Los Angeles-based Reformation pursues climate positive status by 2025 and circularity by 2030, earning recognition for its sustainability initiatives despite facing recent wildfires.
Reformation, a cult womenswear label based in Los Angeles, is actively pursuing ambitious sustainability goals as it aims to become climate positive by the end of this year and circular by 2030. The brand, celebrated for its well-cut dresses and preppy separates, received the Best Circularity Initiative award for businesses with revenue exceeding £10 million at the Drapers Conscious Fashion Awards 2025, held on March 12.
Chief Sustainability Officer Kathleen Talbot spoke to Drapers about the brand’s progress and ongoing initiatives. She noted that despite facing challenges, including the devastating wildfires that impacted Los Angeles earlier this year, the company remains on track to meet its climate goals. “About five years ago, we made a commitment to become climate positive by 2025, which means we’ll remove more emissions from the environment than we create,” Talbot stated. While she acknowledged that the brand still has work to do, she emphasized their positive trajectory and the major steps they have taken toward reducing their carbon footprint. In 2024, 98% of the materials used in Reformation’s products were recycled, regenerative, or renewable, leaving only 2% as synthetics that have yet to be replaced by bio-based alternatives.
In pursuit of its goal to be fully circular by 2030, which has been in the works since spring 2023, Reformation has achieved several milestones but still has significant progress to make. “We’re making progress: 28% of materials used in Reformation products last year were deadstock, recycled or next-gen,” Talbot explained. The brand’s focus remains on minimizing reliance on virgin inputs and providing consumers with options to recycle their clothing. By 2024, 69% of Reformation’s products were textile-to-textile recyclable through their RefRecycling program.
Furthermore, the brand has partnered with Poshmark, enabling customers to easily resell their Reformation purchases, thereby promoting sustainability within the fashion lifecycle. Talbot highlighted plans for expanding this resale model to partners in the UK and Europe soon.
When discussing material sourcing, Talbot mentioned that cashmere, silk, and viscose are top priorities for reducing reliance on virgin materials. The company is progressing towards introducing sweaters made from recycled yarns and is researching alternatives like Circulose, a promising fiber that could replace conventional sources.
In light of the recent wildfires, Talbot shared the impact on Reformation’s team and operations. Many team members faced evacuations and property loss. The brand temporarily closed all its stores in Los Angeles to ensure safety. In response to these challenges, the team organized a community goods drive, contributing 24,000 new products from Reformation along with items from partner brands to support over a thousand individuals who lost their homes. Talbot reflected that the experience served as a painful reminder of the company’s vulnerability to climate disasters but also reinforced their commitment to driving change within the fashion industry.
With a steadfast dedication to sustainability, Reformation continues to navigate the complexities of the fashion landscape while aiming for significant environmental impact ahead of its targets set for 2025 and 2030.
Source: Noah Wire Services
