At 21 years old, Abby Zuckerman is quickly emerging into a new era of talent and creativity through her newly launched pop-up shop featuring charming handcrafted earrings. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Abby transitioned her passion for painting and sculpting into a love for mixed media art. Already knowledgeable and accomplished in fashion, creating striking color palettes and unique designs comes as second nature to Abby.
Nearing the end of February, Abby began to release her signature 3-D printed earrings consisting of a cowboy boot and matching cowboy hat. The iconic pair quickly propelled Abby’s Depop shop, Shop Zuck, into recognizable success. During the interview, we laughed as she recalls being “fully decked out” in laser-cut shapes she designed while attending Southern California Institute of Architecture. Initially only accessorizing herself, Abby originally wasn’t planning on sharing her ideas with the world. It wasn’t until she created her staple cowboy boot and hat pair that she began receiving innumerable questions about where they could get their own. Through the encouragement of her friends and the enthusiasm to become an entrepreneur, ensued the emergence of Shop Zuck.
I had the opportunity to talk to Abby about her Depop shop in length, her upcoming projects, and all things fashion. Abby is becoming a businesswoman at full tilt, and it was no surprise that I unearthed an individual of profound depth.
Q: How would you describe Shop Zuck, and where do you see it going?
AZ: Shop Zuck is a weird conglomeration of becoming whatever I want. Shop Zuck started for fun, and I still think it’s just for fun. I intend on possibly extending to phone cases, pots for plants, and even furniture. It can become a brand of anything, especially since I have the resources to create so much, [through] architectural school.
Q: How do you stay up to date in the ever-expanding world of fashion?
AZ: I’ve always been inundated in the world of fashion. At 15, I worked for Brandy Melville and with time got the opportunity to travel to places like Italy and China to design clothes for them. Most of my inspiration came from films I love. I also got the opportunity to be featured in Vogue Italian in 2017 which was exciting. I now create for Revice Denim, and I’m also designing their warehouses. Art and architecture are always intertwined.
Q: Let’s talk about how you are giving back to organizations through launches as you’ve been recently doing.
AZ: On the week of May 25th, I had planned a release on Depop. Tragically the same week was the death of George Floyd. I felt extremely compelled to speak about it immediately. I believe you can’t be scared of saying the wrong things, it’s far more important to speak on something than to be silent. From that launch, I donated 50% of all profits to Black Visions Collective, an LGBTQ non-profit organization for black liberation based in Minnesota. I felt as though it was a way of giving back to George Floyd’s community. I now give a percentage back to Inner-City Arts, an organization in Los Angeles that allows a creative space for inner-city kids to explore different mediums of the arts and access to art education. I worked at Inner-City Arts in 2019, and I understand the importance of artistic expression and helping those close to you.
Q: What influences the colors and designs of Shopzuck?
AZ: I get a lot of inspiration from my closet. I love florals and cow print. I first started experimenting with stars and hearts. I was doing a particular order for a friend, and she asked me if I could do cheetah print, at first I was hesitant because I didn’t know if I’d be able to, but then I realized I could paint anything I wanted. I take a lot of inspiration from custom orders and people wanting to know “what is possible?” My current color palette is very much in the pastel universe. My friend Sofie is a huge inspiration to me. Whenever I’m in a rut, I take inspiration from her love of vibrant colors.
Q: What do you believe are essential facets of the fashion industry?
AZ: Transparency. I try to buy from brands with honesty because it’s really easy to have a facade. Unfortunately, green and whitewashing happen all the time in fashion. I think sustainability is so important as well as inclusion. I have seen myself in the media my entire life; there are so many cool people out there that need to have representation and more than a fraction of the representation that they currently have. The modeling world was built on the back of patriarchy and highlights misogyny. The fashion world needs more love for everybody.
Q: What kind of ethics do you believe in while working with fashion?
AZ: Again full transparency. At first, I was using brass earring hooks, but then made the decision around June that I didn’t want to create a cheap earring. The hooks everyone buys are 14k filled gold hooks or sterling silver. Some of my different styles have gold hoops, but as a small business, I have the ability to use long-lasting, ethically sourced materials. I eventually want to move towards compostable zero-waste packaging fully.
Q: Any final words so we don’t leave anything unsaid?
AZ: I’m excited to see how Shop Zuck develops and take it one step at a time. I don’t want to have any expectations for where it goes. However, I’m really thankful that people are watching. There’s a tiny community that I was able to reign in, and I’m super grateful. Shop Zuck gave me a little hope for the mess that is 2020. This year is definitely one for the books.”
You can find Abby’s handcrafted beauties on her Depop and explore her world of creativity on Instagram.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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