Heritage
A house, in its own words
Frances Shoemack spent years working in winemaking before moving to Amsterdam, where she found herself drawn to the world of fragrance. The name Abel carries personal significance: it references Abel Tasman, the Dutch explorer credited as the first European to map parts of New Zealand, Shoemack's home country. This naming choice reflects her connection between her origins and her adopted city. Upon founding the company over a decade ago, Shoemack entered territory that was largely uncharted for natural perfume. She reportedly recognized that while natural ingredients presented distinct challenges, they also offered a different kind of creative possibility. Her winemaking background gave her an appreciation for ingredient quality and the impact of terroir on final products, a perspective she carried into fragrance development. The early years involved significant experimentation to achieve performance standards while maintaining a fully natural formulation. Sinclair's involvement brought technical expertise and a methodical approach to working with natural materials. Together they established a foundation for a brand that would grow to include a diverse range of fragrances over the following years, each exploring different facets of natural perfumery.
Abel's approach centers on the belief that natural ingredients can produce fragrances of genuine complexity and longevity. The company rejects the assumption that synthetics are necessary for performance, instead investing in ingredient sourcing and formulation techniques to prove otherwise. This stance places the brand in a specific position within the fragrance industry, one that challenges conventional manufacturing wisdom while appealing to consumers seeking transparency about what they apply to their skin. The philosophy extends beyond ingredients to encompass packaging, with the brand emphasizing low environmental impact in its design choices. Shoemack has described her fragrances as marrying innovation with purity, suggesting a balance between scientific understanding and respect for traditional natural materials. The winemaking influence remains visible in how the brand talks about fragrance development: there is emphasis on origin, on the characteristics that specific ingredients bring from their growing conditions, and on the craft of assembling these elements into a cohesive whole.