Rivet 50- Reformation, Founder and CEO, Yael Aflalo
Overview
Yael Aflalo, founder and CEO of Reformation, knows the secret to selling ‘sustainable’ in a fashionable way.
Deep Dive
With a tagline that reads, “Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We’re #2,” it’s clear Reformation has spunk and the brains behind the eco-friendly clothing brand has given it that personality.
Yael Aflalo, founder and CEO of Reformation, started out running her first brand Ya-Ya, named for her own nickname, before a closer look at the inner workings of a dirty fashion industry brought her to the sustainable brand she now operates.
Aflalo launched Reformation in 2009 with a small team repurposing vintage dresses. Since then, the now vertically integrated direct-to-consumer brand that makes everything from dresses to denim, has scaled up quickly, garnered a loyal fan base that includes the likes of Rihanna and Taylor Swift, and raised $25 million in funding in 2017 to drive its brick-and-mortar growth.
Today, Reformation says it makes clothing for a consumer based on “what we really want to wear right now.” A fact evidenced by a scroll through Aflalo’s Instagram feed, where she can be seen donning duds from the brand.
“Reformation’s design mission is to make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure,” the company notes on its website. “We source the most beautiful and sustainable fabrics possible to bring those designs to life quickly.”
The company makes its products out of sustainable fabrics, deadstock and vintage materials. When it comes to denim, the blues get a dose of the sustainable stuff, too.
“Not only are Ref Jeans super sustainable, they also make your butt look really good,” the company notes on its website.
It’s Serena High Skinny Jean, for one, is made from surplus fabric containing Tencel, which Reformation calls “the holy grail of fibers for fabrics,” for cotton-like properties but renewable wood material makeup.
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