Eco-Minded Fashion Lovers Will Swoon Over the New Veja x Reformation Sneaker

InStyle spoke exclusively with Reformation CEO Hali Borenstein ahead of the launch.

Lately it seems like new fashion collaborations are dropping on a near-daily basis. So what makes one more than just an amalgamation of two brands that may or may not make sense together? Have a mission that goes beyond just product. That’s what sustainably-minded brands Reformation and Veja are doing with their first partnership.

"We have a lot of similar values in terms of how we think about fashion and product," Reformation CEO Hali Borenstein tells InStyle. As interest in sustainable fashion continues to grow, more and more brands have had to take a hard look at the impact that clothing and shoes have on the planet. Between toxic materials, overproduction, and unfair labor practices, the fashion industry is in the midst of much-needed reckoning, requiring brands to make major changes. For L.A.-based retail fixture Reformation, this practice of constantly reassessing for the sake of environmental and social good is part of how the business was always meant to operate.

The partnership with Veja is indicative of the difficult decisions and radical shifts that Borenstein says the brand had to make to stay true to its sustainability promises. "We launched shoes in 2019, and what we were trying to do is make it the most sustainable shoe possible. We used a third party to help us," Borenstein says. She explains that there was a learning curve between making clothing and making shoes because of the many complex components in the latter, including rubber, glue, leather, and cotton. The initial launch, she notes, wasn't up to par. "We shut down the shoe business [within a year], hired in a bunch of sustainability consultants, and we asked them just to blank slate a brand new way of working everything from geography to how we define sustainability, and what our standards are. Then we relaunched shoes in the spring of 2021 in Brazil," Borenstein explains.

Serendipitously, celeb-loved sneaker brand Veja uses the same supply chain model for how they make their shoes – primarily in Brazil, using strict codes of conduct in certified factories, organic cotton and hemp farming, and Amazonian rubber. It works with organizations like ADEC (Associação de Desenvolvimento Educacional e Cultural) and others throughout the country that ensure farmers and workers keep up with standards for the product and the people working there. "We did a conference together with Reformation's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kathleen [Talbot], in Los Angeles in 2018, and I found her approach super interesting," Veja's co-founder Sebastian Kopp tells InStyle.

Yesterday, the two companies debuted the Reformation take on Veja's classic ​​Venturi sneaker, made from recycled polyester, Amazonian rubber, sugar cane, organic cotton, and natural latex. It comes in two colorways: white and brown. "I love the idea that we're bringing these sneakers that are super earthy tones into the assortment. And you can wear a really nice dress with a pair of sneakers, or you can just put them with a pair of sustainable jeans that we've just made," Borenstein suggests.

Veja x Ref Venturi ($215)

SHOP

Beyond bringing a new product to market, according to Borenstein, partnerships help grow sustainable knowledge between brands. "No one is going to solve [sustainable fashion issues] alone… . If it were a competitive edge, we would never solve this problem. We need this to be a collaborative effort, and if we can inspire more brands, if we can open up roadmaps and solutions that more people can use, that's actually how we make a dent," she says. "That's the best way to achieve our mission because Reformation alone won't do it."

Still, her company has set big and necessary goals for reducing its impact, especially as they simultaneously pursue growth. In 2022, the brand pledged to be carbon-positive by 2025 – which Borenstein suggests they are already pretty close to. This is happening through a focus on inbound emissions for their imports, increasing the use of recycled fabrics, and introducing circularity programs, while still focusing on maintaining their popular styles. For example, the brand saw that a large percentage of their carbon output was coming from cashmere production; by switching to 90 percent recycled/10 percent virgin cashmere, emissions were reduced by 87 percent, according to the brand's website.

"No one is going to solve sustainable fashion issues alone."

Hali Borenstein

"It's a wild dichotomy, right?" she says. "Growth and sustainability are not always symbiotic. For us, our supply chain is predicated on speed because we want to make what we're actually going to sell," she says, remarking that they combat waste by ensuring that they sell through collections and then offering recycling at the end of life – including on shoes through Supercircle. Though Borenstein jokes, "We don't want them back anytime soon."

While neither Reformation nor Veja are strangers to collaborations, perhaps this one is the start of something bigger. "These are two different brands, very different aesthetics, very different customer bases," Borenstein admits. "[With the collaboration], we can help each other reach broader audiences and inspire more businesses to take a different approach to manufacturing. That feels like the path to the future."

The Veja x Ref Venturi sneakers are $215 and offered in sizes EU 36-41. They are currently available online and in select stores. 

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