Reformation’s Founder on Its ‘Stigma-Breaking’ New Campaign Starring Trans Model Andreja Pejic
Reformation is a brand known for making environmentally friendly clothing that appeals more to the cool kids than the crunchies — something of a first in fashion. And on Tuesday, the brand debuted another first: its Holiday campaign, starring Andreja Pejic.
Pejic, a trans woman, first rose to prominence as a model in the early 2010s, self-described as living “between genders” and modeling both men’s and women’s clothes for major fashion names like Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier. More recently, Pejic has raised money to make a documentary film about her life as a trans woman.
With her sensual looks and long, center-parted hair, Pejic was a natural choice to embody the spirit of Reformation’s Holiday collection, which features a range of slinky, ’70s-style metallic gowns, velvet minidresses, jumpsuits, and deep-V satin blouses.
We spoke to Yael Aflalo, the entrepreneur and former model who launched Reformation in 2009, about what it was like to work with Pejic, her mission to make holiday dresses you can actually eat in, and her (genius) advice for getting through the holidays with sanity intact. Read below, then click ahead to see the entire lookbook in all its glory.
Yahoo Style: We’re massive fans of Andreja Pejic. Why was she the right choice for this campaign?
Yael Aflalo: Our mission at Reformation is to create beautiful and stylish clothing that also happens to be eco-friendly. We are trying to break the stigma and prove that sustainable fashion can actually be cool and fashionable. We feel like Andreja embodies a similar message — she is breaking the stigma of what it means to be a top model.
Tell us about the inspiration behind this collection.
Reformation has become known as a go-to for sexy, feminine dresses, and the holiday season is no different — girls have a million things to go to this time of year, and they need a great dress for all of them. So we wanted to make party clothes that let ladies look good but also feel comfortable.
At Reformation, we want our designs to make women feel beautiful and confident. With this collection, we took it one step further to not only make people feel sexy but also supercomfortable — think adjustable waists, loose fits, and stretchy fabrics. So you can have your pie and look hot too.
When in doubt, slip dress. It’s easy, sexy, plus you get to feel like you’re wearing pajamas all night.
What’s your No. 1 bit of advice for getting through the holidays with sanity intact?
Champagne!
The Holiday collection is priced from $168 to $248 and is available at Reformation today.
