it’s cinco de mayo and we have the perfect way to celebrate! we love being adventurous with bright color pops to liven up your makeup palette and style, and there’s no better time to rock this trend than warm spring and summer nights :) Read More
Month: May 2011
may catalog sneak peek!
our may catalog was inspired by the paintings of henri rousseau, in which bright pops of color jump out of lush tropical landscapes painted with rich layers of green. models tallulah morton and elsa hosk dance across the pages as best friends on vacation, glowing from the sun and losing themselves in long summer days spent surfing and exploring. the images capture the elusive feeling of freedom that hangs in the air in summertime, when you just want to let your hair down, kick off your shoes and run through fields or lay in the sand as the waves wash over your body.
shot in hawaii by fashion and travel photographer frédéric lagrange, our may book is a celebration of both the raw beauty of the landscape and the high summer fashion. look for the catalog in the mail and online on tuesday!
office space
some of our home office gals had a cute little royal wedding party on friday :)
speaking of the UK, jemma got this sweet easter package of treats from her parents overseas :)
one of our designers rescued this adorable pup and she’s one of the sweetest things i’ve ever seen! don’t you love her bed, too?!
little toby wants to play!
omni is not so sure :) omni is another recent addition to the pup family here, she belongs to our interactive web director!
little toby smushface :)
toby’s mom’s awesome hair.
and martha gets her hair did in our studio today for a special shoot!
Wall Art
I was inspired by these wallpaper designs sold out of the Greenwich Village shop, Secondhand Rose. The owner, Suzanne Lipshutz, has devotedly sought out vintage wallpapers since the 1960’s. Today her neat store boasts a collection of over 2,500 vintage prints from all around the world. Interior designers, magazines, set designers – you name it – they are all flocking to her one-of-a-kind store to find exciting wall decorations. I personally stumbled upon the collection one day while I was looking for inspiration and fell in love with the selection she offers – each one is so unique and beautiful! Just imagine the crazy rooms you could design with some of them…
dreamcatcher wednes-diy
if you love dreamcatchers as much as i do, you must check out the work of rachael rice. she’s a very talented artist who makes dream catchers that are beyond anything i’ve ever seen. and that’s just one thing she makes – she is extremely creative and was kind enough to share some of her projects and how she makes them for our blog!
once you have the basic steps down for making a dreamcatcher, it becomes much easier to experiment and get a little crazy with them! here, rachael demonstrates how to make small ones using bangles and string – these would be adorable for key chains, bag charms and hanging in your car!
once this part is complete, attach feathers or any other embellishments using string!
rachael has also been making more conceptual dream catchers using pieces of cardboard or thick paper, vintage doilies and hand-made paper feathers!
“Doily is a funny word. What I love about them is that they’re like lace mandalas, and whenever I hold one I think that some woman’s hands probably created it. I like collecting them, and you can find them for next to nothing at yard sales and antique shops.
Pieces of cardstock, cardboard, or even stiff paper can be a home for a lost doily reincarnated as a dream catcher. Paint or collage on your disc (I used silver) and glue your doily on top!”
“To make the feathers, start with some heavy paper and use crayon or oil pastel to create designs. Add any collage elements you’d like (you can use FP catalogs!) – be random, don’t think too much. Paint over those designs with watercolors, or thinned out acrylics or tempera paints. Let dry. You can also do the back! Cut feather shapes out of the paper: I made a stencil and just traced it with pencil. Use markers to make feather designs, or just doodle – you can’t do it wrong :) Attach the feathers to your dream catcher with some embroidery floss, simply hang them where you like!”
amazing! on the right is an example of another one she made called “dark star.”
and last but not least – i think these are my favorite – lace quartz pendants!
“Vintage lace and doilies find new life when cut up and glued onto the tops of quartz crystals. That way we can wear pretty rocks without having to drill holes in them! Simply cut a strip of lace or doily and use a glue gun or regular Elmer’s to attach it to the top of a pendant. A little jump ring or piece of wire run through the holes makes it ready to hang from a piece of leather cord, or a chain.”
Be sure to check out our new DIY Projects category for more DIY Inspiration!
Other related posts: Rope Swirl Tapestries DIY, DIY Desktop Dream Catchers
Trending on FP.com:
Floral dresses, high waisted bikinis, bralettes, off the shoulder tops, party dresses, gladiator sandals, lace dresses
New York in a second
New York City is a place that excites me. Here’s some quick inspiration from my recent weekend in New York. I always get so inspired when I go there; everything is so visually pleasing and the energies are sky high.
I visited Brooklyn flea market, which had some great vintage stalls and beautiful terrariums. This idea is a perfect little hobby to do on summer days and to bring the outdoors/indoors.
I always love the fashion in NYC and how people always hit it right when it comes to looking “cool”
Check out this girl that was hanging outside a bar.
A little kitten that was adopted looking proud under a British flag
An afternoon snack, Nothing beats a New York bagel – tomato, mozzarella and pesto
And a quick stop into these lovely stores made my inspiration rise to another level.
Darr Williamsburg and creatures of comfort Mulberry St.
It’s always refreshing going to New York, don’t you think?
what’s in your bag?
have you guys seen our new accessories page on our website? our team put together bags for the lou, ginger, sandy and meadow girls and they are so cute! they inspired me to do another edition of the “what’s in your bag” post – here’s a peek inside the bags of some home office gals – and guy :)
store manager/recruiter:
retail operations coordinator:
new store openings/store coordinator:
she actually really did have a free people bathing suit in her bag :)
campaign specialist:
web marketing analyst:
direct operations coordinator:
direct operations manager:
i love seeing how different they all are!
you can view what’s in lou, ginger, sandy and meadow’s bags here.
tunesday
inspired by an idea from our office coordinator, for today’s tunesday i decided to ask some people around the office what they’re listening to right now and what the last album they purchased was. it was so fun to see what different tastes in music everyone has!
office coordinator (left)
listening to: foster the people
last purchase: tv on the radio’s new album
senior graphic designer (right)
listening to: crosby, stills, nash and young
last purchase: kurt vile, “smoke ring for my halo”
interactive web director
listening to: dan black’s “symphonies”
last purchase: the “yes man” soundtrack, because of zoey deschanel!
graphic designer
listening to: kate bush
last purchase: jonny corndawg, “down on the bikini line”
senior designer, knits & beach (left)
listening to: guns n’ roses
last purchase: michael jackson’s greatest hits
knits designer (right)
listening to: girl talk
last purchase: “a whole new world” and other various songs from disney movies!
graphic design assistant
listening to/last purchase: thao & mirah
martha, model (left)
current favorite: my friend’s band “zambri”!
stylist (center)
last purchase: lcd soundsystem, “sound of silver”
stylist (right)
last purchase: the love language, “libraries”
all three listening to: yeasayer (what was on in the photo studio!)
live tweet @ our art director!
she’s the lovely lady who manages our stylists and works on web and catalog photoshoots, and she wants to talk to you! tomorrow afternoon (5/3) from 3pm – 4pm EST she will be on the free people twitter account to chat, give advice, and answer all your questions. Read More
saturday in philly
saturday was a beautiful day in philly, the perfect day to take a long walk around the city. my destination was broad street, for the philadelphia international festival of the arts (PIFA) street fair taking place all day long. i took the long route from my place in old city and walked through my favorite neighborhood, society hill. it’s such a charming part of the city – full of historic buildings, red brick, adorable town homes with front stoops and the occasional cobble-stoned street.
passed this adorable little park hidden behind brick walls, that i’d never seen before!
this guy was going around asking people to wear a mask of his face for a photo, for a school project. after obliging, i asked him to do the same :)
i finally made it to broad street where there was a palpable excitement in the air. two stages with live music, street performers, food vendors, a ferris wheel and more lined the avenue of the arts for the PIFA street fair, with this year’s inspiration coming from paris in the early 20th century.
this contraption was attached to a giant crane that lifted it in the air for a performance by la compagnie trans express, which, sadly, i did not get to see.
i noticed a crowd of people gathered around something and went closer to find them taking pictures of…a vine?
and then the vines started to move.
they are a part of a performance art group called “the living vines,” and it was probably one of the coolest things i saw at the street fair.
the way they twisted and contorted themselves was so amazing…i literally couldn’t take my eyes off of them!
sometimes the most random days end up being the best :)
monday quote
“what is the feeling when you’re driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it’s the too huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. but we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.”
– jack kerouac
images by 4th and bleeker.
Green Tea with Lemon and Blueberries
This holiday season my grandmother gave me an adorable tea pot, and I’ve been obsessed with tea ever since. Many say that tea offers a range of cleansing effects and health benefits but all I know is that the many comforting cups of tea have definitely been good for my soul. Messing with different blends and experimentations has been a fun and tasty adventure. I began to spice it up recently with the addition of fruit. Here is one of my favorite, antioxidant rich, energizing creations. Drink it hot or stick it in the fridge for a refreshing iced tea – perfect for summertime!
Ingredients:
2 Teaspoons of green tea or two green tea teabags
2 Cups of boiling water
2 Thin slices of ginger
2 Lemon Wedges
¼ Cup of lightly mashed blueberries
2 Tablespoons agave nectar or honey
Preparation:
- Prep all ingredients and put water on to boil
- Place everything together into a pitcher
- Once the tea is fully brewed (about 5 minutes) remove green tea & enjoy!