"Pizza Girl is Physical Phil's colorful and energetic girlfriend. She attends Dufresne College and works as a pizza delivery girl. Fate and a whole lot of pizza brought her and Physical Phil together."
That's Pizza Girl's bio on abc.com for the drama October Road. The zap2it TV Fashion blog did a feature all about Pizza Girl's look and how it was inspired by Free People. Check it out...
I did an entry a while back announcing our myspace page, and now it's time to let you know about our facebook too. Will you be our friends? It's one more way to be in-the-know of all things Free People. And maybe you want to make friends with some of our friends. Maybe someone has a cool job you want to learn more about, maybe they are an artist and you'll love their work, maybe they have amazing taste in music and you'll discover some new bands. Who knows...
Another wallpaper download from our FP graphic designers. Download it from flickr and join our group!
Check out these origami flowers made by artist/crafter/blogger ArguingTheMobius. Check out her blog for some info on works-in-progress and her etsy shop to buy her handcrafted bouquets!
I spotted an entry about Swedish girl Lykke Li on someone's blog a few weeks ago, and have been seriously obsessed since. So I thought I'd share. You can't get her record in the states (not that I know of anyway) but her myspace has a bunch of songs and you can download a version of "Tonight" from her website.
We first posted photos of the sequined canvases when our NYC store opened. Now they are part of all of the FP stores' spring display. A reader commented asking how to make these, and one of our talented display girls had some great advice I wanted to share with everyone.
For our proto, our designer actually hand sewed each sequin on by hand, and then left a space for the screen printed flower applique. She does not recommend doing that yourself! Luren suggests going to a fabric store and buying a small amount of sequined fabric, maybe the stretchy variety. This could be a little expensive, so another great alternative would be to find some sequined wonder of a dress at a thrift store for a couple of dollars. That way you would be recycling material and not spending much $$. The fabric can them be fixed onto a frame of canvas stretchers and decorated as you like.
Hope that helps! If you end up making the project, you should send me the photos and I'll post them on the blog! Just leave your email address in a comment and I will get in touch. Happy crafting!
Check out the flickr group featuring the crafts blog readers made for the Free People Valentine's Craft Swap! (If you sign in to flickr, you will be able to see the full photo pool. If not, you will only see a limited number of photos.)
Here's the latest from our display team. The stores are decorated to complement our "I Want Candy" concept and the February catalog shot in India.
Spring Display is sparkly and colorful, with sequin canvases, neon lotus lanterns floating along the walls and above the tables, and hand-printed gauze fabric yardage draped on the walls. The front window's mannequins are surrounded by a swirl of floating bright blossoms. The stores feel bright and magical and each sequin canvas catches your eye with a unique floral print appliquéd on a bed of shimmering sequins. What do you think???
Since we just featured a catalog in India, and it is a place of continual inspiration for Free People, I'd like to point out this blog. Flower Girl's Rural India is a travel blog featuring one girl's journey to-date with interesting facts/customs/traditions from Rural India. I think she has been traveling through India for about a year and this is her last month. It's a great blog to explore and learn more about the art, people and customs of India. Enjoy!
Here is one more mix CD from the Urban Outfitters Home Office Swap. This was made by Meredith, the Allocation Analyst for the Free People stores! (If you're wondering what that means, Meredith figures out how many units of each size and color of a style get shipped to each store. She analyzes all kinds of info like what was sold the year before, how similar styles are selling currently, etc)
A note from Meredith:
"It's called I'm With Cupid. Geddit...
I was talking with a friend this week with whom I often exchange mix cds and was asked how I usually pick my songs. I think most of the time I pick a song because it's the music that's emotive to me, not necessarily the sentiment. But when it comes to finding songs for Valentines I see-saw the other way around, and each of these songs kind of pull on my heartstrings. One of my favourite things about love songs is how one time you listen to them and think "AH! This is how I feel and isn't so wonderful!" and then a week later return to it thinking "LOVE! THE MISERY!" "
The Moth & Aimee Mann
It Could Be Sweet & Portishead
Soul Food & Martina Topley-Bird
I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) & Nina Simone
Your Love Gets Sweeter & Finley Quaye
Apple of my eye & Ed Harcourt
(There Is) No Greater Love & Amy Winehouse
Sweet Song & Blur
All Or Nothing & Pauline Taylor
You Know So Well & Sondre Lerche
Hills & Thao Nguyen
You Do Something To Me & Paul Weller
Tomorrow on the Runway & Innocence Mission
To Be Around You (Part 1+2) & Obi
Chicago (Acoustic) & Sufjan Stevens
Munich - (Editor's Cover) & Corinne Bailey Rae
I've got you & New Buffalo
What If We Do & Mia Doi Todd
When I'm Thinking About You & The Sundays
Above are some "behind the scenes" photos from our photo shoot in India, featuring some of the people our team met along the way...
And here's a little message and info about our featured model, Yulia.
"Say hi to all the Free People big kiss. i'm 19 years old, Born in St Petersburg, Russia but moved to London when i was 6 years old and have lived there ever since. i have been modeling for 3 years, full time for 2.
i love working with Free People because, I get to travel to amazing locations with wonderful people. We recently traveled to India to shoot a catalogue. It was beautiful, unlike any other place i've ever been. I love wearing the clothes and accessories, they are really fun, very comfortable and wearable in day to day life, there are pieces for every occasion. I always say that I wish their entire collection was my wardrobe. There is always a great atmosphere on set and we have a lot of fun working together. I always look forward to working with and spending time with the whole Free People crew its really a lot like hanging out with friends. big kiss yulia xx"
Check out the February catalog featuring Yulia here.
The February catalog drops today! The book was shot in Jaipur, India. Our theme for this collection is "I Want Candy" translating into yummy, sugary, candy colors and embellishments of plastic stones and gems.
We were inspired by this Japanese travel book following one single girl's experience. You'll notice we only used one model for this book. Her name is Yulia. Stay tuned for an interview with Yulia and some behind the scenes photos...
One more Valentine gift from our graphic designers, Free People Valentines! Download them here and mail them to your friends.
Here is Heather's mix for the Urban Outfitters Home Office Vday mix CD swap. She is the Free People Direct Operations Manager. Message from Heather...
"Here’s my play list for the Valentines CD Exchange. One requirement for inclusion was that all songs had to be “old enough to drink” so all of the tracks are at least 21 years old. (Actually I am only *pretty* sure this is true-so I could get busted by music nerds.) I wanted to include all of my favorite types of music, so I included classic reggae, soul, ska, country, punk etc. The tracks are all related to love in some way, whether it is unrequited love, anti-love, weird horror love, cheeky love, misbegotten love, magical love… etc. etc"
Ten Commandments (From: Man To Woman): Prince Buster
Tramp: Otis Redding & Carla Thomas
Papa Don't Take No Mess: James Brown
Big Eight: Judge Dread
Tears of a Clown: The English Beat
Cocaine Blues (Live): Johnny Cash
Rebel Rebel: David Bowie
Pirate Love: Johnny Thunders
Hand in Glove: The Smiths (featuring Sandie Shaw)
Magic Man: Heart
Looking at You: MC5
Skulls: The Misfits
Smother Love: Crass
Steppin' Stone: Minor Threat
Storm in My House: Minutemen
Rocket Queen: Guns N' Roses
This is Jenny’s mix for the Urban Outfitters Inc. Home Office CD exchange. Jenny works in Wholesale Operations for FP. Here's a little note from Jenny.
“No, no theme. I was originally going to be all dark and bitter so as to have the Valentine's day theme be ironic, but then I figured there was enough irony around Urban Outfitters Inc., so I just picked love-themed favs.
The track I left off was Rufus Wrainwright's "Hallelujah," although I'm still trying to figure out of I could put the Miracles' "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (you might remember this song from early 80's Sesame Street videos where Lionel Ritchie(?) sang it with a Muppet long on arms).
Also, as far as cover art goes, I did a Google image search on the first track and this is what came up. It's from this chick's blog zazazu.wordpress.com So I'll probably do a black and white version, since I have a BW laser printer and am too lazy to find a solution to the color problem. “
1. Wishing and Hoping: Ani Difranco
2. To Bring You My Love: PJ Harvey
3. Valentine: Old 97's
4. Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for your Eyes: Kristin Andreassen
5. Day Like Any: Feist
6. Mama You Been on My Mind: Bob Dylan featuring Joan Baez
7. Laisse Tomber Les Filles: April March
8. I Told her Lies: Robbie Faulks
9. What Kind of Man are You?: Ray Charles
10. Death of Me: Tony Lucca
11. Don't Speak: Leela James
12. Sinnerman: Nina Simone
13. Apologize: Timbaland
14. I Believe in a Thing Called Love: The Darkness
15. Ain't No Other Man: Christina Aguilara
16. Just a Thought: Gnarls Barkley
17. With or Without You: U2
18. Just Friends: Wilco
19. Addicted to Love: Robert Palmer
20. I Know What Boys Like: The Waitresses
Here's a gift from our graphic designers! Free People Valentine's wallpaper. Download it for you background on our flickr group. Be sure to set up an account and join our group so you can easily see when we post new downloads...
Ever wished you could write yourself a letter in the future? You could remind yourself of a great moment you want to make sure you don't forget. Or maybe of a lesson learned, a mistake you don't want to repeat again. Or maybe it would just be amusing to see where you thought you would be in the future compared to where you actually are. On futureme.org you can write yourself a letter and post date it for any time in the future. You'll be emailed that letter on the date you choose. Pretty amazing concept. Their philosophy is, emails are more accurate than memory. Check it out.
Last year I posted about an umbrella built for two, and this year I've found an even better version for Valentine's Day in red. I spotted this in the January/February issue of Blueprint magazine, and you can get one at umbrellastand.com
Urban Outfitters organized a Valentine Mix CD Swap here among home office employees across the three brands (Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People). Over the next two weeks, I'm going to feature some of the mixes made by people in the FP home office.
This is the first mix made by Kelly. She works in the Wholesale Customer Service Department. Her mix is called B-Mine, love songs by artists with the letter B. Here's her playlist...
Heaven is a place on earth Belinda Carlisle
Boys Britney Spears
Crimson and clover Blondie
Venus as a boy Bjork
Two of us Beatles
I want you Bob Dylan
I send my love to you Bonnie Prince Billy
Promise Butch Walker
Change of heart Beck
Shot through the heart Bon Jovi
Cradle of love Billy Idol
Orgasm addict Buzzcocks
Who was in my room Butthole Surfers
Girls Beastie Boys
Just a friend Biz Markie
Don't phunk with my heart Black Eyed Peas
Free People has set up a MySpace! Be our friend, check out our photos, and connect with other fp girls (or guys, or bands, or photographers, or artists, you know).
check out the Free People MySpace here