In honor of the beginning of New York Fashion Week, we’re thrilled to share our newest series spotlighting the men and women making sustainable fashion stylish, sexy and accessible.
Being smart and stylish can get you far; but being an innovator takes you all the way. Yael Aflalo, founder of Reformation, has managed to mix all three of these key elements and given birth to a brand that’s fashionable, responsible and – simply put – unstoppable.
Ask your local ‘it’ girl and they’ll tell you all about it: Reformation repurposes vintage clothes to make chic, limited edition designs with sustainability built into every element (even their stores are eco-friendly), effectively breaking stigmas, one flowy floral wrap-dress at a time.
We talked to Yael about what’s inspiring her currently and learned a few ways to bring our sustainable closet aspirations into reality…
Currently wearing…
Reformation’s Carina Dress in Honolulu. Whether paired with a pair of white Converse or strappy espadrilles at night, it is the perfect summer style.
My style in three words:
Easy, feminine, sustainable.
Best tips for shopping sustainably:
There’s nothing more sustainable than buying vintage. When shopping, always read labels and stick to materials such a Tencel, linen, alpaca wool and recycled fibers. When you’re over your clothes, donate or recycle instead of throwing them out.
Recent inspirations:
I’m inspired by street style as well as vintage icons like Jane Birkin, but we don’t design collections with just one muse in mind. We love seeing women with different styles and shapes in our clothes, and that diversity continues to grow with the brand.
My style icons:
Giovanna Battaglia and Bianca Jagger.
Go-to uniform/signature look:
A Reformation dress and a great pair of shoes or vintage jeans; a Reformation tee and a leather jacket.
Fave natural/eco material:
Repurposed vintage pieces, recycled deadstock fabric and sustainable materials like Tencel.
My mission in one sentence…
To lead and inspire a sustainable way to be fashionable. At Reformation, we seek to change the way that people think about fashion by demonstrating that it can be eco-friendly without sacrificing style.
Something in my closet I'll own forever…
A vintage black Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress that I’ve been wearing for a million years and I still feel like a sexy ‘80s lady in it.
Design trend I'm most excited about…
More companies adopting eco practices, and we’re excited to remain a leader in the movement.
Trend I'm excited to see go…
Cotton anything – it’s horrible for the environment.
Most essential accessory (and how to rock it)...
A vintage men’s watch – goes with everything.
Look that will never go out of style…
Chanel’s two-tone slingbacks.
Fave sustainable brands/ designers or resources:
I admire brands like Patagonia that are helping de-stigmatize “eco-fashion” and effecting positive change on the fashion industry and environment. I’ve admired Patagonia for years and had it in my wardrobe ever since I was young. It’s the holy grail, start-it-all sustainable brand that I think a lot of people have a close connection with. They have pioneered some of the most innovative materials and production methods, motivating other companies to do the same. And that’s what I hope to do with Ref.
Current Mantra:
“The path to the CEO’s office should not be through the CFO’s office, and it should not be through the marketing department. It needs to be through engineering and design.” – Elon Musk
