rumi at free people

you guys might remember a while back, we had a couple of our summer interns set up a makeshift “store” in our office, filled with items that were actually going to be used in our october catalog.  well the purpose was to create a really nice environment for when rumi neely came into our office, so she could experiment with all of the items and choose her outfits for the shoot!  i went up and hung out with her for a little bit and snapped some photos. both rumi and her boyfriend colin are incredibly sweet and down to earth people and work so well together, they’re fun to watch :)

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above image was taken by colin.

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check out the rumi’s philadelphia photo diary on her blog, too :)

thursday poll – edition 115

one of our favorite trends here at the home office right now is wearing underwear as outerwear- using our cute bralettes as layering pieces over top of or peeking out from under other items.  we have so many great ones, which of these is your favorite?

the lacey racerback bralette:

the pieced lace bralette:
pieced lace

the solid hook and eyelet bralette:
solid hoow and eyelet

the rose burnout velvet bralette:
rose burnout velvet

or the galloon lace halter bralette:
galloon lace halter


the winner of last week’s poll was jill’s day dress with 30% of the vote!

sneak peek – home sweet home

for rumi neely’s shoot in the october catalog, our team went to the home of our senior designer behind our fp one line and store design.  located in mt. airy, philadelphia, her house is everything you would imagine for someone with her creative spirit.  from the outside it looks like villa you’d see in the south of france, and on the inside it is full of treasures she has collected during her travels (she spends six months of each year in india).

a video is coming soon, but here is a special preview of her beautiful home.

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the unbearable lightness of being – part three

“the brain appears to possess a special area which we might call poetic memory and which records everything that charms or touches us, that makes our lives beautiful. from the time he met tereza, no woman had the right to leave the slightest impression on that part of his brain.”

“only the most naive of questions are truly serious. they are the questions with no answers. a question with no answer is a barrier that cannot be breached. in other words, it is questions with no answers that set the limits of human possibilities, describe the boundaries of human existence.”

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“the thing that gives our every move its meaning is always totally unknown to us. sabina was unaware of the goal that lay behind her longing to betray. the unbearable lightness of being – was that the goal?”

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“cemeteries in bohemia are like gardens. the graves are covered with grass and colorful flowers. modest tombstones are lost in the greenery. when the sun goes down, the cemetery sparkles with tiny candles. it looks as though the dead are dancing at a children’s ball. yes, a children’s ball, because the dead are as innocent as children. no matter how brutal life becomes, peace always reigns in the cemetery.”

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“from that time on she had known that beauty is a world betrayed. the only way we can encounter it is if its persecutors have overlooked it somewhere. beauty hides behind the scenes of the may day parade. if we want to find it, we must demolish the scenery.”

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“he suddenly recalled the famous myth from plato’s symposium: people were hermaphrodites until god split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost.”

click on images for sources.

all about rumi

get to know a little more about our third october catalog model, rumi neely!

If you could go anywhere in the world, free of cost, where would you go?

Stockholm – They have amazing street style! I love checking out Swedish blogs.

If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you?

My cat, kumo, my ipod, and sunscreen.

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photos from her blog, fashiontoast.

How would you describe your personal style? What are your favorite items from Free People right now?

I like really casual pieces with slightly off silhouettes and details that set them apart. I love platform heels.  It’s slightly grungy or hippie, whatever mood I am in that day. My favorite item from the free people shoot were the gee wawa fatale platform boots!

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What is your biggest fear?

Being buried alive!

Winter, spring, summer or fall?

Spring.

What color are you?

Blue…not to sound depressing.

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photo from her blog, fashiontoast.

What is your favorite hobby?

Going to thrift stores! I love the randomness of thrift stores and seeing what your instinct guides you towards.

If you could spend a day with anyone – dead or alive – who would it be?

Andy Warhol.

What’s the last album you bought? What else is on your ipod right now?

The last album I bought was Monsters of Folk…some other bands on my ipod are Band of Horses, Julian Casablancas and Sigur Ros.

If you weren’t a fashion blogger what would you do?

Focus more on my vintage store. I’d love to be a vintage buyer or photographer.

When you started your blog did you ever think it would become the sensation it is today?

Never! I’ve thought about changing the name but I don’t think I can now.

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shooting the free people catalog.

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with georgia larsen in philly for the free people shoot back in july. via dora’s fur.

more from rumi’s visit to our office and behind the scenes of her shoot to come :)

tunesday

we had a little surprise show over in building 543 today! the swedish indie-folk band first aid kit stopped by our headquarters for a free set at noon today, giving us a nice little treat for the ears during our lunch break. i wasn’t too familiar with this band before but they sounded great – both girls have really lovely voices.  here are some photos from the show that just took place – they’re also playing at johnny brenda’s tonight if you’re in philly :)

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i really like this song “hard believer” off the album the big black & the blue, out now.


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free people university village, seattle

display dye bins!

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pretty dyed fabric.

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hang time :)

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amazing tree branches wrapped in fabric and tape.

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i love the organic feel the branches add to the store.

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hand-sewing curtain hems for the fitting room… now that’s teamwork!

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employees arrive for opening day!

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another amazing addition to the fp store family!

autumn layers collection contest!

we have an exciting contest for you guys to enter starting today! all you have to do to enter is go to our collections page and create a collection consisting of your favorite layering pieces for fall.  the collection that gets the most “i want it” votes will be the winner, and will receive a $200 gift card to enhance your fall wardrobe!

for more info about the contest and to get started on your collection click here!

contest closes on november 1st.

here are some of my favorites to get your creative juices flowing…

click on image to go to our collections page and view item details.