since its launch in 2009, and the brand has worked over the last several years to carry this strategy over to its burgeoning accessories category. “Reformation in general is known for its trend credibility,” said Alison Melville, who joined the company as its chief innovation officer in 2020. “It’s a very important piece about how we think about our product strategy.
Three years into the category, Melville explained Reformation’s footwear has matured by staying in tune with trends and customer demand. She said the 2021 footwear launch centered on sandals, and then transitioned to focus heavily on boots. Last fall, the brand tapped into the ballet flats trend with its own assortment — the range was launched through its— which are still key styles in the overall footwear category. This year, Melville said closed-toe heels have been popular styles.
While most of the accessories are currently made in leather, Melville stated Reformation is scouting out leather alternatives that abide byas current alternatives don’t meet its guidelines due to their plastic content. The brand is currently looking at a mushroom leather alternative that Reformation is hoping to introduce in the coming years.
“We had seen demand signals for sunglasses from our customer,” she said. “Going back to our southern California roots, sunglasses are a key element to that southern California look. It’s an obvious product category for us to be adding and Jimmy Fairly is a French brand and has quite a big presence in France, which is a focused market for us.”