The Reformation

Profile

Ten years after launching her fashion line YaYa Yael Aflalo teamed up with partner Chi Bui to open a store in Los Angeles, the Reformation. In May 2009, just six months after the L.A. opening, the pair debuted a second location on the Lower East Side. The store is named for both Martin Luther's Reformation—which encouraged a simpler approach to life—and for the idea of reforming clothes. The designers find outdated vintage pieces like slips and blazers and revamp them in their backroom sewing shop. The clothes are easy to wear, with details like front zips on dresses and lots of lace. Aflalo and Bui also design a series of original styles for the store, like loose-fitting pocket tanks, which they make from deadstock fabrics found while thrifting. They scour flea markets and estate sales in search of jewelry, belts, and shoes, which they rework and sell, with most items priced at under $200. — Doria Santlofer