS or legal costs.
4% went towards administrative costs.
48%
22%
15%
6%
4%
4%
Woodhouse Publishing and is currently co-authoring the book Fashion Sustainability Incubator, with Laurence King
Publishers. A frequent speaker at trade conferences, colleges and museums internationally, Lynda was identified by
London’s Financial Times as one of their ‘green power brokers’. She is most passionate about embracing sustainability as
the core of innovation and the potential of design to bring form to a sustainable society.

Become a member of our advisory board and join an
exceptional group of people in enabling our work to scale!
• Connect us with the fashion community
• Connect us with the philanthropic donor community
• Connect us with the international development
community and more
Volunteer
• Become a full-time writer for GATF working our
publications, research, news or blogs
• Become an on-call program volunteer for our 1-3 day
conferences and workshops
Sponsor Global Action Through Fashion
GATF is the leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
providing educational and informational assistance to
fashion consumers, manufacturers, and companies in the
United States, but we do not work alone. As a non-profit
organization, we rely on the partnership of a visionary
community of donors who give to support the growth
of ethical fashion. Millions of people — from garment
workers in the developing world to local US industry —
will share the benefits. As an official 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization, donations to GATF are tax deductible. Here
are some of the ways you can give to the future of Ethical
Fashion:
Become an Annual Sponsor
• $25,000 and up - Platinum Sponsors
• $10,000 and up - Gold Sponsors
• $5,000 and up - Silver Sponsors
• $1,000 and up - Bronze Sponsors
• $100 and up - Friend Sponsors
To learn more about sponsorship benefits visit our website
at www.globalactionthroughfashion.org.
Become a Project Sponsor
• $100,000 - Help us grow this year. This number includes
all of the operating costs for our organization for one
year.
• $10,000 - Bring the industry together in the same room
for the first time and take action to create a unified
movement to make the fashion industry better. This
money will go toward our international conference,
aimed for Fall 2011.
• $5,000 - Support the Bay Area’s largest and most fun
Ethical Fashion experience. Be the sponsor of our 2011
Bay Area Ethical Fashion Night.
• $4,000 - Sponsor a space for us to do our work and host
workshops and lectures.
2011With the support of donors like you, we hope to fundraise
over $100,000 more in 2011 in order expand our programs,
pay program associates, directors, and positively impact the
environment and the lives of workers around the world on a
greater scale. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations
to GATF are tax deductible.
Become a partner of Global Action Through Fashion.

25th Street Collective
Academy of Art University
Adina Energy Beverages
Adria Peterson
Aida Peterson
Alex Simonsen
Alter Eco
Andrea Cesar
Blank Verse Jewelry
Bonnie Greenberg
Bonnie Loyd
Branch
California College of the Arts
Caitlin Bristol
Caroline Fantozzi
Casey Mixter
Catarina Bronstein
Catherine Markman
Celestyna Brozek
Charles Raub
Christina Espinosa
Christine Hilberg
Christy Gerhart
Coco Eco Magazine
Cordes Foundation
David and Susan Fetcho
Debbie Berryhill
Diane Lerman
Dorothy Compeau
Earthsite
Eco Citizen
Eco Salon
Ecofabulous
Escama Studio
Fairhills Wine
Fair Trade USA
Friends of Hue Foundation
Global Center for Social Entrepre-
neurship
Geraldine Rushton
Gitika Mohta
Green by Design
Hub Bay Area
Hunter Tanaous
Indigenous Designs
James Pollard
James Toney III
Janet Labberton
Jean-Marie Stratigos
Jeffrey Perlstein
Jennifer Biringer
Jerry Hildebrand
Jessica Welborn
John Ruszel
Josh Friedman
Joy Mackay
Kathryn Tanis
Kirk E. Peterson & Associates
Kirk Cruikshank
Kudra Kalema
Lane Becker
Laura Lambrecht
Lessa Manotti
Linda Loudermilk
Love Culture
Mannequin Madness
Marco vangelisti
Mark Leibowitz Pictures
Mate Veza
Medium Reality
Melissa Pongtratic
Meredith Willa
Michael Barlow
Michele Gates and Fashionbla Fun
Michelle Forshner
Najia Khan
Naomi Feger
Neil Goetz
Net Impact
Nila Salinas
Oak and Co
PACT Underwear
Peery Foundation
Peter Labberton
Platinum Dirt
Rainforest Eco
Raphael Peterson
Raub Foundation
Rex Righetti
Rickshaw Bagworks
Robert Reynolds
Rowena Ritchie
Ruth Vitale
San Francisco State University
Sallumeh Torabian
Schauleh Sahba
SF Indie Fashion
Sherry Koyama
Spencer Ton
Sarah Guldenbrein & House
Stacy Scott Catering
Stewart + Brown
Stockton 2020
Stu Newton
SWU (Starts With You)
Tatyana Dorokhova
Teens Turning Green
TempleBar
The Designer Lab
The Hub SoMa
The Ki
The UpToYouToo Foundation
Tony Glorioso and Brand 46
University of the Pacific
Vagadu
VeeV
Vie PR and Showrooms
Vishaka Henrietta
Whitney Ferris
William Reeves
GATF Partners, Allies,
and Collaborators
We are extremely grateful to the following donors, advisors, staff members, and
volunteers who helped us accomplish so much this year:
2010ANNUALREPORT

donate and GET INvolved!
as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, donations to
global action through fashion are tax deductible.
(510) 693-5453
www.globalactionthroughfashion.org
make checks out to:
global action through fashion
5253 college ave
oakland, ca
94618

GATF Annual Report 2010 SMALL

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