the holidays are approaching but we’re still hard at work in the home office!
some of our designers working on a presentation for upcoming silhouettes…
…another designer hard at work on a sweater
and our accessories buyer going through samples for april 2010!
as i’m nearing the end of on the road i was inspired to take a look at the fashion of the beat generation. beatniks were characterized by their rebellious spirit and anti-establishment, anti-materialistic philosophy, and they expressed this through stark and simple fashion. jack kerouac and his crew wore old, ripped jeans and t-shirts because they didn’t care how they looked, while others wore head-to-toe black with berets or glasses.
what else about the beat generation’s style and culture is still resonant with you today?
share your thoughts in the comments section! also for those of you reading on the road, try and finish by january 4th if you can, and check the blog for a final post about the book!
“the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but i have promises to keep, and miles to go before i sleep, and miles to go before i sleep.”
– robert frost
dallas shaw is a delaware-based artist who’s work ranges from acrylic and watercolor paintings to notecards and tee-shirts. she also happens to be a big fan of free people! dallas was kind enough to answer a couple of questions for me and picked out some illustrations that she feels are representative of free people.
when and why did you decide you wanted to be a professional artist?
oddly enough i knew i wanted to be in art in some way when i was very young. i wrote a letter to the head animator of walt disney world when i was in 6th grade and asked him for a job! i think i was a little too young, but i worked at it since grade school, kept drawing, majored in illustration… as i grew older i really began to love the fashion industry and wanted to work in fashion but the right opportunity hasn’t come up just yet so here i am!
i read that you’re inspired by fashion and music…what designers and musicians are your personal favorites?
i do listen to music when i paint but i am really heavily influenced by the fashion industry. my personal favorites change by season but i am currently crushing on collections by phillip lim, lanvin & peter som.
what do you like to do when you’re not drawing and painting?
i don’t have a lot of free time on my hands this year. if i do end up with a few extra hours during the week i try to make time to spend with my really supportive husband. if I’m not with him during those couple of hours you’ll find me shopping!
to see more of dallas’s awesome work, check out her website!
on wednesday i took a little field trip over to city hall to check out the philadelphia mural arts program’s winter art exhibition, which featured the work of their very talented big picture and mural corps students. big picture students designed and painted sneakers and large-scale mixed media “treasure maps” representing their ideas on how to “be the change you wish to see in the world” (based on the gandhi quote). mural corps students explored notions of identity through self portraits. i spoke with some of the students and they were so proud to show of their work, which was available for sale to raise funds for the program…and they have every right to be proud- they are seriously talented!
for more information about philadelphia’s mural arts program, visit their website.
what is your favorite holiday tradition?
i used to love going to the christmas tree farm when i was little…it was one of my favorite things about the holiday season. i have vivid memories of riding around on the tractors and getting yelled at for jumping on and off the wagon while it was moving.
something you can do this weekend wherever you are…tomorrow just happens to be look for an evergreen day! so if you haven’t already done so, head on out to a tree farm where you can pick one out and cut it down yourself…
there’s a cool event going on this saturday on south street in philly. the south street winter solstice celebration, hosted by philadelphia’s magic gardens, will start at 11am and last until 9pm with live entertainment, hands-on activities and discounted holiday shopping at participating shops up and down south street. plus the theme is warm, tropical climates, with live latin music and dancing to help take your mind of the frigid temps!
click here for more info on the event and activites throughout the day, which include art workshops and free guided tours of the incredible magic gardens at 12 and 4.
what’s everyone up to this weekend (besides last minute christmas shopping!)? any fun events going on in your area?
pieced cardigan; stonewashed leather boot by humanoid; fp destroyed skinny jeans; aphrodite necklace; siberian husky puppies.
what’s on your wishlist this year??
well well well…it’s thursday poll time!
last week i asked about our pretty floral tunics and it was a close vote but the winner was the burbank tunic, with 32% of the vote! this week, with the holidays upon us, i wanna know which of the following items you would splurge on…or would most want someone else to splurge on for you!
a fashionable piece like the graham & spencer faux fur vest:
a pair of must-have shoes like the keira buckle boot:
a leather bag like the obi cross body bag:
a vintage statement necklace like the one-of-a-kind vintage cluster necklace:
or a fabulous jacket like the leather bomber by giorgio brato:
time to vote!
one of our home office team members got this really sweet note in the mail and we thought it was so cute we wanted to share it on the blog.
snail mail is the best…thank you so much!
good morning! we are very excited to bring you the first episode of home sweet home, featuring the home of our director of design and image. enjoy!
*the song in the video is guantanamera.
