Reformation Makes Landfall In France, Opening First Paris Store

Reformation Paris store front at 20 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois in Marais

Courtesy of Reformation

Reformation, the direct-to-consumer fashion brand that has been on a store-opening roll this year, just made its debut in central Paris’ Le Marais shopping district. By the end of the year, Reformation will operate 65 stores, after opening 15 new ones this year, including a flagship in New York City’s Flatiron District.

This isn’t Reformation’s first venture across the pond. It operates five stores in England, but this is its first on the European continent. However, it may not be the most opportune time for the LA-based, premium-priced brand to open in France.

According to an NYC.fr- Ifop survey among 1,000 French citizens, positive sentiments toward products made by U.S. companies are at a 40-year low. While the brands taking the most heat are the big ones – Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Tesla – Parisian women have a distinct fashion sensibility that may not align with Reformation’s California-inspired vibe.

On a positive note, the brand’s industry-leading sustainability practices match the more evolved stance of French consumers and are ahead of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation. In 2027, it will require all products sold in the EU to have a Digital Product Passport that reveals a product’s materials, manufacturing details, environmental impact and lifecycle.

Yet, ultimately, consumers must be drawn to Reformation’s fashion before they consider the ESG (environmental, social and governance) values behind it. On that score, CEO Hali Borenstein has no worries. An early introduction with Le Bon Marché proved that the brand has what it takes to make it in Paris and eventually across the globe.

“We’re going after France because we believe the product is a really good fit,” she explained. “Our streamlined silhouettes, our vintage heritage and our design sensibility are quite aligned with the French consumer. Then there is our sustainability mission, which tends to be even more valuable and prominent for consumers in that market.”

Out Of LA, Into The World

Reformation began as a single store in Los Angeles in 2009, offering re-tailored vintage clothing. It quickly expanded to manufacturing its own products, driven by a mission to make sustainable fashion more accessible – long before sustainability became mainstream.

It launched online in 2013, the same year it opened its own manufacturing facility in LA to ensure its high standards of sustainability were met. Not long after, Borenstein joined the company as director of merchandising in 2014 and rose sequentially to the top spot in 2020, after founder Yael Aflalo stepped down.

By 2019, the vertically integrated company had grown to 14 stores and expanded internationally in Toronto and London. It also got an extra boost when Permira Funds, noted for its backing of Hugo Boss, Valentino, Dr. Martens and the Minted marketplace, acquired a majority stake.

“Uniquely positioned at the intersection of fashion and sustainability, Reformation authentically speaks to today’s consumer,” Permira principal David Brisske said at the time.

Sustainability Mission Is Prime

There are three pillars to Reformation’s sustainability mission. First, it emphasizes material fabrications that have the lowest impact on the environment. For example, polyester is a no-go. “We minimize it significantly,” Borenstein said, while organically grown linen, cotton and merino wool sourced from regenerative farms get the nod.

The brand also offers a line of recycled cashmere clothing, which Borenstein explains has the same qualities as new cashmere with virtually none of the impact on land, animals or the climate.

The company also builds circularity into its business model, allowing customers to return any of its products for recycling and be rewarded with a store credit. It breaks down the fibers in returned items to transform recycled castoffs into new products.

The second pillar is to uphold humane labor practices in its own factory and among manufacturing partners. “With our factories, we work with the highest compliance standards. We are really best-in-class,” she maintains.

The third pillar is related to sustainable business practices throughout all company operations, including transformation, electricity and emissions. The company has produced 100% carbon-neutral products since 2015.

Double Halo Effect

While Reformation benefits from a halo with its sustainability mission, it’s cultivating another one by opening new stores. The ICSC conducted a study measuring the value of physical retail for DTC brands, called the “Halo Effect.” It found that opening stores not only generates extra revenue from brick-and-mortar locations but also boosts online sales as well. Apparel brands, for instance, saw an average 12% increase in online sales within the local trading area after opening a store.

“For us, stores increase our customers’ frequency and ability to understand our unique product offerings,” Borenstein shared. “About one-third of our customers first find us in retail, in particular Gen Z, who significantly over index in retail versus our older customers.”

Borenstein is proud to report that unlike many fashion brands, Reformation appeals across generations. About one-fourth of its customers are under age 25 and another fourth are over 40, with half in the 25-to-40-year age range.

“It’s rare to see a fashion brand where both a mom and daughter like to shop,” she said. “Our unique quality is what we stand for and the way we speak to women across the spectrum.”

Reformation also offers a full range of fashion items, including shoes, handbags and jewelry to accessorize one’s look.

Unique Shopping Experience

Customers visiting a Reformation store engage in a unique, fully-integrated, tech-enhanced experience, bridging the gap between online and in-store shopping.

Instead of loading up display racks, a Reformation store displays single items on the floor and the customer can select the size and style they want electronically to be placed into the dressing room.

“Our back-of-house is like a mini-distribution center,” she explained, with try-on orders received in three ways: from team members’ hand-held devices as they accompany the customer through the store or directly from the customer using an in-store touch screen display, as well as with the company’s smartphone app.

As much attention is paid to enhancing the Reformation dressing room experience as most apparel brands’ pay to the front of store product displays. Each dressing room has a screen to display product and styling information. If an item doesn’t fit, another can be ordered and delivered automatically without having to track down a sales associate. The customer can also adjust the lighting to see how it will look in the setting where it will be worn.

The two-story Paris boutique will be equipped with all of Reformation’s technological bells and whistles in a setting befitting its Paris location. The store was designed by Le Cann, a Paris-based architecture firm and features ample seating, a dramatic spiral staircase and artwork provided by France-based female artists.

Currently, about 20% of company revenues are generated internationally. If the company’s August opening in NYC’s Flatiron District is any indication – “It has been consistently one of our top five stores since opening,” Borenstein said – along with its strong performance in the U.K., Reformation will make a high impact entry into the Paris market, and its international revenues will grow accordingly.