Innovation

Reformation focuses on creating “effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure and pioneer sustainable practices, focusing on people and progress each step of the way.” Reformation’s clothes are also more sustainable that a majority of what is available. Their products are made smarter, better, and for good. They maintain high levels of transparency for all their stakeholders so that they can continue doing good for the people and planet. Reformation prides themselves on their innovations and says that “being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We’re #2.”

Reformation is currently certified Climate Neutral but has a goal to be climate positive by 2025, and Circular by 2030. One way they are attempting to fulfill this goal is by using 100% recycled, regenerative, and renewable fabrics/materials 2025. Not only that but they ensure they are using fabrics and materials that are the best for humans and the environment. To do this they have to consider many factors such as “water impact, energy input, land use, price, greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, eco-toxicity, garment care implications (like microfiber shedding), and availability.” Additionally, they created a material rating system telling them and the consumers how good or bad the materials are to humans and the environment. The rating system is as follows: A - Allstars (“renewable, plant-based, or existing materials that can be remade again and again”), B - better than most (“fiber innovations that are lower impact, or recycled fibers”), C - could be better (“pretty great swaps for commonly used fibers, with room for progress”), D - don’t use unless certified (“we don’t use these unless they meet our standards for things like organic production, animal welfare, wet processing, or traceability”), and E - eww, never (“too environmentally or socially intensive to meet our higher fiber standards”). Reformation will list which materials fall under each rating for customer transparency and to help us make informed decisions. As of their Q3 Report, 63% of their fabrics are better than most and 29% of their fabrics are allstars 7% of their fabrics are don’t use unless certified, and less than 1% of their fabrics are could be better and eww, don’t use.

One of their new styles for the Fall and Winter of this year uses MWoolⓇ and Naia™ Renew. MWoolⓇ by Manteco “contains 70% post-consumer recycled wool… [and] doesn’t need to be dyed again which means less chemical and water use than virgin wool.” Naia™ Renew is “a cellulosic fiber produced from 60% sustainably sourced wood pulp and 40% certified recycled waste materials in a closed-loop process.” This year, they also started Kintra Fibers and Rubi Labs projects to help them find better viscose and polyester alternatives that support their goal of being Climate Positive. In comparison to typical polyester, the use of Kintra Fibers which developed a bio-based and biodegradable polyester could reduce greenhouse gas emissions 95%, water usage by 30%, and energy consumption by 20%. On the other hand, “Rubi Labs uses biochemical processes to turn CO2 from the waste streams of manufacturing facilities into cellulose, which it then uses to make lyocell yarn for textiles, cutting the need for other waste inputs or deforestation.”

Reformation has noticed that landfills have been filled with 40 billion unsold and unworn clothes each year (on top of that millions of clothing are being dumped into landfills in the US each year). In addition to creating high quality clothes they also limit the quantity of the clothes they release weekly to fight this waste problem. Only when consumer demand is high will they then make the piece to be sold again. Going further, Reformation wants to make 100% of their products recyclable (Circular Fashion). What they are attempting to do is use 100% “recycled fibers and renewable materials with clean chemistry and efficient production.” Then they are encouraging their customers to recycle or resell their products, and exercise better garment care to reduce “energy use, toxicity, microplastic pollution, and CO2 emissions”, and increase garment longevity. Finally, to achieve Circular Fashion of their products they need to partner with the right people and “innovate fiber recycling capabilities.”

In the world of fashion many garment workers face terrible work conditions, so Reformation is ensuring their workers don’t not face the same reality. ​​They have a sustainable factory in LA and other around the world that are safe, healthy, and fair working environments, they support and better their partners throughout the supply chain, they partner with the Fair Labor Association, their factories around the world are disclosed and held accountable by Open Supply Hub, and they use a Corrective Action Plan management system to allow their workers and partners to have a voice in the workplace and address issues. Furthermore, FactoryForward is a program they created to help their partners throughout the supply chain be the best for people and the planet. Through this program they improve their water efficiency and people practices, and usage of renewable energy and clean chemistry. Similar to their fabric and material rating system, Reformation has a rating system for their suppliers that informs them to what degree their supplier is authorized for production based on “fair, safe, and healthy working conditions.”

Reformation has many sustainable practices which include tracking their carbon and water footprint of products, offsetting their electricity 100% with wind power suppliers, LED lighting, and Energy Star-rated appliances, recycling, composting organic wastes, donating textile scraps, employing mainly women and people from underrepresented populations, replacing shopping bags with “recycled LPDE bags with a biodegradable polymer” that breaks down in landfills, green building for their retail stores, and product testing to ensure they’re free of hazardous substances.

To make sure they are keeping up with their goal and mission, Reformation releases a quarterly sustainability report. This report highlights their social responsibility, DEI, community engagement and impact, climate action, resource efficiency, low impact garment care, better materials, clean chemistry, traceability, circularity, sustainability reporting and transparency, and packaging innovations efforts.

Inspiration

The idea for Reformation began with Yael Aflalo, its founder. Yael had begun her career as a designer and launched the clothing brand Ya-Ya in 1999. During her involvement in this brand, Yael noticed the wasteful norms of the fashion industry, including over producing look books, to disposing yards of leftover fabric. She also spent time working first-hand with factories abroad and witnessed the destructive impact overseas production has on the environment. It was these moments that helped Yael realize that she needed to do things differently, and create a brand where sustainable fashion didn’t mean compromising style. In 2009, Reformation opened its first clothing store in Los Angeles. At first, they began by retailoring vintage clothing in the back of their store. Soon after, they expanded operations into making their own products, with a mission to bring sustainable fashion to everyone. In 2013, they finally went online, bringing Reformation clothes to people worldwide, and opened America’s first sustainable factory in downtown LA that same year. “I love working for a mission based company,” says Marissa Barberios, one of Reformation's Senior Account Managers. “You can really see that sustainability is at the root of everything that we do at Reformation.” From its inception, infused with the founder’s vision, Reformation’s mission has always been to be a sustainable clothing brand.

Overall impact

Reformation is transforming the fashion world, serving as a prime example of how businesses can be profitable while simultaneously promoting sustainability through implementing solutions such as the company's RefScale. The RefScale helps to track their products' carbon and water footprint and makes the impacts each garment has on the environment more transparent to their customers. Because of this transparency, they hope to make their customers more aware of fashion's environmental impacts and promote making more sustainable purchases.

Being able to track their emissions of greenhouse gasses is vital because the mass production of cotton, leather, and other raw materials grown in industrial farms creates giant energy footprints, polluting our atmosphere and ultimately leading to climate change. This impact is even worse when considering the production of polyester, nylon, and other petroleum-based fabrics that emit harmful volatile organic compounds such as nitrous oxide, which is almost 300x more potent than CO2. The RefScale also tracks the company's use of water because manufacturing textiles is very water intensive and is required throughout the process, from cultivating the crops and extracting/cleaning the fibers to spinning yarn and turning it into textiles. Reformation has also partnered with programs such as the non-profit Change Climate, to measure their carbon emissions and offset 100% of the water used and CO2 emitted from production by replacing some of these resources.

Aside from influencing its customers into becoming more conscious consumers, Reformation also wants to inspire other businesses to commit to more sustainable practices because they recognize that "corporations hold the greatest potential for climate action." For instance, they hold their business partners (such as printers, dye houses, and tanneries) to a very high standard by ensuring that they are using chemical, water, and energy resources responsibly and putting a very high emphasis on traceability/knowing exactly where their products come from and being able to answer "who made our clothes" at every level of the production process. In conclusion, Reformation's groundbreaking transparency and commitment to sustainability are not just changing the fashion industry, they're setting a new standard for all businesses, proving that profitability and environmental responsibility can not only coexist, but thrive together.

Business benefit

By constantly thinking of new ways to improve their business, Reformation continues to lead the way in sustainable fashion innovation, which is evident through the fact that they are operating the first sustainable factory in Los Angeles, employing deadstock and eco-friendly fabrics, meticulously monitoring and transparently disclosing the environmental footprint of each product, and actively investing in the individuals propelling this revolutionary movement forward. For instance, they have invested heavily in creating new high-quality materials that require less energy and water to produce and have introduced upcycling and resale programs to promote more circularity to eliminate waste and keep materials in use.

Marissa Barberios describes how the company upcycles pieces by stating, "If a dress really took off and is really working well, we'll see ok how can you turn that into a top?" As Marissa explains, the business has also benefited from its "test and iterate" process or "testing what works for the customer and then running from there." This means they produce their newer pieces in smaller quantities and only decide to create larger orders once they have gauged customer demand.

Through both processes, Reformation can benefit from creating new products while effectively minimizing the company's waste. Reformation has also switched to using 100% recycled LDPE bags with a biodegradable polymer that allows them to break down in landfills, and it is currently experimenting with plant-based solutions to make its packaging even better. Besides paving the way for other businesses to follow, Reformation's greatest benefit from its dedication to sustainability is the deep brand loyalty it gains from its customers. Lastly, Reformation preaches that "Being socially conscious isn't counterculture, it's cultural currency," highlighting the fact that being socially aware and responsible is not a fringe or alternative movement but rather a valuable and widely accepted aspect of mainstream culture and that being socially conscious is not just a moral stance but also a form of social capital. This is reflected in the industry's momentum and increasing willingness to be more sustainable, making it easier for the company to scale and invest more in sustainable technologies and business practices.

Social and environmental benefit

Reformation, a sustainable fashion brand, has set specific goals and targets to make a significant social and environmental impact. They have a comprehensive roadmap with 199 goals, of which 100 have been completed, 70 are in progress, and 29 have yet to be started. These goals cover a wide range of areas, including testing silk alternatives and reducing return rates by improving size and fit guides online. Reformation's commitment to sustainability is evident in their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), addressing important issues such as climate change and economic inequality.

Reformation aims to achieve circularity by 2030. They have made progress in this area, with 28% of their products being textile-to-textile recyclable. They track their environmental footprint through RefScale, which measures the carbon dioxide emissions and water usage associated with their products. In 2023, they have achieved 38% CO2 savings and 55% water savings, equivalent to removing 9,651 cars from the road and reusing 8.48 Olympic-sized pools of water. Reformation also focuses on better materials, transportation, energy, and circularity to reduce their overall footprint.

Their sustainability framework aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), contributing to various aspects of social and environmental progress. In line with SDG 5 (Gender Equality), Reformation's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is evident through their efforts to improve representation and engagement within their workforce, including the creation of an internship program aimed at hiring from underrepresented communities. Regarding SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Reformation's sustainability efforts have led to significant water savings, with a 55% reduction in water usage in 2023, contributing to the conservation of this vital resource.

In terms of SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), Reformation has set targets to source renewable energy and energy attribute certificates (EACs) for their operations, demonstrating their commitment to clean energy initiatives. Additionally, their focus on reducing emissions and achieving climate positivity aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action), as they track and report their carbon footprint and have achieved 38% CO2 savings in 2023. Reformation's dedication to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is evident through their social responsibility initiatives, including working with suppliers to ensure equitable working conditions throughout their supply chain and increasing participation in social certification programs.

Furthermore, Reformation's sustainability framework aligns with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) through their commitment to diversity and inclusion, aiming to create a more equitable and diverse workforce. Their focus on responsible consumption and production, including the use of recyclable materials and reducing waste, contributes to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Reformation's efforts to improve their environmental footprint and promote sustainable practices align with SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land), as they work to reduce their impact on the environment and promote sustainable sourcing and production practices. Lastly, their commitment to partnerships and accountability in their sustainability efforts aligns with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), as they collaborate with other brands and organizations to drive positive change in the fashion industry.

Overall, Reformation's specific goals and targets, along with their commitment to the UN SDGs, highlight their dedication to creating a sustainable fashion industry. Through their efforts in circularity, climate positivity, diversity, and social responsibility, they are driving positive change and contributing to a more sustainable and equitable future.

Interview

Marissa Barberio, Senior Account Manager - Wholesale, Third-Party, & Partnerships