July 31, 2008
awesome/crazy sofa
I couldn't resist showing you this sofa which yatzer found. I can't stop looking at it! Designed by Lila Jang, you can find a little more information about the sofa here.
Thursday Poll - Edition 5
One of my favorites of our new items is the Wild At Heart Chiffon Dress, shown below in the two colors it comes in - teal and black. This dress is so stunning!
My question to you is, which color do you like better for this dress? Teal or black?
if you believe in fairytales
I saw these adorable handmade books on cruststation. Made by the French writer/crafter Apol Lejano-Massebieau, these are her la pomme stories. Check out her etsy store. There's a great interview with her on Heart Handmade.
Above are some of her other crafts from the la pomme shop.
July 30, 2008
boot ruination!
Check out this video from the latest B15 Threads, in which we 'break in' our boots to make them look cooler for the catalog!
If you end up trying this method yourself, be sure to check on your boots after each time you run over them and see how much they’ve been distressed- you don’t want to beat them beyond repair! Depending how much you want your boots wrecked up, you can also bang them off a sidewalk or in rocks!
parking space parks
Prepare for September 19th and Park(ing) Day, and experience how great our cities might be if they were designed for people rather than cars. Park(ing) Day participants get into some guerrilla gardening and take over public parking spaces, turning them into their own customized little corners of nature and relaxation.
Check out Inhabitat for more pictures and a full description.
July 29, 2008
the creations of Sue Doeksen
I am going crazy over the art of Sue Doeksen! The cute stuff shown above is just the tip of the iceberg, you should seriously check out her site!
I found her and her site via Olivelse.
beauty of jam?
Yes, jam. Coolhunting made this video with June Taylor, a preserve maker in Berkley, CA. First of all, I love that they profiled her and put her in the mix with all the hip, hot artists and designers they are usually feature. Second, the process and her enthusiasm is fascinating. I love to see anyone that loves their work and puts as much effort, thought and design into what they are doing as any great artist would.
mmmm jam.
Please check out June Taylor's website. There is a Michel Gondry-style video she made about her jams.
July 28, 2008
I did DIY with Adrianne Lee!
About a week ago, our friend Adrianne Lee of Ninkybink.com did a fabulous guest post for us, in which she taught us how to make a cute corset tank!
Well, this weekend I finally had a little bit of extra time, so I tried my hand at making a corset tank, Ninkybink style! Here's how it turned out! (Don't mind the red shirt underneath!)
I used an old t-shirt that had been dyed, and then spray painted with a lace and floral stencil. After I made the corset top I put some iron-on stars along a couple of the side seams for effect. I haven't had a chance to make the cute quirky brooches yet, but that's my next project!
I love my new shirt! I will definitely be using Adrianne's corset tank method again! It was easy and fun, and has pretty limitless possibilities. Thank you again Adrianne! This was awesome!
If you've made a shirt too, we'd love to see it! Send it to us at blog.freepeople@gmail.com!
quilt your day job!
You know you've thought about it, about leaving the office for you yarn, your glue gun, your sewing machine. These crafters have made a living for themselves doing just that, and are sharing their stories on Etsy's Stork in a series called Quilt Your Day Job. Find out how they did it!
July 27, 2008
balloon graffiti
I'm intrigued by the pictures in D. Billy's Flickr set, which I found via all the good things. Interesting art graffiti like that shown above, and some crazy cartoons...
July 25, 2008
stolen jewels
I was checking out Fops and Dandies (which, by the way, is sadly nearing the end of its rope,) saw this jewelry by Mike and Maaike, and flipped! It's such a cool idea!
Just in case you can't read the print on the pictures, here's what it says:
an exploration of tangible vs. virtual in relation to real and perceived value. using google image search, we browsed through some of the most expensive and often famous jewelry in the world, the low-res images we found were stolen, doctored, then transferred to leather, creating a tangible new incarnation. with the expense and intricacy of the jewels stripped away, their essence and visual intensity are extracted.
...and they look really cool too. :) Pixels! So old school. I want one!
Check out Mike and Maaike's site to see more of their creations!
carmensita
Natalie Portman + Devendra Banhart + Indian music video = fantastic
July 24, 2008
Thursday Poll - Edition 4
This week for our poll, we have a question for you all in regards to a couple of our current trends.
One trend that we are currently featuring in our stores is called "Wild at Heart." The inspiration for this trend is the outdoors, the beauty of nature, and ourselves within it. Sweaters, cable knits, lots of texture in general, thermals, and a natural color palette dominate this trend. You can also spot plenty of plaid and a long and lean look to this trend.
Here are a couple of items from this trend, to help give an idea of what it is about!
Shown above is the Buckled Up Menswear Dress in blue.
Shown here is the Wildlife Burnout Crew in black.
Another trend that you can currently find permeating our stores right now is called "Girls in Paris." The girl in Paris is more fashion-forward, and though her silhouettes are similar to those in Wild at Heart, they are edgier and a little flirtier too! This trend is dominated by a drapey, girly feel, with hints of stripes, art deco-type prints, and of course plenty of black!
A couple of examples follow below...
Above is our Parisian Moon Dress, shown here in black combo.
Here we have our Raining Flowers Cami in olive.
See if you can pick out more items from each trend on your own!
But please first, give us your opinion! Which current trend do you like most?
milk crate decor
I'm sure you had some milk crate "furniture" in college, or maybe you even have some right now. A "book shelf" perhaps. Well these designs from MADE and Naty Maskovich will definitely inspire a bit more sophistication. How great are those stools?
Found via Dwell Blog.
July 23, 2008
Employee Profile - Jenny!
Our latest employee profile features one of our favorite models, Jenny! Frequently Jenny is seen gracing the pages of our catalogs, as well as modeling many, many items on our website! She is a total delight, and so charming! Below, find Jenny's video interview, complete with a quick introduction by Lindsay, one of our photographers, who tells us why she loves working with Jenny!
handmade nation
Head on over to my love for you for a great interview with Fayth Levine, author of Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design. Learn about the makings of her book, a documentary, and how to help support the projects!
July 22, 2008
Announcing the Free People Style Event!
Hey Free People girls!
Show us your style! How do you wear your Free People? Head to toe? Flashes of flair?
We noticed that people would often upload pictures of themselves wearing
their Free People to our Facebook account, and we loved it! That got us thinking... and curious to see more!
Send us your pictures of you and your friends in your Free People
clothing, and we’ll put them all on our Flickr account!
Email your name, age, and current town with your pictures to
blog.freepeople@gmail.com, and we will upload them!
If you can, tell us which FP items you are wearing too!
Eventually, we’ll pick out some of our favorite styles and feature them on
the blog!
To get started, we put up a few pictures of our own employees rocking their
Free People here at the home office! You can check out our Flickr folder for
this event here!
ruby slippers
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, 19 designers are recreating Dorothy's famous ruby slippers. The collection will be on tour in Saks Fifth Avenue, Bryant Park during September fashion week, and Art Basel in Miami in December. The shoes will be auctioned off to benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Read more on WWD or The New York Times.
July 21, 2008
we love the acid wash!
Check out one of our newer items, the Lacey Bandeau Cami!
This cami, aside from featuring a lacey bodice, has an awesome acid washed bottom!
We asked our Assistant Design Director, Doub, to tell us a bit about acid washing! Here's what she had to tell us: "We love acid wash! As we all know, acid wash was a big deal on jeans and heavy metal tees in the 80's. Those of us who actually did experience this time period maybe either don't remember it or would rather not admit to owning something acid washed! Haha! We love to bring this 80's acid wash back but on something unexpected like a sweet cami. Often if there is anything too sweet or too pretty we like to acid wash it, to bring it down a notch and roughen it up around the edges. It also makes our thermals and lightweight jerseys so so soft and antique-looking."
We also tracked down the designer responsible for this cute cami, Dana! She tells us: "The acid wash is done as a spray over the finished garment, to get a variety of results on the different fabrics and trims. We love the acid wash! We like using it because it adds a rougher boy edge to the more girly feminine styles, and also because it adds a lot to the fabric and the overall look of the style. We'll be using it again in upcoming seasons, on different kinds of fabric to get different effects!"
We adore this technique, and this cami! Keep an eye out for more acid wash styles coming this fall!
July 19, 2008
DIY with Adrianne Lee!
The picture above is one of Adrianne Lee's awesome fashion illustrations! She posted it on Free People's Facebook profile a while ago, and from there we found her website, NinkyBink Boutique! On her website we found a ton of other cool fashion illustrations, as well as some really cute clothes she has designed! One thing lead to another and we asked Adrianne if she would be willing to do a guest post here on our Free People blog - and she was! So today it is my delight to bring you Adrianne's awesome post, where she teaches us how to easily make a really cute corset tank! (With a lot of her great illustrations too!) Enjoy!
In less than two hours from now, you can have in your possession a corset worthy of envy from Marie Antoinette herself! This corset will defy the idea that corsets are uncomfortable (it’s made of a t-shirt!), it will be adorned with exquisitely quirky pieces of flare, and it will be made by the finest couturier, you! Don’t have a sewing machine? A needle and thread will be fine! I assure you, even if you have never sewn before, this project will be something you can handle with success!
Furthermore, this project was intentionally created to work as a coordinate with your Free People wardrobe! While it’s hot out you might pair it with a skirt and some fun leg wear and as it gets colder layer it with sweaters, jackets, and other tops! I drew a picture to give you a few ideas but I am sure you can come up with more.
This tutorial video will walk you through the steps! Good luck!
Here's a little scrapbook to go along with the project!
I love this! I can't wait to make my very own corset tank! Maybe tomorrow... on a relaxing Sunday? Thank you so much to Adrianne Lee! What an awesome craft project!
Also, if you find yourself wanting a corset tank very badly but not wanting to do the work, you can find other gorgeous tanks at Adrianne's Etsy Shop!
July 18, 2008
kitties!
Friend of Free People Penguin & Fish created these delightful little kitties! They are so cute! You can see more pics of them on the Penguin & Fish blog, and if you really want to get your hands on one, you can find one for keeps at the Penguin & Fish Etsy store!
western spaghetti
How to make spaghetti with pickup sticks and tomato pincushions. This is brilliant!!!
July 17, 2008
Indiana Jones, Dog Model
Many of you may remember Indie from this doggy profile we did of him a while back. Since then, Indie has started a successful modeling career! He now models for a doggy party supply company! The pictures are so cute and hilarious, we had to share them!
Thursday Poll - Edition 3
Our poll this week is a bit more light, but I'm curious to see what the response will be!
One of our latest items from the Wild at Heart trend is the Rows of Cable Dress. On the site, it is shown styled in a couple different ways.
One way is as a sort of jumper, worn over a long sleeved top.
Another way the dress is shown is alone- (though there is a cute slip under it!)
So, my question to you is, how do you like this dress styled? Alone? With a shirt underneath?
white elephant vintage
These photos from White Elephant Vintage are so simple and so beautiful. What a great way to display an item! Check out all of their vintage goodies for sale. Who knew boxing gloves could look so appealing?
July 16, 2008
Want a Free People poster?
Remember a while back when we asked for your help to pick out a poster from the pages of the May catalog? Well, we have a poster finished, and in a week or so we will have 100 of them, waiting and hoping to come to your home! We will send a poster of the picture shown above to the first 100 people to email their name and mailing address to blog.freepeople@gmail.com! (One poster per person.) Yay! Free poster!
counting with feist!
Feist teaches kiddies how to count on Sesame Street.
July 15, 2008
Free People Design-A-Bag Contest - Winner!
Congratulations to our Free People Design-A-Bag Contest winner, Olivia Wendel of Marina del Rey California! You can look for the bag with her design to be in use at the stores in January!
Also, most of the entries have been uploaded to our Flickr account, so check them out!
We want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated! And if you didn't win, don't lose heart! There are more contests on the horizon, so stay tuned!
coloring books for grown-ups
I saw these cool books on PingMag. I think what makes them for adults is that the pictures are more detailed, and the pictures are real pretty and pleasing! It is nice to be reminded that coloring is for everyone, not just kids! I feel inspired to color now! If I can't get my hands on one of these though, I think a children's coloring book might just suit me fine too... :)
lilymoon
I'm falling in love with these prints from LilyMoon. Check out her etsy site and start your art collection for a small price. I'm having a thing for balloons right now, so I'm loving those birdcages!
July 14, 2008
even in the restrooms
There have been a couple of requests to show more pictures of the home office and all pretty things here- well, this may be surprising, or even kind of strange, but these photos are from the Free People home office's restrooms! That is something I really love about working at Free People, that there are so many beautiful and inspring things all around. Even in the restrooms!
I love the paper butterflies, but I am especially impressed with the fancy cloth patchwork flowers. Fantastic!
July 11, 2008
kitty & fishy
This is my kitty Homer. He came from the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society shelter. He is a total ham!
Recently, I moved into a new apartment, and I have yet to get some good decorations on the walls. The fish bowl on the wall is my latest attempt to have something homey and interesting in the apartment. Ever since the fishy, Lou Reed, joined the clan, Homer's favorite hobby is watching him with extreme interest from every vantage point. It's hilarious! We caught this picture of him and I just really wanted to share it with you!
lighting by aqua creations
I'm so intrigued by this lighting by Aqua Creations. To read a bit about it and see more pictures, check out this post on Yatzer.
image bookmarking
I've been dying to find a great image bookmarking site where I can keep track of all of the amazing images I find, like a delicious for pictures. I haven't found exactly what I want, but there are two pretty great sites out there. One is FFFFound and the other is We Heart It. These are great for browsing for inspirational images. Recently ffffound was Linzie Hunter's Lettering Sketchbook. And a great Hearted image is the balloon girls by Elinkan.
July 10, 2008
Thursday Poll - Edition 2
I can't believe a week has gone by already! But it is indeed Thursday, and my friends, it's time now for our Thursday poll.
This week, we are helping Megan, our Web Marketing Analyst, pick out a new coat for this fall. Whenever we are getting ready to sell a bunch of new items, the people in the web production room get a rack full of samples to help them write the copies and other similar tasks. This is how we got the chance to try out some of our new coats!
Here's a little note from Megan: "I always check out the new product when it is brought over to our area. The web producers go through it in order to write the copy. It is really fun to look at the clothes and feel the fabric. I was trying on the new jackets and coats the other day, and I love all of them! I definitely want a new one for fall, but I can't decide which one I like the most…"
The first coat Megan tried on was the Buffalo Swing Coat in grey, shown below.
Next, Megan tried the Rugged Herringbone Coat in blue, and gave us a fun and rather stately pose too! :)
Finally, she tried on the Retro Nylon Puff Jacket in orange.
And now readers, it's up to you! Which coat you like the most?
University of the Arts Senior Photography Show
The University of the Arts Senior Thesis Show for their BFA Photography program will be hosted by the gallery at 543!
543 is a building in the Navy Yard that is shared by all the Urban Outfitters Inc. brands, and is also open to the public. Among other things, it has our cafeteria, gym, coffee shop, mailroom, web studio, and of course, the art gallery!
The opening reception for the show is tonight, and you are all invited! If anyone is in the Philadelphia area, come check it out from 5:30 to 7pm tonight! The Philadelphia Navy Yard is located at the extreme south end of the city, at the very bottom of South Broad Street. In fact, South Broad basically ends in the Navy Yard. Once you're here, just look for Building 543! There are even signs around the Yard that will direct you to it. Hope to see you there! :)
ida, fp dog
Meet Ida. Ida belongs to Lily, who is the assistant designer for color and print. This means that Lily and Ida design prints for all Free People clothing and help pick out colors.
Name: Ida
Nickname: Idey-widey
Breed: Boston Terrier and Poodle mix
Likes: fetch, treats, showers, long walks in the woods, and cuddling
Dislikes: Solitude, boredom
Favorite friends: Boys, especially the staff of the mail room.
How did you meet Ida?
Ida was born in a trailer with turkeys living in the yard. I saw an add in the paper on Christmas Eve 2005 and we've been together ever since.
July 9, 2008
Fernando Brizio's Renewable Clothes
I found these dresses on DesignBoom and now I want to make one! Stick felt tipped markers in the little slots, and over time, (maybe an hour) the ink bleeds into the dress. You can wash the dresses out and make a new design every time! Reminds me of those dolls from when I was a kid - the ones that came plain, and with markers for you to draw and color in clothing and such on the doll, then wash them and start over! Hmm.... I wonder if i could get another doll like that too? :)
To read more about the dresses and even watch a little video in which Fernando talks about them, head on over to DesignBoom.
design for mankind and issuu
A friend introduced me to issuu last night, and now I have a new place to explore for amazing e-zines! The layout is really simple and images look beautiful. Spend some time and search around, or make your own zine, portfolio, photo album, whatever.
Be sure to check out design for mankind's issues of INSPIRATION and get inspired.
Has anyone used issuu or have a favorite zine? Share with us!
July 8, 2008
tv fireworks
As some of you already know, this weekend I tried to get pictures of the fireworks here in Philly to show you, but failed. However, to my delight, our Design Assistant Courtney got quite a few pictures of the fireworks, from the TV! Courtney is obsessed with pictures taken of the TV, and the fireworks couldn't escape her lens! The pictures are actually pretty darn cool!
It was a cold morning in Lyon...
Now, I don't want to overload you with videos today, but this one is so cute and funny I couldn't resist...
This video was taken during our shoot for the July catalog in France. Our catalog shooting team and models are getting ready for a long day! It was a very cold morning, and everyone was feeling kind of groggy. When they got to the first place they were going to be shooting, they blasted the car radio and started to dance and get pumped up! Enjoy!
July Catalog Video!
Our newest catalog drops today and we are so excited! Check your mailboxes! Here is the catalog video to whet your appetites! This catalog was shot in Lyon, France, and kicks off our fall line for this year.
You can also check out the new catalog online!
tea towels
I wrote about these Atelier LZC tea towels back in April of last year. The designer Atelier LZC will be exhibiting tea towels along with about 20 others at the Nicholas Gallery in Cincinnati. Also check out the Philadelphia designer Elenor Grosch of Push Me Pull You Design.
July 7, 2008
print liberation teaches you to screen print
A couple Free People employees just released a really cool book! It's a DIY guide to screen printing for both novice crafters and more experienced artists. They'll show you how to start screen printing using the most basic elements—a screen, some emulsion in a bucket, artwork, a light source and a sink. With your burned screen, a squeegee and some ink, you can print any image you like onto any thing you like!
Go to Print Liberation's website to get a copy of the book, or even just to check it out; they have a lot of cool tee-shirts and other things too!
rya itadani
I'm loving these drawings from Japanese artist Rya Itadani. His hand drawn iconic objects are certainly reminiscent of Mr. Andy Warhol. Check out his site to see more of these wonderful lighthearted depictions.
July 6, 2008
philadelphia's magic gardens
Happy (belated) July 4th to all! I hope everyone here in the States enjoyed their long weekends!
I had been hoping to catch some good pictures of the various fireworks and festivities going on around Philly to share with you guys, but I didn't get any! (Boo!)
However, earlier today a couple friends and I went and checked out Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, where I had never been. People at the home office had told me before that it was a cool place to see, and were they ever right! It was so inspiring!
I'm not sure if you can tell in the last picture, but it began to rain (pretty hard!) while we were in the outside part of the gardens, and there is water pouring out of the sideways jug! Turns out the artists had it configured as part of the gutter! So cool!
And, with all the glass bottles and other randoms, there was an awesome array of noises in the garden as the raindrops hit the objects!
I would totally recommend checking out the Magic Gardens if you are in the area, rain or shine! :)
It was only 3.00$ to get in and it was definitely worth it!
July 3, 2008
Thursday Poll
We are trying out something new this week - the Thursday poll!
Not only do we want to know what you all think, it also seemed like fun!
If all goes well we'll be trying to do one every Thursday.
This week, our Web Marketing Manager, Heather, needs some help picking out a headband! Here's a little note from her:
“My hair has grown to a length where headbands have become a viable option for me. I never really wore headbands but recently they are becoming more and more appealing. I think they add a little bit of jazziness when you maybe don’t really want to put a lot of effort into your hair. I was thinking about picking up some of the cute FP headbands that we have online but I’m not sure what to get. I tried on a couple of the ones we have at the office. Which one do you like best?”
First we have Heather in the pruple Zodiac Stretch Band, shown below.
Next, Heather tries on the pink Rialto Paisley Stretch Band.
Thanks for your feedback!
July 2, 2008
shoelace creativity
These pictures are from Ian’s Shoelace Site, where you can learn how to lace your shoelaces in each of these different ways! I am so inspired!
cabin + cub colllage
I'm loving these vintage collages by artist Valerie Thai. See them all along with her stationary, woodburnings and accessories on her etsy shop, Cabin + Cub Design.
found via print & pattern
July 1, 2008
Fashion Show Postcard
This is a postcard we got from our agents in Taiwan! Yay! They are so sweet!
The story behind the picture is that they held a fashion show for the Urban Outfitters Executives - with the agents for each brand modeling those particular clothes - Free People girls in Free People, Anthropologie girls in Anthro, etc... By all accounts it was a great show! And they sure look cute all dressed in Free People!
We The Free - Sheer Dip Dye Tank
Check out these adorable Sheer Dip Dye Tanks! They are SO SOFT! Gabrielle, the designer mostly responsible for their creation, had this to tell us about them:
"To make these tops we used transparent jersey, a special fabric that we developed just for We the Free. It’s a burnout poly-cotton blend that has a super soft hand feel. To get the print and color, we used a dip dye technique, and used discharge printing for the designs. The printed designs were inspired by organic prints, as well as text. One of the tanks has a text based print that we found in the lining of a vintage Russian military jacket. We think it was the soldier’s name and ID number."
“We love the different tie dye techniques that we used! It’s an easy basic tank with an amazing fit; fitted on the top with a more easy fit in the body. You can layer it or just wear on its own.”
Thanks Gabrielle! We love these tanks too!
solar vintage
Elena Corchero is a designer working with technology and incorporating traditional craft techniques, combining solar technology and textiles. Here are some of her beautiful accessories, that collect energy during the day, and become luminescent decorations in the dark. I love that these are completely beautiful on their own, and their function and technology do not define the design. Check out the lost values projects for more information.
Found via Crust Station
