The latest edition of BLDG15 Threads is here!
Lately at Free People, we have been really into braids - you might have noticed them on many of our models!
In our latest BLDG15 Threads, we show you (with the help of our hairstylist) how to make three different types of braids - a knot braid, fishtail, and twist-rope braid!
Check out this video below, in which our hairstylist makes a fishtail braid on one of our models while showing us how! You can find a video for the knot braid on BLDG15 Threads, as well as step-by-step instructions and drawings for each braid. Be sure to have a look!
Just for fun, here are a few shots of some girls around the office today, sporting their braids!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 29, 2008 10:38 AM
We received this request via a comment, so I thought I'd share with all!
Designers are wanted for the Eco Exchange Fashion Show at GreenFest Philly
Sunday, September 7th 2008, 1PM
Eco-Fashion hits South Street with style and sustainability. We need designers using organic, alternative (hemp/bamboo/etc.) and reused/vintage materials. The festival draws 20,000 people and you'll have the opportunity to showcase designs and promo on and off the runway.
Please contact liza ASAP at liza@goodlifeevents.org to participate or check out GreenFest Philly for details (throw out the submission guidelines - we want you!)
Labor Day weekend is almost here! A time for cookouts and parades and camping and all sorts of other fun activities... It also brings to mind the old "rule" of dress: No white after Labor Day, until Memorial Day. I was chatting today with a couple of the girls on the knits team, and we had somewhat varying opinions on how much power this rule still holds. Some feel this rule has gone totally obsolete, for others, strict observance remains. As for myself, I'll be wearing plenty of white shirts through winter, but you sure won't catch me in any white pants or skirts!
I am so curious to find out what you guys think of this rule! Please share!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 28, 2008 11:56 AM
I guess it's wallpaper day! This is really something beautiful. German artist Eno Henze did this mural wallpaper for the Maxalot Gallery. He uses computers to create these very organic looking designs. I looove the implied textures.
This wallpaper is amazing! It reacts to heat - the flowers bloom as it gets warmer.
If you like this wallpaper, you should definitely check out its creator Shi Yuan's website! There are many very cool art pieces on there, including a few more heat sensitive creations!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 28, 2008 10:14 AM
You'll have to forgive me for this post of a few random pictures, but I couldn't resist. They were so cool that I really wanted to put them up so you could see them! Smoke & Ochre is very interested in old photographs, and she has a pretty fantastic collection if you graze through her archives.
I love these women! They look like they could be Free People girls from the past.
This one is Bridgitte Bardot.... wow!
I leave you with David Bowie...
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 27, 2008 5:21 PM
I'm sure you toss some cereal boxes in the recycling bin. And you've probably been stuck without a gift box for your friend's birthday and especially around the holidays. Head over to instructables to learn how to make a gift box from a cereal box! My only advice would be to dress it up a little more than what they've done in the photos. Paint it, get pretty ribbons, glue on some sequins, make it pretty!
Yum! They look so pretty though, I almost wouldn't be able to eat one if I had it!
These cupcakes, or rather, cuppacakes, are created by Wondermilk Bakery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All these gorgeous pictures are from their site. Bloesem recently visited their actual shop in Kuala Lumpur, which looks so awesome! Be sure to check out her post here for some cool pictures of the store!
Looks like my own chances of visiting Wondermilk at home are pretty slim - but now I have some pretty sweet cupcake decorating ideas!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 26, 2008 11:01 AM
I've seen a few amazing artists working with paper cuts, but none are as clever and witty as Robert Ryan. You can own his book This Is for You for a small price, or one of his original screenprints from his etsy store. Check out Robert Ryan's web site and read his blog (which is still updated once and a while even though he's on holiday).
This morning I wandered into the Display Team's room, and found them working on this sweet little project!
Turns out they are thinking of creating big rugs to hang on the walls in the stores. (Which would be awesome.)
So today they have been creating lots of little mini-rugs, to try out different techniques and see what looks best and allows for the most detail.
They are so cute! Next time I wander into that room, you can bet I'm going to be asking for rug-making lessons... ;)
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 25, 2008 11:05 AM
I found a link to this in the archives of a blog last week (sorry, I can't remember where!) I loved the image above, the fabric books of an Italian manufacturer, Mantero.
The Herald Tribune featured the photo accompanying an article titled The Globalization of Fabric. Check it out to learn a little about the difference in the quality of cloth used by some of the brands you would find at your local shopping mall versus those used in the world of luxury fashion. The story also explains some of the countries that supply the luxury market, and the types of fabric they specialize in.
Free People dogs, Porter and Agnes, are shown above enjoying the shade at the Employee Appreciation party last week! You may remember Agnes (right) from when she was featured in a Free People doggy profile a while back. She and Porter were tied to a tree together at the party and they just loved it! They are best friends!
I also really wanted to show you this awesome cake that Magnolia Bakery in New York City made for our catalog shoot last week! It was so cute, I couldn't resist sharing!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 24, 2008 5:13 PM
Last month, we opened our second New York City store, at 1319 3rd Avenue!
We have been so excited about it!
Everyone who had a part in helping open up this store did such a fantastic job- the store is incredible! Just have a look at these photos for proof! I especially am in love with the cash-register counter...
If you find yourself in NYC, please, come visit us!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 22, 2008 2:06 PM
I am loving this blog of fashionable bike riders!!! I can't stand it. Maybe riding my bike in heels is easier than walking around the city all day?? Check out Copenhagen Cycle Chic!
That last photo is by Larry Strung from from a series called Hamilton365.
How incredible?! Jennifer Marsh was sick and tired of staring at this eyesore of an abandoned gas station and decided to take matters into her own hands. She brought together a group of international artists and U.S. school children to help her craft the covering for every inch of the old Citgo including the lights, the pumps, and the signs. Crochet, knit, patch, and stitch!
I was browsing around Design*Sponge this morning, and came across an interesting post featuring designer David Stark. The post discussed David's incredible job planning and creating a benefit event for The Robin Hood Foundation, (see picture below, and the D*S post for more pictures,) but one thing lead to another and I ended up on David's site, which is where I found this video! It's long but doesn't seem long - I could watch for hours, it's very mesmerizing! Enjoy!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 20, 2008 12:18 PM
You've witnessed some of my ballon infatuations, and now I give you pinatas and confetti. ConfettiSystem provides glamorous handmade party decor and accessories like this glam blindfold and gem-like pinatas. I'm sure you DIY too! Party time...
Don't forget about our FP Style Event, which is going on right now!
We have been collecting your pictures of you and your friends wearing Free People and putting them in a set on our Flickr account! We love seeing how you wear your Free People!
Below, find just a few of the pictures that FP girls have sent us so far! To see the whole set, check out our Flickr account! And don't forget to send us pictures of you in your Free People, to blog.freepeople@gmail.com!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 18, 2008 4:35 PM
Feel like doing some quilting? Or maybe you'd like to make a bag for your yoga mat?? Amy Butler offers free pdf patterns for doing just that. Of course the samples are made up in her beautiful floral fabrics, but you can run wild with your own combinations of prints!
These awesome pictures are all from Gigi Cifali's series called Absence of Water, which features pools in the UK that have fallen into disuse. Empty pools are so strange looking- I love it! I first saw these on this Yatzer post, which has a few more pictures. You can also check out Gigi's website, which is pretty cool.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 15, 2008 3:56 PM
As I'm sure you all recall, currently Carrie and Doub's eagle is on display here in Building 543, which is where our cafeteria, gallery, and mailroom are, among other things. With the eagle they also put up a very long blank wall, where everyone has been invited to write their thoughts, on the eagle or anything else. After almost two weeks, the wall has really developed into something fun! It's almost like Urban Outfitters Incorporated's huge bathroom wall - in the best possible sense!
I am really intrigued by all the crazy things people have written and drawn on this wall, and I've taken quite a few pictures of it!
If you are in the Philadelphia area, come down to the Naval Yard, Building 543, and check out the incredible eagle and write on his graffiti wall!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 14, 2008 12:48 PM
Recently I got an email from one of our readers suggesting we check out Alejandra Quesada, an artist and designer from Mexico City. Am I ever glad I did! I went to her site, which is really cute, and fell in love with so so many of her clothes! She makes really cool drawings too! Definitely worth a look!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 13, 2008 10:17 AM
Did anyone see the meteor shower last night/this morning??? I was sleeping! Was it amazing?
We passed through the tail of comet Swift-Tuttle. You can read more about it on TreeHugger.
Though personally I am not that into bugs, I still think these bugs made from various found objects, (without the use of glue!) are pretty darn cool. Here is a link to the guy that made them's Flickr account, on which he has a set with probably around 25 of these little bugs! Very cool!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 11, 2008 12:15 PM
Please tell us about your job.
I am the Store Manager at store the Suburban Square store in Ardmore, PA. I love the atmosphere. I work with the most amazing group of girls and have met some of my closest friends through FP. I love styling up our customers! It’s a great feeling knowing you helped a person find that perfect outfit they are going to look and feel awesome in!!!
What do you like best about working for FP?
Kickin it with my girls in my heady little store! :)
What do you like to do when you're not at work?
I do a lot of Yoga. Spend time with family and friends. Go out to different little restaurants around the city. When I can get a few days, I love taking road trips to go see live music and dance the night away! :)
Please tell us about some of your favorite things!
I love the small boutiques around Philly; my favorite is a small conscious clothing boutique in Queen Village called Revelations. They carry some great brands, super cute and comfy, and the people that work there are really chill. And they carry Free People!!!
I'd have to say my favorite movie is Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken. It's about a girl who runs away to follow her dream to be a horse diver. She overcomes all the hardships life decides to throw at her. Really it’s just a heartfelt good old-fashioned movie that I used to watch as a little girl, because I was obsessed with horses. I recently re-discovered it and it’s just as good as I remembered!!!
Oh and of course Almost Famous…gotta love it!!!
I love Colorado!!! I was born and have family out there. I love to visit, but I never seem to get out there enough. It is such a beautiful state- fresh air, mountains, trees, hiking and SNOWBOARDING!!!! I love to snowboard! The best feeling is standing on top of the Rockies, taking in a big breath of fresh mountain air, looking down at an untouched run of powder you’re about to shred…. and then shredding it!!!
I love discovering new music!!! I actually get a lot from our store mixes. Like I said above, I love going to live shows. I have met so many amazing people going to see music throughout the years, and I love to go to visit them whenever a favorite band is playing in their area!
My favorites to see live are The Disco Biscuits, Brothers Past, Lotus, Sound Tribe, The New Deal… really anyone who can make me dance.
I love everything though, from Madonna, Erykah Badu, Zap Mamma, The Blow, Brazilian Girls, Feist, Laurnen Hill… To old school rap like A Tribe Called Quest, Fugees, Outcast, Gangstarr, Bone, TuPac, Biggie, Jay-Z, Snoop. Classic hippie stuff like The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, the Doors (I have the same birthday as Jim Morrison!) I'm really into down tempo electronic stuff like Kruder and Dorfmeister, Theviory Corporation, Shpongle, The Bays, Air, Bonobo, Explosions In The Sky. Also some Indie bands, Postal Service, Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Of Montreal, Architecture in Helsinki. Of course reggae, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Easy Star Allstars, Matisyahu, Dub Specialist, Israel Vibrations... I could go on and on but you get the idea... I'm obsessed with music!!!
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
I just wanted to be able to ride horses all day, every day. Now it’s evolved into riding horses and doing yoga!!!
What inspires you?
More like who...My dad!!! He is the most caring, funny, intelligent, supportive, kind hearted, hard working, understanding, genuine, and just AMAZING guy ever... he inspires, motivates and supports me! I just hope one day I can be as much to someone as he is to me.
Is there a current trend you wish would go away?
What isn’t right for one person may be perfect for someone else! If you love it rock it!!! Who cares what anyone else thinks! :)
Is there a current trend you wish would stay forever?
Tie-dye will never die!!!
What superpower would you most like to have?
Funny you should ask, because we were just discussing who everyone in our store would be if we were to be super heroes. Then my MIT Jamie drew me a little character... check it out!!!
What do you like best about where you live?
I just moved into an amazing little apartment in an up-and-coming area in Philadelphia- Fishtown. I love coming home at the end of a night, sitting on my couch, looking out the window at the skyline or up at the stars through my skylight, listening to some chill music, eating dove chocolate caramels… just taking a little time to myself. :)
What are some of your favorite places to hang out?
The farmer's market is my favorite place to go on my break. It's right up the block from the store and you can get anything from fresh produce to pastries to Chinese and sushi, coffee, candy, these little hotdogs wrapped in pretzels, a.k.a. smokey cheesers... a store favorite (among the non-vegetarians) along with the chocolate covered strawberries. (vegetarian friendly) :)
Have you any favorite places to travel?
I studied at the London College of Fashion for a semester back in school and loved it! I traveled to Paris, Ireland, Rome, and Amsterdam. It was amazing. If could travel anywhere though, I would have to say the moon... I would love to see the world from up there. It would certainly put into perspective how insignificant we are in the whole grand scheme of things. Just thinking about it makes me appreciate how beautiful life is and how lucky we are... also floating around weightless would be saweeeeet!!!!
We heard that you really love Yoga! Tell us more!
What type of yoga do you practice?
I do Bikram Yoga. It’s a type of Hatha Yoga, a series of 26 postures including 2 breathing exercises, over the span of 90 minutes, in a room heated from 90-105 degrees. It’s amazing, unlike any other type of exercise. You leave feeling more energetic, confident, positive, motivated and with more strength to deal with anything your day decides to throw at you.
Where do you practice?
I practice at Bikram’s Yoga College of India, located at 1520 Sansom St in Center City Philadelphia. It’s an amazing studio with caring, dedicated, motivating instructors and students!!! If you can, check it out! It's only $20 for your first week and you can go as many times as you want!!!
What is your favorite yoga position?
It’s so hard to pick a favorite- I love them all for different reasons. If I had to choose one I would say Dandayamana-Dhanurasana, or Standing Bow Pulling Pose. It’s a lot of fun once you get your balance and start kicking your foot higher then you ever imagined you could. It’s extremely challenging to keep your balance while focusing on staying in alignment, deepening into the posture and holding it for a minute. It’s really an inner struggle with your mind, telling yourself you can do it and not getting too frustrated when you fall out. In this practice you constantly want to push your edge- it helps develop concentration, patience, and determination while firming the abs, upper thighs, upper arms, hips and buttocks. It also increases the size and elasticity of the rib cage and lungs and improves the flexibility and strength of the lower spine and most of the body’s muscles.
Another favorite is The Toe Stand. I won’t go into as much detail, but basically I like the mental challenge of the balancing series. It has taught me to accept where I am in my practice and in life. Some days you can balance all day long others hardly for a second. Accepting that, letting it go and giving it another shot tomorrow is when you’re really doing yoga/living.
What position kicks your butt?
OMG! Tuladandasana or Balancing Stick has been kicking my butt lately. It may not look like much but to do it right is ridiculously difficult. There are so many things to be concentrating on all at once. Standing on one leg while trying to get the stretch where you know you should be. Look forward, chin up, hip down, point your toe, heel out, reach your arms, and squeeze your palms. It seems once you get one aspect you loose another so this is definitely my personal posture of perseverance, for now. It strengthens the heart muscles and gets your heart rate going!!!
Trikanasana, triangle pose, is what’s up in the butt-kicking poses!!! Straight from Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class book “the only posture in the world that improves every muscle, joint, tendon, and internal organ in the body. At the same time, it revitalizes nerves, veins, and tissues. It helps cure lumbago and rheumatism of the lower spine by flexing and strengthening the last five vertebrae, and it improves crooked spines. This is the most important pose to increase the strength and flexibility of the hip joint and of the muscles of the side of the torso. It also firms upper thighs and hips, slims the waistline, and improves the deltoids, trapezius, scapula, and latissimus muscles.” Basically, it’s awesome!!!
What are the benefits of your yoga practice?
The benefits of Bikram’s Yoga are tremendous!!! Each and every pose is scientifically thought out and strategically placed within the series to improve your entire body inside and out, fingertips to toes, bones to skin, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Get a copy of Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class by Bikram Choudhury for a guide through every pose, all their specific benefits and personal stories from Bikram and his students if you want the complete rundown.
Have you any advice for someone who is interested in yoga but has never tried it before?
My only advice is to do it!!! As one of my favorite instructors puts it, “We have a great deal going on right now. If you practice 5-6 days a week it will change your life!”
Oh, and remember to breathe! :)
Well that’s it. I hope you enjoyed my profile. Let me know if you have any music suggestions, snowboarding spots, decent restaurants, shops, or anything at all you think I might enjoy now that you know me a little. It’s been real!
Namaste.
Find some pillow cases with pretty lace borders and make comfy dresses! MayaMade has a tutorial so you can learn how. She made hers for her nieces (who are sooo cute), but you could use a king size case, or just make a tunic to wear with cutoff shorts or jeans.
As many of you know, our latest catalog came out this week, and so for our weekly poll I was curious about what you all think of our last few catalogs.
Below, to remind you which is which, are the front covers of our last three catalogs.
Now right off the bat, I want to point out that having Al Franken's video on here is not in any way an endorsement or political statement or anything. I think he is running for Congress, but I couldn't even tell you which side he's on. The reason Al Franken makes it on the blog today is because in this video, which you can find below, he draws a near-perfect map of the USA from memory, in about 3 minutes. I had to share it with you!
This seriously blows my mind! Especially because after I watched this video I tried myself, and drew the USA from memory as best I could. Let me tell you that it took me a LOT more than 3 minutes! I had mistakes in mine too, for example my placement of Arkansas. (Whoops!) Below the video, you can find my attempt at drawing the map, which was a mess and ended up needing a second piece of paper cause I drew the eastern half of the country too big... :)
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 6, 2008 11:37 AM
Last night I attended the opening for the collaborative art project of Carrie and Doub!
Carrie happens to be our Assistant Art Director, and Doub, our Art Director, Assistant Design Director, and also my sister! :)
Together they created a gigantic eagle sculpture, made mostly of wood, cardboard, paper-mache. It is incredible!
The eagle will be on display here at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in building 543 for the next six weeks, and I encourage you to come check it out and write your thoughts on the wall beside it!
As you might imagine, it takes a lot of work to get a bird this big suspended in the air! Below is a little video clip showing the work behind getting the bird made, moved, and hung from the ceiling! Underneath that, more pictures!
After the eagle was finally lifted up where it needed to be, they were so glad they thought they'd give him a little kiss! :)
A picture of the artists at the opening, shown here with our buddy Bob!
People enjoyed themselves at the opening...
A little "thank you" from the artists, written on the wall!
If you are in the area at all over the next six weeks, come on down to the Philadelphia Navy Yard (at the south end of Broad Street) and check out this eagle! It's so incredible!
Check out the video for our newest catalog, which drops today!
This catalog features the trend Proper Nomad, which mixes classic menswear and tailoring with more ethnic influences. The catalog also focuses on showcasing the many faces of the Free People girl! Enjoy!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 5, 2008 12:48 PM
I found this site while I was searching for some cool bike accessories this weekend. I just got a new bike, but this makes me want another one! Beachbikes has a lot of awesome cruisers, and I love their "history of beach cruisers."
Does anyone know a great site for bike accessories? I'm talking bags and baskets. I love velo orange, but want to see what else is out there...
For our newest catalog, which will be dropping this week(!) we thought it would be cool to have various volunteers around the office hand-write the catalog copy! Here is a little video showing everyone working on writing the catalog! We are so proud of this catalog and we're sure you will all just love it! Tune in a little later this week for our catalog video!
Dislikes: christmas bells, doorbells (any bells actually), walks in the rain, being yanked away from free food on the sidewalk, the slow drive out to the park (too slow!), any talk of being neutered.
Favorite friends: Sadie (his sister three blocks away in downtown Philly), Maverick (a buddy from the dog park), and any FP office dogs, especially Indie! Also his new cousin Nook, a white retriever puppy (Nook is short for Nanook, which is Inuit for polar bear…he’s Canadian). Also his cousins black lab Banyon and Maple.
He’s also best friends with his sister Adelaide, a six month old human of the feminine variety. Addie’s instinctual response to Barley anytime he gets near is to close her eyes and pull her head back in defense against a big sloppy kiss.
How did you meet: Barley and his Dad met at the breeder’s house, north of Trenton in New Jersey. There were 3 available males in his litter, and he was chosen because he was the biggest and had the most dark yellow in his coat. Barley and his Mom met at the airport later that same day, she was flying home from vacation and was SO surprised to find a scared little puppy waiting for her at the international terminal at PHL.
Anything else you want to share: Barley’s sole purpose in life is to eat. Thankfully, he has never been put in this position, but if he were ever to find himself confronted by an unlimited supply of food, we’re confident he would eat until he could no longer stand up. His most terrifying moment came when his parents thought he swallowed a baby shoe. Turns out he didn’t, but we didn’t realize it until the surgeon didn’t find anything inside. He healed well and was swimming 3 days later, against doctor’s orders. He’s doesn’t care much for authority figures, except his parents when he knows he shouldn’t chew on the rug.
He’s an avid swimmer and has perfected the running leap into swimming pools.
One of our stylists, Mackenzie, took some stunning pictures while she was on the last couple of catalog shoots! Here's a little note from her: "We went to Virginia for the last two catalog shoots... and it’s ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL THERE!!!
Here is some proof!!!
We loved it!!!"
These pictures make me really excited to see the catalogs that were shot in Virginia! How beautiful!
How great are these polaroids by Portland photographer Elizabeth Soule? She does a few different series using little animal figurines, sometimes paired with props. The lighting and colors are really beautiful, and the animals irresistible!
