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Reformation's Yael Aflalo Loves Mondays and Frank Ocean

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Meeting up for a juice is the LA equivalent of meeting up for coffee anywhere else. It's just what we do. To explore our city's many fresh-pressed, well-blended options (and as an excuse to get out of the office), we're juicing it up with some of our talented friends—and asking them delightfully random questions in the process. This is A Juice With.

Yael Aflalo is the founder of Reformation. The sustainable retailer with a cult-like following is known for producing instantly covetable garments made from repurposed vintage and surplus. Aflalo dreamed up the LA-based store's unique concept after 10 years of running her own clothing label, Ya-Ya. "I just didn't like the typical fashion model—it didn't feel organic to me anymore," she says. "I wanted to do something different, and that is what Reformation is."

Although Aflalo spends most of her time in New York (there's a Reformation store out there, too), she frequently visits LA to check up on the design factory and scout new store locations. "We're talking about opening more stores in LA—specifically on the Westside," she reveals. "It's so cool over there. I've been staying in Venice during this trip and I just love it!"

What are you drinking today?
"Carrot, lime and coconut juice by Moon Juice from our Melrose store's own juice fridge."

What is your favorite day of the week?
"I'm weird, so I would say Sunday or Monday. I like to work. Sunday is my day to chill—I spend four hours getting ready for the next week. It's also my True Blood night; I'm a hardcore True Blood/Mad Men/Game of Thrones person. Then on Monday, I always have a lot of energy from the weekend and start making clothes. I really, really like Mondays. I just love my job."

What was your last purchase?
"God, I'm constantly buying things. I recently bought these really great vintage ceramic pots for my plants, so that was cool."

Who are your heroes?
"Steve Jobs, this Buddhist guru that I really love named Pema Chödrön, and designer Tom Ford. It's a perfect balance because Steve is innovative, Pema is spiritual and Tom is stylish. I want to be their love child. And I read somewhere that Tom takes, like, four baths a day, wakes up at four in the morning, eats donuts...It's just great."

What is your favorite song right now?
"I love 'Pyramids' by Frank Ocean. It gets really good at 4 minutes and 45 seconds—that's where I start whenever I play it. And I play it over and over again. It's just so sexy! I first discovered him in New York; a friend of mine invited me to his show, which was so good. I immediately became obsessed."

What is your style anthem?
"Probably any song by Freddie Mercury from Queen because my style goes from one extreme to the next. I'm very Mercurial with my style; I'll be into one theme and that's what I'll look like for a few months and then move on."

Do you have a signature scent?
"One of my best friends started a perfume line called Leilani Bishop Fragrances. My favorite scent of hers is called Pikake. It smells so beautiful."

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
"I have so many guilty pleasures! Right now it's my e-cigarette. I just quit smoking, so I e-cig it up all day long. I actually like this better than cigarettes now because it doesn't smell. It's just water vapor."

Where was your best vacation ever?
"I'd say my best trip was when I went to Bali for a month. That was sick. It was more than just a vacation—it was life-altering. I would just wake up, go surfing, eat fruit, do yoga and then visit a temple. My next getaway will probably be either Cuba or Israel. I'm such a vacation junky!"
· Reformation [Official Site]
· Reformation Receives a Stylish Warm Welcome to Melrose [Racked]

Reformation

8253 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA