October Roundup
Abel's monthly roundups come to Substack.
This past January I started writing monthly roundups for the Abel Journal, and I think they could live well here on Substack, too.
Basically, each month I go through my camera roll from the past four weeks, look up what I bookmarked or jotted down as notable, reflect on what I did, and share that as a little snapshot of my month.
So without further ado, here’s October’s roundup: Substack edition.
(01) Buying Clothes Won’t Make You Fashionable
This wasn’t intentional but perhaps it only makes sense to begin my first Substack roundup with the queen of Substack herself, Erika Veurink. Erika writes Long Live, one of the three Substacks I pay to subscribe to, and honestly the initial portal that led me down the rabbit hole to start my own.
At the end of September she published a piece called Buying Clothes Won’t Make You Fashionable, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it all month.
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Okay I know we just got started but I need to pause here with a note: I originally meant to write a quick blurb here about Erika’s essay, but as I started writing, words kept coming and now I have a full-blown 800+ word essay sitting in my drafts folder. I think it deserves to be a post in its own right, so I actually won’t get into any commentary at this very moment…
But! Consider this your reading assignment — please go give Erika’s piece a read. Then stay tuned for my *thoughts* on it, which I’ll publish soon. Shameless plug to subscribe if you want to make sure you see it:
(02) Good on You
On the topic of conscious consumption, I’ve started using the Good on You app whenever I’m thinking about making a purchase that isn’t second-hand. As a general rule of thumb, I try not to purchase from brands that don’t mention anything about their environmental or social practices on their website (as the old saying goes, “if you don’t have anything good to say…). But sometimes companies use vague language and it can be hard to determine what is real and what is just marketing jargon, so this app has been helpful in situations where I need a quick gut check.
Good on You ranks fashion brands based on their ethical and environmental practices across three main areas: people, planet, and animals. Each brand receives a rating from "We Avoid" to "Great," which helps you more easily see how a brand aligns with your values.
While they do have rankings for thousands of companies, I have found that they’re often missing smaller brands (especially independent ones). They are continually adding to their database, however, so I imagine it will only become more robust with time. At the time of writing this, I’ve submitted to have Abel evaluated.
(03) On the Gaux
Speaking of brands that proactively speak about their values, I walked around the neighborhood with (and wearing) Margaux for their ongoing Gaux Girl series. Margaux’s footwear is designed in NYC and produced by a family-owned factory in Spain, with a unique emphasis on comfort and inclusive sizing.
Call it kismet but when they reached out, I had been searching for a pair of loafers on and off for over a year, never finding a pair that felt quite right (at least for me I feel like loafers are so particular). One of the styles they were planning to launch this fall was a loafer, and I was honestly a bit dubious they would work on me when they suggested I try wearing them for the shoot. I’m really happy to report that I was wrong!
The most notable characteristic of The Louisa Loafer that you can’t tell by looking at it is how light it is — it feels akin to wearing sandals, except for the obvious fact that your toes are covered. One of my common complaints with loafers I’ve tried on over the months was that they felt like I was walking with lead weights on my feet, but that’s not the case with these loafs. Needless to say, I kept them.
(04) Central Park Geology Tour
Although the loafers are definitely comfortable enough to, I didn’t end up wearing them to a geology tour of Central Park I went on a couple weeks ago. The tour was hosted by Daniel Babin (aka @geoknowledgy), who is a geologist, climate scientist, and educator here in NYC. I was lucky enough to spend the most stupidly gorgeous fall day walking around Central Park with him and a group of other rock enthusiasts.
While I’ve always had somewhat of an affinity for rocks (I’ve collected them ever since I was little), in more recent years the adoption of rock climbing as a hobby and jewelry as my career has all but solidified the fact that I am a full-blown rock nerd. I’ve been following Daniel on Instagram ever since my friends (and fellow rock nerds) Tin&Ed went on a tour of his last year, and I’m so glad I was finally able to attend one myself.
Daniel’s passion for geology is contagious and he’s a really wonderful and engaging teacher. It’s amazing how little we pay attention to what’s underfoot day to day but after this tour, I’m certainly never walking around with the same eyes again.
If you’re interested in going on a tour yourself, you can sign up for updates on future events here.
(05) An Abel Wedding Ensemble
While I did not provide any rocks for this particular wedding (that’s a poor attempt at a diamond joke), Abel was certainly very present at a recent iconic NYC elopement.
I had the absolute privilege of not only making the groom’s custom wedding band, but also the bride’s wedding bands (yes plural, her wedding “band” is actually two Column Stack Rings!). For finishing touches, she wore the Arp Earrings and a Tilt Signet Ring on her pinky.
How we came to settle on the Column Stack Rings for the bride’s wedding bands was somewhat accidental — she was at my studio for a fitting (we originally had a different design in mind for her band) and at one point we started playing around with a spare pair of Column Stacks for sizing reference. That’s when we discovered they perfectly nest her engagement ring, and it felt meant to be!
I love how with the three rings she has flexibility and versatility in how she incorporates her wedding set into her daily ring stack.
The final detail I’ll mention: each of her Column Stack Rings has an engraving on the side, which means the personalized message from groom to bride can either be hidden or displayed depending on how they’re stacked.
Thank you Paula and Corey for letting me play this small role in your wedding, I’m looking forward to watching these pieces grow old with you!
Thanks for reading my first monthly roundup (on Substack).
Before I wrap this up I have some somber news to share, which I regret to end this post with, but it’s also important.
In my August Roundup I shared the efforts of a 24-year-old man in Gaza named Yousef Abu Rabea, who was using his expertise to grow urban gardens for his local community — a community currently being desecrated and denied basic human rights. In August I interviewed an associate of his, which is how I first learned of his work, and attended an event here in Brooklyn to raise money for Yousef’s initiative Thamra.
It is with extreme sadness that I share that on October 21, Yousef and another member of his team (Zakaria Abu Sultan, aged 30) were killed in an Isreali airstrike that targeted Yousef’s home.
When I first learned of the news I was in complete shock, and to be honest I’m still processing it. I don’t quite have the words yet, but I do know that Thamra plans to carry on Yousef’s vision under the stewardship of his co-founder, Leena Almadhoun.
My heart goes out to Yousef and Zakaria’s family and friends, and to all the people of Palestine. Please consider donating to Thamra’s efforts here.
Thanks for recommending the first piece!! Lots to chew on…