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thereformation.com
“Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option. We’re #2.”
Reformation is a (mostly online--30% less energy use!) clothing brand with a design mission to “make effortless silhouettes that celebrate the feminine figure.”
From the very beginning, the primary goal of Yael Aflalo, Reformation’s founder, was to build a sustainable fashion empire. After a “depressing” trip to China filled with pollution from the fashion industry (the third most polluting industry in the world), Aflalo was inspired to create Reformation, the sustainable fashion brand that appeals to fashionable consumers.
First off, the raw materials are considered. Factors that Reformation considers while choosing the fabric that makes our clothes include water input, energy input, land use, eco-toxicity, greenhouse gas emissions, human toxicity, availability, price, and garment care implications such as microfiber shedding.
Not only does Reformation fulfill the need for environmental sustainability as a fashion company, CEO Aflalo also personally ensures ethical hiring practices throughout the supply chain. “At Reformation, we think about all the costs in creating fashion -- not just the price tag. We put sustainability at the core of everything we do. We invest in green building infrastructure to minimize our waste, water, and energy footprints. By providing on-the-job training and opportunities for growth, we also invest in the people who make this revolution possible.”
On their website (www.thereformation.com), Reformation has extensive details about who they are, their various factories within the supply chain, their sustainable efforts and successes, the general impacts of the fashion industry as a whole, and even how to “wash smart” to minimize your carbon footprint!
If we didn’t know any better, we would say that it almost sounds too good to be true. Thankfully for us, Reformation has proof! RefScale is an environmental footprint tracker that adds up the pounds of carbon dioxide emitted, gallons of water used, and pounds of waste generated. From growing textile fibers and making fabric, dyeing, moving materials, manufacturing, packaging, shipping, and garment care, every single thing is calculated for each piece of garment Reformation creates so that everyone gets to see the total cost of fashion, inclining consumers to make empowered choices through shopping.
“Kinda like Venmo, but for the Earth.”
Reformation invests in programs that replace the resources spent on making garments, including the Brazilian Rosewood Amazon Conservation Project and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation Water Restoration Program. In exchange for last quarter’s emissions, water, and waste, Reformation protected 1,000 acres of the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation, contributed 27 million gallons of freshwater to critically dewatered rivers and wetlands in California, and purchased landfill gas offsets.
Reformation also has incentive programs, including Climate Credits in partnership with NativeEnergy and the giving away of $100 store credit if a customer switches to wind energy.
Other notable sustainability successes include efforts on energy efficiency, women empowerment, recycling, green buildings, sustainable purchasing, local manufacturing, and being carbon neutral since 2015!
For more information about Sustainability at Reformation, take a look at their 2018 Sustainability Report: https://www.thereformation.com/pages/2018-year-in-review
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Sources:
https://www.thereformation.com/pages/our-stuff
https://www.thereformation.com/pages/sustainable-practices
https://www.inc.com/video/women-who-lead/yael-aflalo-how-reformation-built-a-sustainable-fashion-empire.html
https://www.thereformation.com/pages/impact-of-fashion