Remember a while back when we featured our blogger friend Rubyellen? She writes the fabulous blog Cakies, where she documents many things, in particular her extremely cute sewing machine creations! If you didn't see our post about her, you should check it out, and her blog too!
At any rate, yesterday we received a little package from Rubyellen - and to our delight, inside were a pair of pretty little felt flower hairclips, handmade by Rubyellen! There was one for myself, and one for Heather, our Direct Operations Manager! We love them so much! Here we are modeling our flowers...
Aren't they adorable? I just can't get over them! Thank you so much Rubyellen! The clips totally made our day!
Yay!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 31, 2008 5:27 PM
I am sooo very inspired by this q & a with Kate Bingaman Burt over on My Love For You. Kate did the handlettering in Handmade Nation and writes the blog Obsessive Consumption. She DRAWS all of the things she buys, and draws all of her credit card statements.
You need to read the interview and check out her blog. It will change the way you think about shopping, consumption, and your general relationship with money. Oh and art and craft too:)
Having moved to Philadelphia from the Ohio countryside, I couldn't help but notice there were less outrageous (and often tacky) Christmas displays in people's yards - something I had grown up with and enjoyed in Ohio. So I was totally cheered by this video that Heather, our Direct Operations Manager, took a couple of weeks ago. She and some friends went on a night-time scooter ride around south Philadelphia, and got really fun footage of all the holiday lights! It's a real festive and fun video - and at the very end there is a cameo by a cute baby! Enjoy - and if you want to see the video in higher quality, just click on the screen and get whisked off to Youtube, where the high quality version lives.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 31, 2008 1:41 PM
Thank you all so much for participating in the calendar giveaway! It was such a pleasure to read everyone's resolutions! There were a lot of really unique and interesting ones too. I felt really inspired to think about my own resolutions! Good luck to everyone in the coming year, and good luck with your resolutions!
And now, the winner, chosen at random: Congratulations to Jen! in 09 i plan to work hard to grow spiritually and to be less apathetic. i think and talk about things passionately but don't feel as though i DO enough about the things i believe. also, to get my life more simple and organized.
Everyone else, don't lose hope! It was so much fun to do a giveaway, we will definitely be doing another one very soon! Stay tuned, and thank you!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 31, 2008 10:02 AM
"The Labels Project Sculpture sets out to serve as a metaphor of travel, capable of taping memories of time and place to reveal a sense of unspoken collective identity.This installation sculpture relies on the conventions and familiarity of clothing to communicate and uncover a greater sense of self. Label-gazing, becomes here, a valid geographical-psychological challenge. The viewer’s interpretation belies his personal notions about geographical provenance, time and memory."
I couldn't resist posting this adorable video of two kitties conversing with one another! You may have already seen it, as it's apparently had 55,000 views! I showed it to my kitties at home and they watched it with interest - really, they did!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 31, 2008 7:06 AM
What do you guys think of these pieces by Valerie Hegarty? I am partial to the last one myself! Very organic, less destructive. Though the cracked wall and painting are nice too. All very interesting... I couldn't find too much information about Valerie herself, other than that she lives in Brooklyn, but you can see more of her work here, if you're intrigued like I was.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 30, 2008 5:23 PM
Hello all! I have another very cool guest post from Kevin for you! Please enjoy!
Hey Guys! I just saw the Pipilotti Rist show at the Museum Of Modern Art in New York this weekend. It was a giant video installation with dozens of projections all over the atrium of the MOMA! There was a giant eye-shaped couch on the floor, and people were just laying everywhere, soaking up the atmosphere! Totally awesome, a total fantasy of flowers a girl and a pig. Check it out if you are in New York City!
Also, have a look at this sweet interview with Pipilotti from the MOMA's website!
Here's a short little video of part of the show.
The MOMA also has a number of her works in their permanent collection, including the video Ever is All Over, featuring a pretty girl smashing car windows with a giant steel flower.
-Kevin
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 30, 2008 4:11 PM
As the holidays are starting to draw to a close, people are trickling back into the office. So today, I asked around, what did you do over the holidays? Here's what a few people had to say!
Jessica: I shopped sales! I also got a massage! I played with my dog, saw old friends, and generally schmoozed!
Katie: Well, I had a cold, but I made curtains with my mom, which was fun!
Heather: I ended up driving about 1200 miles! I was finishing my big move from Columbus Ohio to here in Philly! I drove from here to Columbus, from Columbus to Indiana, then back to Columbus and back to Philly again! Whew! It's good to be through moving!
Lindsay: I went to Mass for the first time in years, with my boyfriend's family! Then I spent Christmas day with my mom and uncle! One of my favorite gifts I received this year was a silver necklace from my boyfriend, which I'm wearing right now!
Morgan: I spent the holidays in southern Indiana, and I ate a lot of great food that my mom cooked! Yum!
Luren: I went home to Texas and spent the whole time helping my dad with this painting experiment he's working on. He's trying to recreate Vermeer's optical painting tools, as well as his room. I spent a lot of time going around to thrift stores and trying to make old Dutch costumes, finding props and such. It was fun and interesting!
So what did you guys do over the holidays?
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 30, 2008 11:47 AM
Shown above is a little glimpse of our 2009 calendar! We tried a new and sort of retro-inspired design this year, and I think it is just gorgeous! Our fabulous art assistant Kara is responsible for most of the painting!
So would you like to have one of your very own? We want to give one away! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, and tell us: What are your new year's resolutions? Have you any? Then we'll pick a comment at random and if it's you, a Free People calendar is yours!
I will post the winner tomorrow morning! Be sure to leave your email address with your comment so I can contact you for your mailing address if you win! Good luck!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 30, 2008 10:31 AM
The new year is quickly approaching, and if you are like me, you are going to have a couple of defunct calendars on your hands soon! I'm always at a loss of what to do with them, since I usually like the pictures so much! This year however, I am looking forward to turning my old calendars into envelopes and notecards! Both Mara Rivet at Thrifty Fun and Kelli on There is No Place Like Home have really cute and easy tutorials on how to do it! Definitely check them out if you are looking for a fun way to reuse your calendars! You could use magazine tears too!
Like female vocalists? How about a slightly folksy sound and some sweet viola playing? I've been really enjoying Anni Rossi's new album lately, and wanted to share a song of hers with you! It's a pretty simple video, but I just love the song! I bet she would be cool to see live...
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 29, 2008 4:43 PM
I'm loving the latest issue of fashion156 and these handpainted backdrops! I like the different effects the photographer captured zooming in or way out and showing how they're strung up against the true city backdrop.
Located at the Station touristique Duchesnay, a bit northwest of Québec City Canada, this awesome and icy building is the Hôtel de Glace. Built in early January each year since 2001, it stands until late March and is made of around 400 tons of ice and 12,000 tons of snow! It's a real working hotel too, and though it's a bit chilly, (a steady temperature of around 25 degrees Fahrenheit) I think it would be worth it! Check out this nice little article about it on Life in the Fast Lane and of course Hôtel de Glace website if you want to see more.
The gorgeous pictures are by lander2006, except the first, which is by duplamox.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 29, 2008 6:47 AM
These sweet photos came from Three Belgian Autochromists, a really cool site featuring the work of, you guessed it, three early Belgian autochromists! Autochrome is a very old way to take color pictures, used before the advent of color film. The site features the work of C. Corbett, P. Sano, and A. Van Besten, and frankly, the shots are just gorgeous. Plus, I really love getting to see pictures from as far back as 1903 in color! Do you think there are some hobbyists out there still practicing autochrome? The colors are so dreamy... See all the pictures here.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 27, 2008 4:43 PM
Many of you may already know the sad news that the great Eartha Kitt passed away from cancer on Thursday. She was 81 years old, and was a fantastic singer, a pretty good actress, and smoldering sexy! She briefly played Cat-Woman on the Batman series in the 60's. She could sing in at least 3 languages that I know of. Her voice was unique and to die for! I could go on and on! Above is a video featuring her performing the song Just an Old Fashioned Girl. Good-bye Eartha Kitt, we'll miss you!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 27, 2008 11:28 AM
What do you guys think of this new advertisement for Christian Dior's Miss Dior Cherie perfume? I love the look and feel of it, but I'm not surprised since it was directed by Sofia Coppola! (Director of The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, among others.) I also love the song! It's called Moi Je Joue, performed by Brigitte Bardot.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 26, 2008 7:06 AM
These stunning pieces are from a recent book illustrated by Kat MacLeod, called Bird. It apparently runs for $400, so I doubt I'll ever get my hands on it, but hopefully more of the images from it will appear on the net over time so I will at least get to see a few of them! If they are anything like these, I know I will enjoy them!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 24, 2008 5:18 PM
Remember a little bit ago when I posted about the jewelry that our accessories designer, Sarah makes? Well, I am very excited to report that some of her pieces will be hitting our Paramus NJ, Short Hills NJ, and King of Prussia PA stores this week! Make sure to check them out if you plan on doing any after-Christmas shopping at Free People!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 24, 2008 11:47 AM
I am having a great time looking at these antique wrist watches, which I found on oobject! Most of the ones I've shown here are from WWI, and were government issue. They started handing out wrist watches to soldiers so that they wouldn't risk their lives fumbling around for a pocket watch, and the cool-looking grates over the face of the watches are to protect the glass from breaking. Though the grates have lost their functionality, I'd still love to have a watch with grating on the face. Would you?
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 24, 2008 7:38 AM
Chet and Dot makes these adorable little drink cozies out of old sweaters and such! I saw them on her blog, and can't help wondering to myself- gosh why didn't I think of that? I just love them! They can be found on her Etsy shop if you feel so inclined!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 23, 2008 7:24 PM
Boot bandits are perfect for dressing up any pair of boots. They are a woven band of fabric that adjusts to fit over the top of your boots, instantly adding color, pattern and detail to your outfit. The 2 Bandits are Erica Chan and Tamar Wider, two girls in NYC who want your boots to walk and dance:) Check out the cute video they made showing exactly how easy it is dress up your boots.
Word has it that this floating building is not photo-shopped, but is in fact real and exists in Ukraine! I'll let you decide for yourself. Still, a very cool picture, right?
For the life of me I can't remember where I originally saw these book pages, but they are so darn interesting! I think the second picture would be really cool as the graphic on a tee-shirt. Like maybe take all the "R" stuff and put it on a shirt. What do you think? See more pages from the book here - seriously go look, they're really neat!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 23, 2008 11:28 AM
There's something about these collages by Joseba Elorza that I find really intriguing, and not just because I enjoy surrealism. (Though that's probably a lot of it.) Wouldn't you love to be that little boy standing over the pine forest? Check out Joseba's site for more.
I really like this bracelet that was spotted on Dries Van Noten's Spring runway! It's so cute and festive - but even better is that Carbon Couture has created an awesome DIY version, with step-by-step instructions so it's really easy to make! See how cute their version is below - I kind of like it even better than the Dries Van Noten one! Click here to go to the instructions!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 22, 2008 6:05 PM
I was browsing Penguin & Fish and saw these stunning typography works by Yulia Brodskaya... They're so inspiring! I can't imagine the work it must take to create them! You can see more gorgeous pieces on her site.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 22, 2008 3:21 PM
It took Eric Tabuchi four years to collect the right pictures to complete this truck alphabet. Totally worth it, but I'm wondering, how did he ever find the Q? And I love the lower-case F. He's working on another truck alphabet currently, and you can see what he has gotten so far on his site.
Can you believe this cake? It made me do a double-take! The sushi decorations look so real! I spotted it on We Heart It, and then discovered it was made by a local Philadelphia bakery, Whipped Bakeshop. Whipped Bakeshop were also the creators of the wedding cake for Betsey Ross & Ben Franklin's wedding this past Independence Day. You can see it below, it was really festive!
While we're talking baked goods - this morning I wandered into the Free People kitchen and saw these cute little reindeer cupcakes! Yum! Our Office Coordinator, Lindsay, actually didn't make them for a holiday celebration, but for our Assistant to the President, Carol, whose birthday is tomorrow! Regardless, they are practically too sweet to eat!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 22, 2008 9:22 AM
Now that's a Christmas tree that doesn't take up too much floor space! Jane of All the Luck in the World created this alternative tree with a bunch of random objects she had laying around that she had collected over the years. The objects themselves are so pretty and interesting - they're like the tree and the ornaments all in one!
I'm really digging the work of Emma Ferguson. She's already pretty well known it seems, and has been featured in magazines and such - but I just saw her work for the first time on Design Dig and I'm loving it! Motherboards as the subject of embroidery rocks pretty hard! Her website has a kind of blog-esque format - I'll be checking it regularly for sure.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 19, 2008 4:22 PM
A lot of you have a little break next week, and maybe you want a fun holiday craft to do? I posted these a couple years ago and everyone loved them, so I thought I'd share again!
Our display team made these beaded trees with those styrofoam cones you can buy at the craft store, a bunch of beads, and straight pins. They are SO easy to make and look so pretty and festive. Dump out that bead box and start pinning!
I can see these looking really pretty in more specific colors too, like if you did one all white and sparkly, or used just a few colors instead of the rainbow.
I love these vintage cereal box designs! The graphics are really interesting to look at, and some of the names of the cereals that don't exist anymore are really amusing! (MMmm King VitaMan cereal...) From the Aeron has a whole collection of these images right here! Fun stuff!
Landscape architect and designer Gustafson Porter created this beautiful floating canopy with helium balloons and some shade cloths (and I imagine they're tied to the ground somehow, otherwise your canopy would just fly away!). I love the idea of marking off a space in nature, and the fact that it's floating makes it kind of magical and organic.
This is so incredible, right?! I've seen a lot of really spectacular light shows, but this one really strikes me because the lights are all in such natural shapes! Lights made to look like flowers and peacocks? Awesome!
The display is at Bellevue Botanical Gardens in Bellevue, Washington. If you live near there, please go check it out for me! The great pictures were taken by Lecia of A Day That is Dessert, where you can see a bunch more pictures of the display!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 18, 2008 4:10 PM
Recently, Urban Outfitters Inc, which includes Free People and all our sister-brands, had a winter coat drive here at the home office. Aside from all the coats people brought in, we had a lot of coats laying around the office, seeing as we are an apparel company! In the end we turned in all our coats to the Boys and Girls Club of America here in Philadelphia.
Today, I noticed a bunch of cards posted up on the wall by our coffee shop. Upon closer inspection, I saw they were thank you notes from a bunch of the kids in the Boys and Girls Club! They cheered me so much! There is something about stuff made by kids - and the thank you notes are so awesome and cute! I had to share...
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 18, 2008 3:24 PM
I couldn't resist sharing this adorable picture of baby Ruby with you! Ruby's mother is Julie, our Email Support Supervisor at our customer service center in South Carolina. Ruby just turned 3 months old on Tuesday, and is all dressed up for the holidays! So cute!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 18, 2008 1:27 PM
Vain and Vapid recommended this interview with Chloe Sevigny on Missbehave, and I have to say, it's a really great interview!
She tells what "pop" celebrity has a girl crush on her, talks about baby names, her view of Hollywood, and some stories her publicist might not like. And her hair looks awesome!
Today we visit the interesting desk of Lizzy, our senior graphic designer! The awesome book about the Fauves was a gift from Lizzy's boss, Carrie.
Lizzy loves kitties, so they are very prominent in her desk decor. The girl in the picture with Elvis is Lizzy's friend! They went to Memphis together and got an E-Cam, or Elvis Camera! Elvis is already on the film so all the pictures you take have Elvis in them with you!
On this little shelf is Lizzy's favorite item on her desk - a teeny snowglobe with a (plastic) beetle in it! It even lights up! As for me, I'm partial to the doll dress.
Though most of us think the kitty in the corner is a little scary, Lizzy loves him! She tells me he is very happy, and is therefore screeching with joy!
Thanks for sharing Lizzy!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 17, 2008 11:41 AM
Many of you may already be familiar with the work of Yorkshire-born artist Jack Smith, who created the awesome pieces above, among many others. I love his style - abstract and colorful! Flowers Gallery in London is currently having a show of his work to celebrate his eightieth birthday, and to my delight, their site has a fantastic slide show featuring many of his pieces! Definitely worth checking out!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 17, 2008 10:49 AM
Going to be around south Philadelphia tonight or tomorrow night? B2 Cafe on Passyunk and Dickinson will be hosting a craft bazaar featuring the work of many different local artists, with wine and food to boot! Come by between 6 and 9pm tonight ot tomorrow night to check it out! It should be a blast!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 17, 2008 9:47 AM
We're really excited about this new web site launched by a couple of Brooklyn girls that are involved in all that is cool. I Heart Daily is kind of a hip, more under-the-radar version of Daily Candy, or your other fav daily coolness update. Learn about new musicians, crafters, indie beauty brands, fashion and a bunch more.
I also love their about page! Anne and Melissa seem like a fun team, and I can't wait to see more of their daily recommendations.
Tord Boontje is the creator of this delicate light, called the Garland Light. I've seen (and really liked) some of his work before, but this is just so eye-catching and natural-looking, I can't get over it!
I couldn't resist sharing this photo of our "pet wall" with you! One of our accessories designers got the idea to put pictures of all the pets belonging to girls in the accessories room up on the wall in the hallway, and soon it spread to include pictures of everyone's pets! It's especially fun to see pictures of everyone's kitties, since they don't get to come to work like the doggies do!
You might remember when we put up our FP Community Tree a while back. It includes a picture of each FP home office employee. Recently, it got updated for the holidays, and it now has a picture of each FP home office employee as a child! It is so much fun to see how everyone looked as a little one!
Our lobby has recently been updated for more holiday fun too! I am crazy about all the hanging lights and garlands! They are such eye-candy- our Visual Display Team did a great job! (Thank you!)
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 15, 2008 5:20 PM
At the start of the season, Free People and Urban Outfitters donated a bunch of hats, mittens, and scarves to Georgetown University Hospital Department of Pediatric Oncology and Hematology and to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. We received really sweet thank you notes from both hospitals. Georgetown shared a story with us that made us so happy!
On Halloween the clinic hosted a party and provided costumes for all the kids to wear. A fifteen-year-old girl with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia wanted to particpate, but wasn't comfortable with any of the costumes. She picked out one of our hat and scarf sets that was bright purple with sequins and wore this during the party. She said she felt like a fashion model!
Aren't these graphics so awesome?! I recently discovered the work of Copenhagen-based art and design studio Hvass&Hannibal, and I am loving the bright colors and fun shapes! I especially love the fish in the top picture, don't you?
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 15, 2008 3:12 PM
These gorgeous creations are the work of one of our accessories designers, Sarah! She has her own little jewelry business, Sarah Lewis Designs.
I asked Sarah to tell me a little bit about where she gets inspiration for her pieces and how she got started making jewelry. Here's what she had to tell me about it: I first started making jewelry when I was a kid, creating necklaces with beads and hemp and things. When I was 14, I learned how to blow glass, and I just fell in love with the art form. I am inspired by so many things, everything around me, especially nature - which is how I got into working with crystals and rocks. I just love gemstones, and when I see a gemstone I immediately envision ways that I would want it to adorn the body. For me, jewelry is like a small-scale sculpture that you can wear!
Be sure to check out Sarah Lewis Designs, as there are lots of fabulous pieces to be seen there! And the best part? A few of our stores will be carrying Sarah's jewelry starting in a couple weeks, and in April, our catalog will be featuring and selling some of her jewelry too! Look forward to it!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 12, 2008 2:34 PM
This video is creepy and amazing! Designers at ENESS in Australia created this installation at Mount Buller, only to see it destroyed by a giant snow plow.
I love when the snowballs turn into globes! How about you?
Have you seen the New York Times' recent little slide show of different black lacy tights and stockings? It's been passed around the home office lately, and it's been keeping my mind on black lacy tights! We have quite a few varieties of lacy tights right now, and I'd be interested to know which ones you like the most!
Finally, shown here are our Brassy Studded Tights! I know they're not lacy, but we couldn't resist throwing them in there to see what you thought of them!
Now I put it to you: which of these do you prefer?
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 11, 2008 2:47 PM
I just discovered Way of Women, a site produced by the girls at Sportmax Code featuring cool women doing cool things all over the globe. I love peeking into the worlds of creative people, and love that they've chosen a bunch of women I don't know much about.
New features will be produced every 15 days, so check out all of the inspiring ladies they're featuring now, like Miss Lori and her crew of Art Rebels, or half Polish half Aussie director Kinga Burza.
I'm really intrigued by these photos of an exhibition in Germany. I love the balloon tank, and I love the kids sweeping it up at the end even more! I saw this on Unique Lapin, who didn't have any more information about the tank. I soon saw why - when I went to the main site where you can see the pictures, it was all in German! Even translated, the page didn't have too much for me. Still, I really enjoy these pictures!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 11, 2008 1:19 PM
What is your job here at FP?
Designer for We The Free Knit & FP Pants
What is your current state of mind?
Contemplative... as I answer these questions. In general, future-oriented, optimistic and a tad bit scattered.
Who are your heroes?
I can't say that I have any conventional heroes. I think I take most inspiration from friends and family members who are challenging themselves and me to think deeper and act with greater conviction.
If you could choose what to come back to life as, what would you be?
A second-wave feminist? I would have to participate in both reincarnation and time travel. Powerful!
Who or what is your greatest love?
That's too personal for the blog.
Name one thing necessary to your happiness.
Change.
What do you hate most?
When people eat greasy food on the bus.
What would the name of your band be and what genre? What instrument do you play in the band?
My friend and I have been planning to start a video band called Crimes of the Heart. I might play my flute at key moments during the video performances, but mostly we would just try to have fun while tapping into some melancholic experience.
What color are you?
Indigo
What is your motto?
Fake it 'til you make it!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 10, 2008 12:16 PM
These photos were taken at the Paper Boat gallery in Milwaukee as Lisa Congdon set up her show called Life in Wonder Mountain. The show opened on Friday, so if you're near Milwaukee check it out and let us know how amazing it is in person!
I love this "ice tree" created by Paprika for Domison furniture stores in Canada. Trying for holiday decorations that were more original, Paprika hung glass water bottles at various heights to create this ice tree. Why didn't I think of that?
These are a few of Jim Denevan's lovely and temporal creations, which he draws freehand in the sand. I just love them- they're so inspiring! Check out Jim's website to see more of his work.
Thanks to this video, I want some LED lights for my bike so bad! I also wish I were able to do tricks like the guys in the video, but for now, just the lights would be cool with me!
Would you believe that each of these pictures shows part of a sewer?! The first shot is part of a sewer system near Niagara Falls, the second is the Tokyo storm drain, and the third is part of the sewer system in London. Aside from being very pretty, these pictures make me give some serious thought to the kinds of incredible structures that we have underground! You can see more pretty amazing sewers on oobject.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 8, 2008 3:13 PM
If you've ever seen Futurama then you'll recognize these cute little crochet figures as Dr. Zoidberg, the lovable lobster-like alien on the show. I saw them and went crazy - they are so so cute! The first one was created by ThatNanda of Craftster. She used a pattern for a Cthulhu from the book Creepy Cute Crochet by Christen Haden as the base, but edited it a little to make it more Zoidberg-like. Amber at Cthulhu & Cousins Crochet made the second one, based on ThatNanda's pattern, and then went on to create a crochet Nibbler too!
Wow! So cute!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 8, 2008 11:34 AM
Anna has been busy at the showroom preparing for the holiday. She's handsewing names on stockings for everyone in the NY office! Later they'll be filled with treats:)
Check out this entry for more of Anna's handtouches at the showroom
Need some web browsing for the weekend? Check out the December issue of N.E.E.T. magazine. What I love about this web zine is that even the ads are introducing me to new crafters and web sites and shops I've never seen before, and all the links are clickable. So, it leads to lots of exploration!
Recently, WWD asked a bunch of top couture designers to make some sketches for Mrs. Obama's inaugural dress. They put together a pretty big slide show of all the sketches on their site, and I have been really enjoying it! The sketches above are by, from top to bottom, Christian Lacroix, Kai Milla, and Reem Acra. I don't know how Mrs. Obama will ever pick what to wear with so many fabulous options! See the whole slide show here.
This coming Monday, December 8th through Wednesday, December 10th, Urban Outfitters Incorporated (that's us!) will be hosting a special holiday sale, featuring artwork, handmade crafts, jewelry, and all sorts of other goodies! The sale will showcase the work of numerous different artists and have something for everyone! It will definitely be worth checking out!
The sale will take place in Building 543 from 11am to 3pm each day, and while you're there you can stop and get lunch at Shop 543, which is where many of us get our lunch each day while we're at work! It has a really pretty view of the Delaware River too!
Below are a couple of pictures of work by artists who will have work in the sale! To see a list of more (but not all) of the artists who will have work in the sale, check out this page. It also has a map to help you get down to the Navy Yard!
For those who use an advent calendar during the holiday season, I sure thought this was a cute one! Brooke, author of the blog inchmark, made it out of felt for herself and family to use. I absolutely love that for each day there is a little ornament to hang on the buttons of the tree! It's such a fabulous idea! And a fun craft project too!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 5, 2008 12:09 PM
It is my pleasure to bring you a guest post by one of our Graphic Designers, Kevin! (Also known as the host of DOG Talk!) Please enjoy!
Hi Everyone! My good friend Johnny Corndawg makes incredible airbrushed apparel that I wanted to share with you! Johnny does some amazing stuff with airbrush. Airbrush is a medium that’s usually overlooked for being cheap and tacky, but Johnny’s shirts are totally wild and original! Part artist and part musician, Johnny lives half the year in Nashville and half the year in the jungles of North Philadelphia.
While he’s still here with us in Philly, Johnny is having some holiday fun painting Pet Portrait T-Shirts! Personalized pet fan-art- think about it! It’s the perfect present. I’m having a portrait of my mom’s Irish Setter airbrushed on a sweatshirt. My mom’s going to freak out when she sees it! Johnny’s custom pet portrait shirts can be a little strange, but they’re totally exciting. (And pretty cheap!) Even if you don’t want an animal shirt, Johnny Corndawg has a great sense of humor and would probably airbrush whatever you wanted on any piece of clothing. Check out these shirts he already painted for other people!
Check out Johnny's site to get your hands on one of these cool tees!
-Kevin
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 4, 2008 6:06 PM
The Thursday Poll is back! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving last week!
This week, I am wondering what everyone prefers as far as shoe types!
Shown below is the Barcode Ankle Flat in grey suede, which is a nice example of a flat.
I stumbled across these works by Robin Cameron on FFFFound and I am liking them pretty much! Regular readers might not be surprised, since I generally enjoy colorful artworks! If you like them too, be sure to check out Robin's site, since she has much more of her work posted there!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 4, 2008 5:24 PM
Everyone's favorite place to buy handmade goodies has been nominated by the World Economic Forum for a 2009 Technology Pioneer. Check out this video with Etsy founder Rob Kalin to learn a little more about the business he created and the dreams he has for the internet craft market.
I love this wreath! I feel like one could use it at any time of year and it would look appropriate! It's so colorful! It was created by Lindamade, and she has put up instructions on her blog so that we can make it too! I can't wait to try it!
We have a new feature on our website that we are really excited to share with you - the Home Office Wishlist! Everyone at the home office has reviewed some of their favorite FP items, ones they would like to give and ones they would like to receive! We have collected them all onto one place on our site, so now you can shop our favorites with ease! Plus, nearly all the products on the list have been reviewed by both customers and Free People employees! Click here to check it out!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 3, 2008 4:59 PM
How cool are these knitted masks by 23 year old artist Stephan Golddrajch? They were on display at the Berlin Preview art fair, and spotted by a blogger on The Moment. Read the entry to hear their view on the "woolly territory between fashion and art."
I also think these are so appealing because the sweater quality makes me want to wear them, even though that would probably look a little scary. Maybe on the slopes. Anybody else loving the cardboard box display?
Meredith, Free People's Allocator (she helps figure out how many of which styles go to what stores...) and music lover wants to share this Beck video with you! Here's a little note from Meredith:
I found the video through the Creative Review blog, which I think is an amazing resource for keeping up to date on what is going on in the design and advertising world.
Beck has made a number of really fun videos for his latest album, Modern Guilt, one of which (Gamma Ray) features uber-fashionista Chloe Sevigny. Having seen this one though I think my relatives should all be expecting creepy, homemade heads of "David Beckhand", "Short, Beck and Sides" and "Beck to the Future" as gifts this year; I've been inspired!
Jasmine, of our sweater design team, joins us again for another knitting lesson in this fun video! This week we learn how to do a purl stitch to go with our knit stitch, as well as how to cast off and finish our project! Check out Jasmine's first knitting lesson to see how to cast on and do a knit stitch! Get psyched for our next installment too, when we will learn how to make baubles on our knit projects for a more festive look!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 2, 2008 3:29 PM
Many of you may have already heard about this website, but we at the home office just discovered Upside Down Dogs today, and we love it! It's a blog that only features pictures of dogs upside down, as you might guess. They all look so happy being upside down! It has brightened our day so much, I just had to share it with you!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 2, 2008 3:20 PM
We mentioned James Cooper yesterday when talking about the underwater shots from our December catalog, so we'd like to share some of his work too. Beautiful!
My favorite is the last one where it looks like some magical place between water, sky and earth. Which ones do you like??
I'm loving the gift tag tutorials from A Little Hut. My favorite is tutorial #2 fabric + paper. The contrast of the straight edge of the paper and the soft frayed edges of the fabric is really appealing. And I always need a reason to use up fabric scraps!
This quick little video makes me so happy! It's nice to think about plants growing and living, since winter is starting to bear down on us! I love watching the little roots grow...
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 1, 2008 5:25 PM
The above photos are scans of the film from the December catalog. And some info from Elsa from the creative team...
For the December catalog shoot we decided to go to Bermuda. We used a really great production team called Volcanic Productions , who put on all kinds of music events and photo shoots in Bermuda. Crackerfarm shot the book for us, and the greatest part of the shoot was getting to take photos underwater.
One of the guys from the production team (James Cooper) takes beautiful underwater shots so he was able to lend us the waterproof casing that goes around a regular camera to shoot underwater. It was challenging to get good poses, faces, hair, and clear shots of the suits underwater, but it was REALLY fun.
Bermuda is a really cool place, and catching amazing sunrises and sunsets was so easy because there is a lot of beauty to be had there.
I love these photos by Rune Guneriussen - I can't stop looking at them! The phones look like they are watching for phone predators... And the first picture is so perfect for wintertime, the lamps look so cozy and cute in the dark of winter!
See more pictures here on Livejournal, and even more on Rune's site!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 1, 2008 4:56 PM
This chandelier is intense, right? But so lavish! Designed by Erickson Beamon, the Glam Rock Chandelier costs $32,500! Out of my price range for sure, but it is definitely cool to look at! Read more about it here, on Yatzer.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on December 1, 2008 4:46 PM
Dreaming of vacation? Get ready for the beach! Our new December catalog is online and will be in your mailbox soon. Check back for behind-the-scenes info to come...
