Good morning newsletterland,
Welcome to the first “edition” of Gemini Vegetarians!
First things first: Yes, the name is ridiculous. However, it’s a phrase I’ve always wanted to incorporate into my professional life in some capacity, so who am I to dampen my ~dreams~?
Second things second: I understand this is the part where I make the case for why this newsletter exists. The case is: I don’t know. There’s a lot of them out there, and in chewing over whether or not to make my own, I experienced my usual cocktail of impostorism and self-deprecation. But the fact remains that I write about many different things, for many different publications, and wouldn’t it be nice to also have a dedicated space for me to write a little ditty that I wouldn’t try to publish otherwise?
If you've followed my stories before, you may already know that I often explore the intersection of the fashion industry with the environment, supply chains, the internet and pop culture. So you likely didn’t sign up for this newsletter expecting to hear my untidy thoughts on climate justice, our democratic processes and mental health. But as those are also interests of mine, I hope this newsletter can serve as a place for us to noodle on whatever happens to be Slip ‘n Slide-ing through our brain wrinkles that month.
Here’s what I’m noodling on right now: Last week, my first journalism teacher and mentor of sorts, Rodney Lowe, died after suffering a heart attack. He was an English teacher and student-newspaper faculty advisor at my high school for 31 years, and I was lucky enough to learn from him every day for two of them. Mr. Lowe lived outside Gary, Indiana, 50 miles from where he worked, and every day for those 31 years, he drove at least an hour both ways across state lines to teach his students about some of the most intangible lessons that can be taught about writing, editing and reporting.
Learning how to effectively question authority was a big one: As this Twitter thread remembers, he had us analyze old Mike Royko columns as case studies of productive criticism. I don’t necessarily consider myself a capital-J journalist in that I don’t have much—and I mean, if any—remotely-high-stakes investigative experience. But I do trust that it was Mr. Lowe who taught me and 31 years worth of students to trust their voice both on and off the page, for you really never know who’s listening. I find this notion to be particularly imperative in light of the election, the ongoing protests against police brutality and systemic racial injustice, the deepening climate crisis… And I think what Mr. Lowe would say is this: Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing, but of saying nothing at all, because to have access to a platform of any make or measure—a single Instagram caption, a newsletter you started for no real reason at all, a rambling conversation around the dinner table—is a privilege.
This month, I wrote about:
A new wave of fashion, retail and technology accelerator programs that's stepping up to solve some of the industry's most chronic pain points.
Y2K-obsessed jewelry designer Hannah Jewett, whose design and production process involves both 3D-modeling and traditional silversmithing techniques.
The vintage store in the age of a pandemic, and the sink-or-swim challenges consignment shops are now facing as they attempt to save thrifting.
One brand's commitment to cleaning up the trash littering the world's tallest mountains, made possible by ongoing partnerships with Indigenous peoples and local communities.
Skin-care influencer Vi Lai (AKA @whatsonvisface), who spoke with me about (among other topics) depression, AOC and the beauty industry's structural diversity and accessibility problem.
How fashion is embracing architecture—the so-called “Côte d'Azur aesthetic,” in particular—to self-soothe via brand and campaign imagery.
Adaptogenic wellness company Peak and Valley, which was founded by a neuroscientist while she was researching the effects of stress on the brain.
I’ve also enjoyed, learned a lot from and in certain cases, basically wept at reading the following:
ELLE.com presents The State of Black Beauty (Chloe Hall, Nerisha Penrose and Angel Lenise/ELLE.com)
The unexpected joy of the worst summer of our lives (Christine Mi/Vox)
The Beatles' breakup and why their music matters 50 years later (Rob Sheffield/Rolling Stone)
Everyone I know keeps breaking things (Amanda Mull/The Atlantic)
Black-owned businesses kept up that same energy. Did you? (Cortne Bonilla/Refinery29)
On witness and respair: A personal tragedy followed by a pandemic (Jesmyn Ward/Vanity Fair)
Let’s stop pretending we need new clothes every season (Alyssa Hardy/InStyle)
"I no longer write as if being chased by a pack of wild dogs": Mary H.K. Choi on working through a pandemic (Harling Ross/Man Repeller)
This turned out wayyyyyyyy longer than expected, huh? Thank you so much for subscribing, skimming, clicking, supporting and being nice, curious people—and if you’re my dad, printing this out to flip through while standing at the kitchen counter.
Please watch this, OH MY GOD,
Maura
This month, I’ve made a donation to Jacob Blake’s GoFundMe, which, as you know, covers Jacob’s medical expenses as well as mental and grief counseling for his family. If you have the means, you can Venmo @evanston4blklives, which is collecting donations for Jacob’s family’s more immediate needs.