if you’re in new york this weekend you should check out score! at 3rd ward- it’s a massive free exchange where you can bring your old clothing, records, books, housewares, etc and swap them for other people’s old stuff.
not to mention you get one of these free tote bags:
you really can’t beat it…all items are free, and all remaining goods go to charity…plus all proceeds from the event go to city harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization dedicated to feeding new york city’s hungry men, women, and children.
so gather up your junk and head over to 3rd ward tomorrow between 1pm and 7pm…entry is just $3, and you can rsvp here.
because you know the saying…one man’s trash is another man’s treasure… :)
i'm not the only one celebrating a birthday this weekend...so is our portland store!
to celebrate they're having a party tomorrow, november 14, with refreshments, raffles, and more! they even made adorable gift bags, pictured above, that include handmade hair clips with peacock feathers and satchels made out of free people shopping bags! so cute.
anyone have exciting plans for the weekend? my birthday is on sunday and i get to celebrate by seeing edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros at first unitarian church in philly!
i love, love, love these photos of the band taken by autumn de wilde...
do you love animals? do you love yoga? do you live in philly? then you'll love this event...
this saturday, practice yoga studio and the monster minders present upward dog: a yoga benefit for paws. the event will take place in the beautiful sanctuary at fleisher art memorial (8th and catherine) at 4pm, with two full hours of yoga led by ellen greenberg, owner of practice yoga studio on fabric row.
this event is free but there is a suggested donation of $25 that will go to the philadelphia animal welfare society to aid in their efforts to save shelter animals.
if you’re in the portland area this weekend, the 3rd annual siren nation women’s music and art festival is taking place through sunday. this year’s festival includes an art and craft sale showcasing women artisans from the northwest, an art show featuring local portland artists (female of course), a film festival featuring documentaries about four female pioneers in politics, performance, poetry and partisanship, and a music festival featuring an all female lineup.
siren nation's mission is to inspire and empower women of all ages to create their own art and to highlight the many achievements of women in the arts. the organization showcases and creates performance and exhibition opportunities for women throughout the year, and it is the only women’s collective that produces an annual festival showcasing the original work of women in music, film, performance and visual art.
kayte terry, the crafty author behind the blog this is love forever, will be holding an appliqué workshop and book signing tomorrow at jimmystyle in philadelphia. the workshop takes place from noon to 1pm and participants get a hands-on demo with kayte and a kit with materials for three woodland animal-inspired felt ornaments like that cute owl above...then have her sign her new book appliqué your way!
for more info on the event and how to register for the workshop, click here.
i just posted yesterday about the very admirable work our reader rachel is doing to help shelter animals, so it seems fitting to post about this event taking place tomorrow in philly…
PAWS will hold their 3rd annual mutt strut tomorrow at FDR park, which is a 1.5 mile walk through the park to raise funds and awareness for PAWS and their efforts to save shelter animals. it’s just $25 to register, and you can bring your dog but you don’t have to have one. they had the option to sign up to walk with a PAWS dog but the response was so overwhelming that all the dogs are taken!
the best part is, dozens of PAWS dogs will be at the event…meaning you could meet your new best friend and give it the loving home it needs.
3rd annual PAWS mutt strut - saturday october 31, FDR park (1900 pattison avenue, across from the sports complex)
check-in/registration begins at 10am; start strutting at 11am!
for more info on PAWS, philadelphia's ONLY no-kill animal rescue organization, visit their website.
i love this idea…every sunday from 11am-6pm a one-of-a-kind diy market takes place at the old american can factory in brooklyn. each sunday a different “maker” creates their product live, giving visitors the chance to see how it is made. the makers specialize in a variety of crafts including jewelry, clothing, food and home décor. I definitely want to go one weekend – if any of you are attending, let us know!
luren, who used to work for our store display team, is curating a show at copy gallery...
it's called desert. and it will probably leave you thirsty for more...
sorry, that sounds silly.
if you're in philly, make it part of your first friday festivities. there, that's better...
artists from philadelphia and los angeles are creating sculptures inspired by plants and structures of the desert using commonly found materials.
and if you're free tonight, check out the preview! right after, deitch studios generously hosts a benefit for printed matter, featuring industrial punk-and-dub duo, I.U.D. (lizzi bougatsos of gang gang dance and sadie laska of growing). djs tim lokiec and gary murphy play vintage house. tickets begin at $20 and include limited artist editions by elmgreen & dragset, jutta koether, tom sachs, and mungo thomson.
if you're in boston this weekend - sunday, to be exact - stop by the sowa open market!
you'll find painters, sculptors, photographers, clothing and jewelry designers, milliners, handbag designers, house wares, florists, bakers, local farmer's produce and much more every week!
if you're in philadelphia today, stop by the navy yard and our communal building 543. the urban gogreen committee - with terrain at styer's - is hosting a harvest bazaar!
hey there, we've got another opportunity for designers interested in adding to our we the free collection!
come out to the wtf store in brooklyn - 113 smith st - this thursday, sept 24th! we'll be there from 12 to 3pm.
bring along your women's apparel/accessories!
in the meantime, take a look at the event we held in hollywood last month.
folk fans will unite as amoeba music presents a special screening of "leonard cohen: live at the isle of wight festival 1970". the concert film captures the iconic cohen at his commercial peak in 1970 as he performs his bittersweet ballads to a packed crowd of starry-eyed hippies and fans at the isle of wight festival--a coachella of the 70's, if you will...the dvd won't be released until next month, and this screening is free and open to the public.
pop in and say howdy to the we the free girls while you're there!
come out to our stanford store in california this weekend and get glam!! enter a raffle to win a free people gift card with purchase of our select "glam" items.
check out kevin e. taylor if you live in or around san francisco...his show "terrestrial syndrome" is opening at the shooting gallery there this saturday. he's really very talented.
THE SHOOTING GALLERY
LOCATION: 839 larkin St between o'farell & geary
GALLERY HOURS: tuesday - saturday 12pm - 7pm
some cool pix of trainhoppin' going live at benna's cafe in philly on friday, sept 11th.
my grandfather used to jump on bethlehem steel cars from his farm into the "city"...always loved that image...i think you'll love the ones taken by amelia merrick.
benna's. corner of 8th and wharton.
opening 9/11 from 7 to 9pm.
thank you to everyone who visited us in cahuenga last week for the we the free designer search!
our managing director ana and gmm sheila had a lot to look at and choose from...
here's just a sampling of our visitors...
we're coming to our brooklyn-based wtf on september 24th! get your wares ready...
if you live in eastern pennsylvania, think about going to this year's energyfest!
based in kempton, pa, the three-day festival teaches about renewable energy, natural building construction, sustainable agriculture, land-use planning, forestry and healthy living practices in general. pretty awesome.
we the free in brooklyn is hosting a nice little event to kick off their "cafe days", a series of backyard performances, complete with refreshments! come by and say hi.
where: corner of smith and pacific sts. brooklyn, ny
when: august 22nd 4- 7pm
lineup: dandy lions. a brother/ sister duet with a guitar and accordion!
4- 4:30
How fun is this!? Tonight in Prospect Park of Brooklyn New York, there will be an outdoor showing/sing-a-long of the classic movie Purple Rain, starring Prince! This is one event I would love to attend!
Thursday August 6th, 7pm Prospect Park
West & 9th St
Brooklyn, NY
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 6, 2009 10:22 AM
If you're in NYC and looking for something fun and free to do tonight, check out the Alberta Cross show in Brooklyn! It's taking place at Brooklyn Bowl at 8pm, and they are playing with another cool band, Phonograph, so it should be a great show! And free! You can't beat that!
Alberta Cross and Phonograph
Tonight, August 5th, 8pm
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Ave
Brooklyn NY
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on August 5, 2009 11:09 AM
Hey designers! We The Free is looking for new designs! Come to our Los Angeles We The Free store on August 20th, 2009, between 11am and 2pm, and bring your designs with you! You never know what could happen!
Email Lindsay at lraden@urbanout.com with any questions you may have!
Thursday August 20th, 2009
11am-2pm
We The Free
1520 Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
P.S. Hey East Coasters! Look for a chance to show your designs in September in Brooklyn! Stay tuned!
Japanese designhouse Felissimo is starting up a new project soon, and it's pretty cool! For 33$ a month they will send you a different assortment of 25 like-colored pencils each month, for 20 months. The different colors have names like Arizona sunset and drizzly afternoon, and come in really awesome packaging - works of art in themselves! I can't afford to subscribe, but maybe someday! Until then I'm enjoying the pictures! If you want to subscribe, or you just want to look at all the fabulous colors, check out the website!
First, I want to thank all of you so so much for your input! Your opinions are what we are interested in, and all of your thoughts are going to be so helpful as we create more videos! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer!
And now, for the 10 commenters, chosen at random, who will receive a gift card! Please note I have already emailed the winners, so if you have the same name as one of the winners, check your email to be sure!
Rachel
Tessa
Kait
Jill B
J
Courtney
Eva
Toya
Fiona
Katie
Normally I would post the comments along with them, but since they are nice and long, (he he!) I figured I'd leave them out just this time!
If you didn't happen to have your comment chosen this time, stay tuned! We have some really cool giveaways on the horizon!
Thank you again for all your participation! We appreciate it so very much!
Hey everyone - we need your opinions! We would love your input on our videos, and if you help us out, you could win a $5 Free People gift card!
All you have to do is head over to our YouTube channel and look around, and then leave a comment on this post answering two questions:
1 - Which of our videos do you like the best?
2- What sorts of videos would you like to see us make?
Many of our videos were created as a result of suggestions from our customers - we want to know what you like!
Tomorrow, at about this time, we will close up the comments and choose 10 comments at random. If your comment is one of those chosen, we'll send you a $5 FP gift card! It's that easy!
Thank you so much for your help!
Recently our Web Operations Manager, Heather, helped to organize a really fun event here in Philly, the Independance Day Scooter Rally! It lasts for a whole weekend, and this year was very successful, with over 150 people who showed up from all over- two ladies even came all the way from Oklahoma! Heather kindly shared a few really cool pictures from the rally, check them out!
Scooters under the El By Damon.
If you are in the Chicago area this weekend, you should check out the Wicker Park Festival going on this Saturday and Sunday! This a cool music and arts festival that the Wicker Park & Bucktown area put on every year, with this year's festival including something like 40 musicians! It starts tomorrow at 12pm, and runs through Sunday evening! Located at the intersection of Milwaukee & North Streets, it'll be right across the street from our Free People store and our We The Free store! The word is that those stores will be having a big sale this weekend as well! Check out this site or this site for all the details!
Saturday July 25th & Sunday July 26th, 12pm-10pm
Milwaukee at North Street
Chicago IL
Special thanks to commenter Caroline for the heads-up!
I can't believe all the great musicians that are playing in Camden this weekend! The XPoNential Music Festival is taking place at Wiggins Park on the Camden, New Jersey waterfront, starting today at 4pm through this Sunday! Definitely look into it if you are in the Philadelphia/Camden area, because from the looks of that list of musicians, this is going to be an awesome festival!
Today! July 24th through Sunday July 26th Wiggins Park
Camden, NJ
Remember when we had our open-model casting in New York a couple of weeks ago? Well our Assistant Art Director Carrie has put together this really cool video montage of the casting! Check it out!
As I'm sure many of you know, there was a solar eclipse today, which was visible to a lot of Asia. The always spectacular Big Picture photo blog by Boston.com has a wonderful post of images from the eclipse. The images above are from that post - aren't they great?! The eclipse itself is so amazing, but I think my favorite pictures are the ones of people looking at the eclipse. Check out the post here - it's worth it!
If you're looking for something to do in New York City tonight, check out the The Phenomenal Handclap Band at Joe's Pub! They're the first band I've been tempted to call "funky" or "groovy" in a long time! They've got a fun mellow sound with dance-y beats!
9:30pm tonight Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, New York
This is a signed copy of Lauren's book! It features portraits of many amazing folk and indie musicians, including Devendra, naturally!
Here everyone is waiting around for the show to start!
Devendra is getting ready to go on... He sure is a cutie!
Devendra is about to go up and everyone is getting psyched! Also, on the left you can almost see the front of the We The Free store - there's a guy peeking inside! Hope he likes what he sees!
The show begins!
Everyone loves it!
Our Managers-in-Training, Antonella and Laura, are huge Devendra fans, and they watched the show from the store garage. They look so pretty!
There is an amazing exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City right now by artist Song Dong.
Song Dong's mother spent her entire life hoarding anything that she got her hands on, and refused to ever throw anything away. All her life she lived in a tiny house packed full with every kind of odd and end you can imagine. Shortly before she died, Song was able to convince her to allow him to clean out the house and use the contents as an exhibition. The exhibition is called Waste Not, and essentially it is all of his mother's possessions, laid out and organized. The huge mass of stuff makes a really powerful statement. If I can get up to NYC in time, I will definitely be checking out this exhibition in person!
Our Hollywood We The Free store let us know that there is a really cool event going on tonight at Space 1520, which is where the store is located!
Photographer Lauren Dukoff is having the opening for her new book Family, which features portraits of many amazing folk and indie musicians, including Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, Bat For Lashes, Little Joy, and many others! Lauren will be there signing books, and if that weren't enough, Devendra Banhart will also be there performing live! Right in front of the store! This should be a really good time, so if you're in the Hollywood California area, you should check it out! Get all the information on the Space 1520 website.
Congratulations to our winner, chosen at random: Mamatank! i have an ancient pillow that belonged to my mother. i named it Cuddle Pillow because it was made for cuddling and comforting me. for the longest time i thought it's pillowcase was a strange shade of gray... but yesterday i poured some oxi clean into the washer with it and later discovered that its actually YELLOW! i love it even more now :)
Yay! This was such a fun giveaway - thank you all for participating! A few of you mentioned in your comments how nice it was to sit and think about comfort toys and childhood. I completely agree! It was so pleasant to read all your stories - thank you for sharing them! It made for very sweet and cheery reading!
And for everyone who didn't happen to win the bear - don't worry! There are more giveaways on the horizon!
super-fun beach volley tourney this weekend in cali!
The ladies at our Manhattan Beach store in California gave me a heads-up that there is going to be a really big volleyball tournament right down the street from the store, on the beach! The Manhattan Beach Open Volleyball Tournament is reportedly one of the biggest AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) tournaments of the year, and the girls at the store are really looking forward to it! If you're in the Manhattan Beach area this weekend and looking for something to entertain you while you catch some rays, this is it! Check out all the information here!
Isn't this FP teddy bear as cute as can be? He's very soft and huggable, and he's looking for a nice cozy home, maybe yours! All you have to do for a chance to have him come live at your house is leave a comment on this post telling about your first or favorite stuffed animal or comfort blanket, etc... You know, the one that is all grimey because you loved it so much and couldn't be without it! Tomorrow at this time, we'll pick one comment at random, and if it's yours, we'll send you the cute bear! As you can see from the picture above, Trixie really wishes she was eligible to win this giveaway...
P.S. Don't forget to leave your email address with your comment so that we can contact you if your comment is the one picked!
I don't know if any of you like music by M83, but you should! They have a really cool electronic and sort of ambient sound.
If you are in New York City tonight and looking for something cool to do, M83 is going to be playing at the World Financial Center Plaza at 7pm, and the word is that it's free! Awesome!
For now, check out the amazing music video for M83's song We Own The Sky. I've been grooving on it all morning...
M83 at the World Financial Center Plaza
200 Vesey St
New York, NY 10281
Tonight! 7pm
I am really excited to announce the winner of the Free People Fashion Illustration Contest!
It was wonderful to see how talented all the Free People girls out there are, and it was hard to pick a winner because there were so many amazing illustrations!
And now without further ado, our winner, Katie Rodgers!
You can check out all the entries right here on our Flickr account- they're awesome, have a look!
And if you didn't win this time around, don't lose hope! We have more events in the works. Stay tuned!
xo
Don't forget tomorrow is our open model casting in New York City! It will be taking place at our 5th Avenue store from 10am until 2pm! You don't have to be a model, but on account of the size of our samples, it's best if you are a US ladies size 4. If you have any questions at all, please post them as a comment here and we will be sure to answer you as quickly as possible! You can also check out the original post for more information!
Can't wait to see you there!
When: Friday July 10th 2009, 10am - 2pm
Where: Free People
79 5th Avenue
New York City, NY 10003
Are you 18 years old or older? Do you love Free People and think you have what it takes to be a model for us? We are looking for fresh new faces! Come to our open model casting! It will be taking place at our 5th Avenue store in New York, from 10am until 2pm on this Friday July 10th! You don't have to be a model, and you need not bring any photos of yourself unless you want to. On account of the size of our samples, it's best if you are a US ladies size 4. We're looking forward to seeing you there!
When: Friday July 10th 2009, 10am - 2pm
Where: Free People
79 5th Avenue
New York City, NY 10003
Today is the USA's Independence Day - it's our 233rd birthday! Hooray! I hope everyone is out enjoying themselves and eating yummy food and getting ready for awesome fireworks celebrations like the ones above! I'm off to get ready and try to get my own pictures of fireworks!
xo
If you are in the Philadelphia area you have to check out the The Lawn Chair Drive-In! It's every Tuesday at dusk, and it's free! They show all kinds of cool movies, as well as vintage previews and cartoons before the movie! Tomorrow night they are showing The Bad Seed - check out their website for the schedule for the whole summer! See you tomorrow at dusk!
Liberty Lands Park
3rd above Poplar
Philadelphia Pa
Are you the queen or king of Facebook and Twitter? Do you read all of the coolest blogs? Or do you write your own? Do you love fashion? Are you super passionate about Free People? Are you an amazing communicator?
If you answered "yes" to these questions, then we have the job for you!
Free People is looking for a Social Media and Communications Coordinator to work in our Philadelphia based home office.
A little bit about the job:
Overview: Conceptualize and execute innovative social media campaigns to better engage our online customer with the Free People brand. Drive internal communication improvements between home office departments, stores, and showrooms to streamline brand efforts and keep everyone working as a team. This is an interesting new position at Free People that will require tremendous energy and excitement, and an ability to organize diverse groups of people and align them towards a common goal.
Sound good? Are you interested? Click here for all the details!
For part of her ongoing series Methods & Apparati for Social Facilitation and Mood Elevation, Keetra Dean Dixon has created this anonymous hugging wall! It's such a cool idea- I wish we had one here in Philly! Read and see more about it here.
Last Chance! Free People Fashion Illustration Contest Ends Tomorrow!
Free People's Fashion Illustration Contest ends tomorrow at 11:59pm! Make sure to get any mail-in entries shipped by tomorrow, and if you're entering via email, make sure you send it in by 11:59pm tomorrow night!
The winner will receive a goody-box filled with all kinds of awesome surprises from all of us at Free People, valued at $100! For all the information about the contest, check out this post!
Good luck everyone! I can't wait to find out who wins!
Today and tomorrow we are offering free shipping on orders from our website for you, our blog readers! All you have to do to get the free shipping is enter FPBLOG in the promo-code field when you check out! It's that easy!
We just wanted to do something to say, thank you reading our blog!
Happy shopping!
xo
There's only one more week to turn in your entry for our Free People Fashion Illustration Contest! The winner will receive a goody-box filled with all kinds of awesome surprises from all of us at Free People, valued at $100! Click here for all the details!
I'm not sure I can explain The Uniform Project any better than the woman herself, so here is a quote from the website: Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accoutrements, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade's boudoir.
The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for slum children in India.
So freaking awesome! Check out all her outfits so far here.
Don't forget - tomorrow at our We The Free store in Brooklyn, Company of Thieves will be doing an intimate acoustic set at 5pm! This is free! Come check it out if you're in the area, it's sure to be a blast!
Here's the address of the We The Free store in Brooklyn:
We The Free
113 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 250 - 0050
Click here to Google map it! Click here to read our recent interview with Company of Thieves!
See you in Brooklyn!
I am totally pumped to announce our second Free People Fashion Illustration Contest!
Create an original fashion illustration that includes at least one of the following three items:
the One-Shoulder Banded Bottom Dress, Lace Tulip Mini Skirt or Jacquard Princess Cami.
(See pictures of these items at the bottom of this post and on our site.)
Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, artistic rendering, and appropriateness to the Free People aesthetic.
The winner will receive a goody-box filled with all kinds of awesome surprises from all of us at Free People, valued at $100!
A Few Guidelines
-Your illustration must be your own original design.
-Illustrations may be created with any two-dimensional medium. Examples of two-dimensional mediums include crayons, markers, paints, pen and ink, computer imaging, chalks, pastels, colored pencils - basically anything that is on paper or computer.
-Illustrations should be no larger than 11x17 inches, or no larger than 6336x9792 pixels.
-Illustrations must include at least one of the following items: One-Shoulder Banded Bottom Dress, Lace Tulip Mini Skirt
or Jacquard Princess Cami. You do not have to use all three items. For the items that come in multiple colors, you may use any color you like in your illustration. You may also include any other Free People items that you like.
-You may enter more than one illustration, but if you choose to do so, each illustration must be entered on its own, as a separate entry. This means if you are using snail mail to turn in your entries, they can all be mailed in one envelope, but each illustration needs to have your name and information attached to it.
If you are emailing your entries, each entry needs to be in a separate email.
-You must be at least 13 years old and a resident of the United States of America to enter.
To Enter:
Email us your entry at freepeoplecontest@gmail.com.
Mail us your entry at: Attn: Pruitt Shutt
Free People Fashion Illustration Contest
5000 S. Broad Street Bldg. #15
Philadelphia, PA 19112
Be sure to include your name, age, address, telephone number, and email address with your entry!
The contest ends on June 26th 2009.
All email entries must be received by June 26th 2009.
All mail-in entries must be postmarked by June 26th 2009, and received by July 3rd 2009.
We will announce the winner by July 15th 2009.
Make sure to check out the official rules as well!
Please feel free to post any questions in the comments of this post, or email us at freepeoplecontest@gmail.com!
Below, find pictures of each of the items featured in this contest!
These awesome pictures (from Getty Images) were taken at the L'Oreal Color Trophy Final 2009, which took place earlier today. I want to have fuzzy baubles in my hair very much now! It looks so pretty! The makeup is really cool too. See the whole slideshow here on Seattlepi.com.
You might recall a while back when I posted the video for Oscar Wilde by Company of Thieves. We got such a fabulous response from you all! We were psyched that you guys are into Company of Thieves too - so when we were able to catch the lovely lead singer Genevieve Schatz for a quick chat before their appearance in Indianapolis, we went nuts!
Meredith (who works for FP) and Genevieve talked about the band's new album, Ordinary Riches, fashion, traveling, and peanut butter! And, as if that weren't enough, we are pumped to announce that the band are going to do an intimate acoustic set in our We The Free store in Brooklynthis very Saturday at 5pm! Don't miss it!
Until then, check out the interview below!
So how is the tour going?
Actually we just got home from a west coast run. We are about to leave in a few days for about a month and a half (tour) so I hope it's going to be fabulous!
Did you have a very steady tour schedule so far this year?
Definitely. We left at the end of January and went out for about two and a half months with Thriving Ivory, came back for about a week. Then we went to the west coast to have our own run of headlining shows and it was just amazing to be out there. I'd never been out to Seattle or Portland or San Diego and places like that. It's been a really wild ride. I've gotten to the point that I'm more comfortable on the road than I am when I come home!
Better with dirty laundry than clean clothes?!
Yeah! You become part of the earth! It's a totally different rhythm that you sink into.
I love the webcasts you did on Youtube from the road! They're so cute and they made me feel like one of your friends, watching you bopping around while you traveled.
Haha! That's awesome! That's the whole point! We want to always include our fans, our friends in what we're doing. We just always want to share it.
Were you happy to share when your van got broken into at SXSW (a music festival)?
Well, it's cool to show all sides of the game because a lot of people are under the impression that, you know, it's always a very glamorous lifestyle. You have your ups and downs just like anything.
Your latest album, Ordinary Riches, is clearly very influenced by Oscar Wilde. Are you often influenced by other arts than music when you write songs?
I always have been. It's something that isn't really sought out for me, I kind of always end up in the middle of... I don't know! A lot of things open my eyes constantly. I've always been very aware and conscious of what's going on around me. It's always been hard for me to keep it out, I always let me fill me up! And so the whole album is really based on personal experiences and also sometimes being in the center of a lot of commotion just by the nature of living in a major city and being in a lot of crowded areas and coming into contact with other people and relating to them and things like that. It's kind of an album about a coming of age.
Have you been writing on the road?
Absolutely! Every day!
Are you getting a different tone with being out of the city and in these new places?
Yes yes! I would say... How do I explain it... It's much darker but much more focused.
The thing I find interesting about this album is the lyrics are fairly dark and introspective but the melodies, though not necessarily "pop", are definitely accessible and often upbeat. I found it weird to find myself happily bopping along to a song and then realize what I'm singing along to.
I think that's something that I've come to really embrace is the fact that, for me, I feel like the painful things in life and the joyful things in life have a lot of similarities and the physical effects of feeling overjoyed or feeling deeply deeply hurt are very similar to me - just the weight of the world. That's kind of what our songs, even our new ones, have that tone where there's a contrast going on with a shared vein.
So what is the dynamic between you and your bandmates on the road?
As far as the three of us go, I feel like Marc (Walloch, guitarist) is the guy who is the problem solver and will just bulldoze through anything and be a soldier. Mike (Ortiz, drummer) is the guy that makes sure everyone keeps calm. He seems impervious to disasters. It's really funny - he has this energy level that's super calm of just "It's all ok. We're going to get through this." And I'm the person who... well everyone jokes that they see the little girl in me all the time. It's because I'm definitely the explorer. I'll be like, "Let's go on this adventure! What's this?! Let's do this thing!" They'll turn around and I'll be climbing a tree or something, shouting "Come here! You guys have to see this!"
What is some of the stuff you've discovered while you've been traveling that's been exciting for you?
Honestly, one of the coolest things was a town in Tennessee called Tallulah. We just wrote a song about it. It was a town that has been almost completely abandoned and every single building, the school house, the post office, the homes and store fronts, were completely left. There were a only a few human beings in the whole town. You know, at first I was really scared and I couldn't believe that this happens. But when I realized that this is what happens when people leave, nature just comes in, I had this glee. When I looked closer there were vines coming up from the earth and wrapping around buildings and taking them back in. It was almost like nature trying to say that nature prevails and things change. I found that comforting.
I'm really excited that you guys are going to be able to do an in-store set for us. But you also recently did a set for another "store" of sorts- Etsy.
Yes! Oh my gosh!
How did that come about?
Well, a few months ago I was talking to the band saying that I feel that we're at a time in this industry where independent arts really does have a huge window of opportunity and there's a lot of presence. I'm really into supporting other independent artists so I was like, why don't I incorporate pieces in my wardrobe that are very personal to people that they've spent a lot of time and put a lot of heart into? That's what I do with my life so I should have a full circle representation of that. I started getting into Etsy because there's a local artist in Chicago that I buy a lot from, dresses that no one in the world has but me and it feels so cool to wear them on stage! So basically we contacted Etsy about it and talked about different things we liked and performed for the creative people on Etsy. It was so cool to be able to do that!
Yeah, Etsy really is a great platform for a marketplace. It's amazing how quickly it's taken off and all the talent on there.
Definitely, and also a lot of unexpected surprises. I found this person who makes these wooden peg figures of casts from Wes Anderson films. It's so hilarious! It's like a child's toy but who would ever have thought that someone would think to spend their time doing that, and it's great that they do and it makes them happy.
Are you a fan of fashion? Do you look out for trend or do you have your own vibe?
I definitely have my own style but I'm a huge fan of fashion! It's obviously a representation of the greater picture of the world that at least can be broken down into personal perspective and I've always loved that. I really believe in expressing yourself through fashion. I do believe it's an art.
And your song was on Gossip Girl...
That was crazy! I didn't get to see the excerpt because I don't really watch television but I heard about it the day it was happening and I was kind of blown away! To start off I didn't know how I felt about it to be honest but it was a very cool opportunity for us to get exposure.
I always think it must be quite surreal the first time you hear yourself on the radio or on TV.
I still haven't heard us on the radio! I hope that if it ever happens it will be like the That Thing You Do moment when we're all screaming and running from different parts of the city and meeting up just as the song ends.
Now I have all my stupid questions...
Crunchy or smooth peanut butter?
Wait what? Oh, crunchy.
Innie or outie?
Hmmmmm... innie?
Pink or black?
Black.
Spots or stripes?
Stripes definitely.
Ocean or country?
Oooooh ocean.
Winter or summer?
Summer!
Wow! What an awesome interview! Thank you Genevieve! And thank you Meredith for your interviewer skills! I couldn't have even imagined a better interview than that!
Check out more from Company of Thieves on their Myspace - and don't miss their in-store appearance, this coming Saturday afternoon at 5pm at We The Free in Brooklyn!
Many of us who work at URBN Inc. have little brothers or sisters through the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. They have a wonderful program where they even bus the children to our office from their school, twice a month to eat lunch with us! After lunch, Bigs and Littles just hang out together and do their own thing, or they can do whatever the fun scheduled activity is for that day.
At the end of last week, our Littles came, and the activity was so fun! It was a newspaper fashion show! Bigs and Littles made outfits out of newspaper and then walked the runway! There are so many adorable and funny pictures from it, I couldn't resist sharing them with you! I'm sure you'll get a kick out of them too!
Don't miss this year's Art Star Craft Bazaar if you are in Philly this weekend! It starts at 11am and runs until 6pm, tomorrow and Sunday at Penn's Landing Great Plaza. Their site has directions if you need them!
There will be a ton of stuff to see and do (and eat) at the bazaar, which boasts over 100 artists this year! Of course there will also be plenty of live music - check out the schedule below!
Saturday Music Line-up
11am: Pairdown
12pm: The Josh Olmstead Band
1pm: The Documents
2pm: Gildon Works
3pm: Padre Pio
4pm: Toy Soldiers
5pm: Folklore
Sunday Music Line-up:
12pm: Perkasie
1pm: Photon Band
2pm: Like A Fox
3pm: North Lawrence Midnight Singers
4pm: The Mural & The Mint
5pm: Oh!Pears
Hey everyone! Just a heads up - from today all the way through Monday, all of our stores will be having a sale! This weekend only, take an additional 25% off of all sale items! The discount will be applied at the register! Click here to find the nearest store!
Note: This sale is going on in the stores only, not online.
Additional Note: All of our stores expect for our Ardmore, PA location will be open for Memorial Day.
Thank you all so much for participating in the giveaway! It was so much fun to read about all your favorite clothes! Each piece is so unique - I love how special a piece of clothing can be, and you guys had such great items and great stories to go with them!
My favorite clothes are actually two different tee-shirts that were my dad's, before I swiped them! One is a vintage Eric Clapton world tour 1979 tee, which of course rules! The other is this great old Detroit Tigers tee, which is really beat up but it has the old logo of the tiger's head. I can picture my dad rocking them not so long ago!
SO! On to the winner, chosen at random!
Congratulations to Giuliana! From around 3rd grade to at least 6th, my favorite item of clothing was a pair of navy blue L. L. Bean cargo pants that zipped off into shorts... I wore them all the time. I kind of wish I still had a pair.
I remember that type of short! So fun and convenient!
If you did not win this time around, don't lose hope! We have more giveaways coming up!
Stay tuned!
Want to win the super-cute We The Free tee shown above? We want to give it away!
All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment on this post, answering the following question: What is your absolute favorite item of clothing that you own or have owned?
Tomorrow at about this time, we will choose one comment at random, and if your comment is the one picked, you win the shirt!
Make sure to leave your email address with your comment, so that we can contact you if you win!
The shirt is a size small, but these shirts run just a touch big and usually fit a size medium quite well. (In fact, I'm a large and I generally can wear WTF smalls pretty comfortably, though the fit is tighter...)
Good luck everyone! I'm looking forward to reading about your favorite pieces of clothing!
Happy Earth Day everyone! I hope you're all having fun today, even if you're working, and it's raining, like it is here! We are having a blast and enjoying the Go Green Bazaar going on in 543 today! There are all kinds of Earth Day booths and some green vendors too of course! Some people are selling some green body lotions and similar wares, and it smells so good!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on April 22, 2009 12:28 PM
Okay, so this is an ad for T-Mobile, but it's really cool! They hired some dancers to just start dancing at a certain time in Liverpool Street Station, and everyone else sort of started to join in! It's awesome- my favorite part is people's reactions to the sudden dancing! I wish we all just danced around more...
It's a real pleasure to announce the two randomly chosen winners of yesterday's giveaway!
Congratulations to Amanda! I plan on getting more creative with the old things in my closet I've forgotten about. Scissors, bleach and bright colored dyes!!
and
Congratulations to Hilary Kate! I'm so excited, I love spring and all the new delicious clothes I get to bring into my everyday life. I've gotten some awesome big and small flowy hats and dresses that i can't wait to wear.
Hooray! Thank you all so much for participating! It's always so much fun to see all your answers, and especially fun to read your thoughts on spring style this time around!
And if you didn't win, don't lose hope! As always, there are more giveaways close on the horizon...
Interested in winning a wallet and nail file or a phone holder and hair clip? Because we are interested in giving them away!
For a chance to win, all you have to do is leave a comment and answer the following question:
How are you planning on updating your wardrobe for spring? Anything special, unique colors, or silhouettes you're into for spring?
Tell us about it in a comment, and tomorrow we'll pick two comments at random. If your comment is one of the ones chosen, you win!
Good luck!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on March 26, 2009 11:10 AM
Pruitt mentioned a Bleach Black DIY yesterday, and of course we love Kristin and Val! So we are a little sad that we don't live in LA. The Bleach Black girls will be hosting a DIY session at Space 15 Twenty this Sunday! I hope someone gets some pictures!
If you go, make sure to stop by our We the Free store and say hello to the girls.
The awesome week-long musical summer camp Girls Rock Philly is looking for volunteers for it's upcoming session this August! The all-girls camp targets musical development, self-esteem enhancement, friendship & community building, and nurturing individual talents within a cooperative atmosphere. During the week long camp, the campers form bands, and at the end of the week put on a concert! The campers and volunteers (who do not need to play an instrument or be in a band) have a blast!
They are having a meet-&-greet for volunteers a week from this Sunday. Check out the specifics if you're interested! There's also a Girls Rock Portland and a Girls Rock Chicago that I bet are starting to look for volunteers as well!
Below, check out a few of the bands from last year's camp. They are so awesome!
Ever heard of The Sketchbook Project? It's awesome! Something like 2,000 people from around the country signed up, and were sent a blank Moleskine sketchbook. The only instructions were to send the books back by Feb 15th, and fill them with "everyone we know." Art House, which is a group dedicated to bringing art to the masses, is responsible for the creation and managing of the project. I think that is so cool! I only wish I would have known in time to participate! But maybe next time?
For now, the books that Art House got back are going on tour, and tonight they stop in Philadelphia! Head over to Chris' Jazz Cafe at 1421 Sansom Street tonight for a chance to flip through all the books. The books will be making the rounds at a bunch of other cities as well; click here to see a list of all the places and dates! Below find just a few pages of the many many books - click here to see a gallery of the submissions!
Thank you all so much for participating in the Lisa Hannigan giveaway!
Your answers about which pages you liked most and your favorite kinds of music were really interesting!
And now for the winners, chosen at random:
Congratulations to Maria! My goodness. This is a fantastic video.
So many images and favorites!
But I'd have to say my favorite page/part is right about 2:22
Where she's pulling him into the boat.
Congratulations to Alicia! I like the romantic aspect of it, like the page when the girl comes and saves him from the water and when they're on the island holding hands.
Congratulations to Kelsey! I love old folk music like James Taylor and Joni Mitchell..
Hooray! And thank you again, to everyone, for participating! We will be doing another giveaway very soon- stay tuned!
Looking for something to do in Philadelphia on Friday night? Wanna help raise money for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia? Come to the fashion art exhibition at The Fuel House on 249 Arch Street! Tickets are only 20$, and all the proceeds go to the hospital! Doors open at 8pm, and you can get tickets here. Hope to see you there!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 18, 2009 5:20 PM
Photos are slowly trickling in from the Valentine's 2009 craft swap, and there are some truly creative and amazing crafts. I really love the stuffed bird from recylced fabrics! Check them all out in our flickr group, and leave some comment love for the crafters:)
Free People's Best or Worst Date Ever Contest: Winner!
A hearty congratulations to the winner of the Free People Best or Worst Date Ever Video Contest, Molly! Check out her video below!
All of the entries we received were so special, it was really really difficult to pick a winner! You guys have had some crazy dates, good and bad! Thank you so very much to everyone who participated!
And if you weren't a winner, fear not! There are more contests and giveaways in the making! Stay tuned!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 13, 2009 2:55 PM
Comments are now closed for the February catalog giveaway. The lucky winner is Priscilla! Her comment was randomly chosen by random.org and she wins these trinkets our creative director brought back from the photoshoot in Mexico.
Here was her answer to the question "What is your favorite thing about the beach?"
My favorite thing about the beach is the sounds. Obviously, the ocean waves, the screech of seagulls and small children, pieces of conversation... I am so ready for summer to be here already. :P
This was fun! The answers to the animal question were hilarious. Scroll down a few entries and read them all.
Lauren, our stylist, would like to tell you the story of our photo shoot for our newest catalog!
We shot our February catalog in Tulum, Mexico at the end of October, and stayed in a beautiful eco-hotel called azulik. Azulik is comprised of about 10 or so thatched huts that sit in the jungle, right on the beach- there is no electricity, so the room is lit by candlelight at night, and sunshine throughout the day. Each room had a bed that was covered by a mosquito net, a swinging hammock, and beautiful doors that led out to a porch that overlooked the ocean. It seemed like magical place to take a break from the world.
In November the sun sets in Mexico at about 530, so by 6 or so the little resort is pitch black and a little spooky. We would go to bed pretty early as we had to wake up at 430 to shoot at sunrise, and by 9 o’clock it felt like midnight as it was so dark. Doub and I shared a hut, and on our second or third night, I woke up to a loud clicking noise. Outside of our mosquito tent, I could see something fluttering- (we slept with a candle burning) and I assumed it was a moth, and tried to go back to sleep. But the clicking continued and it seemed that the moth was insistent upon getting in our tent! I caught a glimpse of the thing in the candlelight…it was a bat! I woke Doub up and told her that there was a bat in the room, and she reassured me that we were safe in our little tent. She made me feel a little better, though I didn’t sleep well that night as the little bat was clicking all night long.
When we woke up in the morning, we realized what the bat had been doing all night long..on the table was a bunch of bananas that had been completely hollowed out and eaten!!! The little thing had a field day and demolished nearly all 3 bananas. We looked around the room, and realized the bat had pooped everywhere. Everywhere. Especially on top of our mosquito tent. There were little bat poop pellets all over the floor, table, and every other possible surface you can think of.
After that night, we were too creeped out to sleep in our hut anymore, so we slept with our hair and makeup artists, Monica and Deanna, on their little hammock bed. We didn’t even have a mosquito net! We didn’t care though, so long as we didn’t have to sleep in that bat-poop hut.
GIVE AWAY FUN:
Our art director picked up a few fun trickets while in Tulum, and she'd like to give them to YOU!
Just leave a comment with your answer to one of these two questions and we will pick one commenter by random. Make sure to include your email address!
Question #1: What animal would you NOT want to share a hut with?
OR
Question #2: What is your favorite thing about the beach?
I know I've mentioned the indie craft DIY documentary Handmade Nation. There has been a lot of buzz and some clips released, but the official screenings are finally happening!
In Milwaukee at Oriental Theater 2230 N Farwell Ave. on February 5th!
Following the screening, Faythe Levine (the filmmaker!) will be joined in a post-film panel discussion about the indie craft movement by artist Mandy Greer, and Kate Bingaman-Burt, Handmade Nation typographer. The discussion will be moderated by essayist Callie Janoff.
There are some other screenings listed on the blog (including Canada and Spain) so check it out. I can't wait!
Last Chance: Free People's Best or Worst Date Ever Video Contest!
Don't forget, there is only one day left to enter a little video clip in our Best or Worst Date Ever Video Contest!
What was the worst date you have ever had? How about the best? Tell us about it for a chance to win a Free People Valentine Goody Box, including some cute Free People intimates wear and many other treats! Click here for all the information, and a video of Free People employees talking about their own dates!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on February 1, 2009 10:53 AM
Thank you all so much for participating in the little hair clip and nail file giveaway!
It was so much fun to read everyone's favorite current silhouettes!
And now for the winners, chosen at random:
Congratulations to Ariel! My favorite silhouette is probably an empire waisted dress/tunic.
Congratulations to Angela T! I'm loving tunics right now, as well as comfy tops with skinny pants. My favorite Free People item right now my crimson/purple velvet leggings. They are SO cool.
Congratulations to Kaleigh! tunics with printed/colorful leggings or tights
Everyone else, don't lose hope! We will be doing another giveaway very soon! Stay tuned, and thank you!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 28, 2009 2:09 PM
Free People's Best or Worst Date Ever Video Contest
Valentine’s Day is closer than you think, and to get in the spirit, we have put together a little contest for you!
It's my pleasure to announce Free People's Best or Worst Date Ever Video Contest!
What was the worst date you have ever had? How about the best? Tell us about it for a chance to win a Free People Valentine Goody Box, including some cute Free People intimates wear and many other treats!
Make a little video in which you tell us about the best or worst date you ever had. What was so awful or so great about it? Why was it your worst or best date ever?
To get your wheels turning, we made a little video of our own worst and best dates! Check it out above, it's really cute!
A few requirements for entries:
-You must be 18 or older to enter, and you must be a United States resident.
-Only one entry per person.
-Videos must be 3 minutes or less.
-Videos should not have music in them. Unless you are singing unaccompanied. ;)
-Please do not mention the real name or nickname of your date. Don’t show pictures of your date either!
-No offensive, lewd language or stories please! Keep it classy.
-Only you should appear in the video.
-Videos emailed to us as attachments must be in .mov or .avi format, and be no larger than 10MB.
Videos will be judged based on their relevance to the question at hand and their creativity in telling the story, at 40% each. They will also be judged a tiny little bit on humor and production quality, at 10% each.
The video with the highest score wins you a Free People Valentine Goody Box, worth approximately 100$! Who needs a good valentine when you have your FP goody box?!
How to submit:
There are three ways to enter your video in the contest:
1- Upload your finished video to YouTube or Vimeo and email a link to your video to freepeoplecontest@gmail.com.
2- Email your video as an attachment to freepeoplecontest@gmail.com. All videos emailed as attachments must be in .mov or .avi format, and must be no larger than 10MB.
3- Send a DVD of your video to:
Pruitt Shutt
5000 S. Broad Street Bldg. #15
Philadelphia, PA 19112
All entries, regardless of method of entry, must include your name, address, phone number, email address, age and whether your date is a "best" one or a "worst" one!
The contest ends on February 2nd, 2009! That means we must receive all online entries by 11:59pm on February 2nd, and all mail-in entries must be mailed by February 2nd as well! Mail-in entries must be received by February 11th. We will announce the winner on Valentine’s Day!
Before you enter, make sure to also read the Official Rules, since when you enter you agree to be bound by them!
And if you're not in the mood to compete for a prize, stay tuned as we will be starting our Valentine's Day Craft Swap! Hooray! And good luck!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 25, 2009 11:13 PM
...and you were interested, I thought I would post these pictures of First Lady Obama in the ensemble she chose for the inauguration yesterday. There was much discussion about who would be the lucky designer of the outfit she would wear, and the lucky designer ended up being Isabel Toledo!
I like the material she used, and the color too! The body and shape are a little old fashioned for me, but I do think she looked very appropriately dressed for the occasion! And the coat was to die for!
The girls were wearing J. Crew.
So what did you guys think?
The first picture is a Getty Image, the other two are from AP.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 21, 2009 10:51 AM
We had lots of requests for a Valentine Swap, so here it is! Sign up, I'll match you with a partner, you make your partner a Valentine gift, they make you one, and you both have a happy Valentine's Day.
Sign up is open for one week only, so spread the news to fellow crafty friends so we can get as many people involved in the week. Get your creative juices flowing and I'll send you your partner's info next week, and of course the craft will be "due" on (around) February 14th.
Here are some past Vday swap flickr groups for some ideas. Here and here.
Today the United States inaugurates it's first African-American president! Everyone here at the home office will be able watch on a big projector in Building 543. It's very exciting!
The little video above is of an amazing model at Legoland in California. It's an all lego miniature of the inauguration! For being a miniature, it's pretty large, and real impressive! It even has a mini presidential motorcade!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 20, 2009 10:25 AM
Don't forget about our FP Style Event, which is going on right now!
We've 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, check out just a few of the super cute pictures we've gotten so far! To see the whole set, go to our Flickr account!
And don't forget to send us pictures of you in your Free People, with your name and hometown, to blog.freepeople@gmail.com!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on January 19, 2009 2:04 PM
The Free People Art of Giving Winter craft swap is coming to a close. Some of the swappers have posted photos of their beautiful handmade gifts in our flickr group. They look so amazing!
Thanks to everyone that participated. I hope you all had fun:)
Check out the flickr group to see all of the gifts, and leave these crafters some comments if you love what they made. There should be more photos posting all week, so check back too.
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
Planning on going to a Free People store soon? Starting this Monday, December 1st, customers who bring in their old Free People shopping bags to use when they shop will receive a free gift! You could receive a Free People Measuring Tape, a set of Free People Hair Clips, or one of our other fun treats! (Note: One free gift per customer per day.)
This promotion will run until we are out of gifts, but we would like to encourage our customers to always reuse their bags each time they shop at Free People!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 28, 2008 1:12 PM
For anyone that signed up for the Art of Giving winter craft swap, you should have an email waiting in your inbox with your partner's info and the link for the flickr group. Please leave me a comment if your email is missing info (there was lots of fast copying and pasting, so I'm sure there are some mistakes) or comment if you did not receive an email.
Here is a list of people that signed up and did not leave their email address. Please leave a comment so I can give you a partner:
Today is the last day to sign up for our winter craft swap, The Art of Giving! Join us in handcrafting some amazing gifts for your fellow Free People friends! Read all about it here, and to sign up, click here. This should be really fun, don't miss out!
For those of you who have already signed up, you can expect an email next week with your partners information! Happy crafting!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 21, 2008 12:04 PM
in Philly and looking for something to do this Friday?
Come check out the band of one of our accessories designers, Danielle! This Friday night at the Khyber, on 2nd and Market streets in Philadelphia, The Midnight Beat will be playing with Dark Horse & the Carousels and Federale! It starts at 9pm, and looks to be a real good show! Come hang out if you're in town!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 19, 2008 11:01 AM
Our third We the Free store will open this Friday in an exciting new space on Cahuenga Blvd in LA. More on the We the Free store later, but here is some info about the new space created by our parent company, Urban Outfitters.
A new retail experiment in Hollywood, CA, Space 15 Twenty creates an opportunity for Urban Outfitters to collaborate with creative brands we find inspiring and interesting.
A courtyard leads from each store to an outdoor performance space and adjoining gallery. Both of which encourage designers and artists to become part of a curated environment. Working with neighboring music, film and art establishments, both courtyard and adjoining gallery will present a rotating cast of local musicians and artists.
The Urban Outfitters store will feature one-off installations by a new designer every few months. Alongside the 11,000 square foot Urban Outfitters store, Space 15 Twenty will host a selection of vendors. The revolving brands utilizing these spaces will reflect and compliment Urban Outfitters and present our customers with an overarching view of people and brands which are excited to be aligned with.
Check out the space15twenty for info on the other tenants and the great events the space will host.
Free People is hosting a winter craft swap called The Art of Giving! It's been a long time since our last swap, so I am super excited. Join us in handcrafting some amazing gifts for your fellow Free People friends and spread the winter cheer.
Here's how it works: You fill out the simple form with your name, email, and mailing address. People outside the United States are welcome to join, but if you live in the U.S., you can indicate if you do not want to ship internationally. I will match you up with a partner and send you their email and shipping address.
You'll have until New Years to make a gift and mail it to your partner. You can make anything you want. The wintery theme can be your inspiration. You can make something to keep warm, decorate your home, or simply make your partner smile.
You might remember when I mentioned the Gee's Bend quilts a while back. They are completely exquisite, and use really unique techniques and styles - all in all, totally inspiring! They are currently being exhibited at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I just wanted to give everyone who is in the area a reminder! This is a really great chance to see 74 of these amazing and historical quilts before they go home on December 14th. Go on a Sunday to pay whatever you like instead of the normal $14 museum entrance fee. (I'm going this Sunday!) Check out the museum's page for some cool background information about the quilts, and for tons of pictures of them go here.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on November 3, 2008 10:42 AM
As many of you may already know, the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team has gone to the World Series! They have now won four games, and need only one more win to be the World Series champions! Tonight, they play at home here in Philadelphia, and tonight could be the night! Excitement is at a fever pitch, and everyone around the home office has been showing off their Phillies spirit! They all look really cute too!
Yes, that is her ticket to the game tonight! She is one lucky girl! Go Phightin' Phils!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on October 27, 2008 12:20 PM
It's getting very autumnal outside, and here at the home office, that means it's time to paint pumpkins! People from all the brands got together this afternoon and painted pumpkins which will be auctioned off to raise money for the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia. The fund provides tuition assistance to help Philadelphia children, in K- 8th grades gain access to safe, high quality schools. We had such a blast painting pumpkins! Some of them turned out to be real works of art!
Yay autumn!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on October 20, 2008 4:13 PM
A hearty congratulations to our Free People Fashion Illustration Contest winner, Tuesday Mourning of South Pasadena, California! Hooray!
All of the entries we received were so special, it was really really difficult to pick a winner! You guys are an exceptionally talented bunch, and we had never gotten so many gorgeous illustrations by email and snail-mail before! Thank you so very much to everyone who participated! We truly enjoyed seeing your work!
Since we loved all the entries so much, we are currently in the process of saving them all in a set on our Flickr account, so be sure to check them out!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on October 17, 2008 11:11 AM
Don't forget our ongoing Free People Style Event! Show us your Free People style!
We've been collecting pictures of you and your friends wearing Free People and putting them in an uber-cute set on our Flickr!
Email us your pictures of you and your friends wearing Free People at blog.freepeople@gmail.com! Be sure to tell us your name and where you're from!
xo
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on October 13, 2008 11:57 AM
"Williamsburg Fashion Weekend continues to show the work of designers that have their fingers on the hip and now, with a nod to the past and wide-open eyes on the future. In this, our third season, we've assembled a group of eight Brooklyn-based designers who make one-of-a-kind or small-run collections, with an emphasis on fair-trade, eco-friendliness, and artisan techniques that celebrate the handmade and the visionary."
Check out the website for location info and links to some of the participating designers.
The Free People Fashion Illustration Contest comes to a close tomorrow!
All email entries must be received by 11:59pm tomorrow night, October 3rd, 2008. All regular mail entries must be postmarked by tomorrow as well!
Don't miss your chance to win a Free People goody box, with all kinds of stuff including a signed print by illustrator Kris Chau! Click here for all the details!
The winner will be notified by October 13th, and announced by October 17th, 2008.
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on October 2, 2008 3:47 PM
Don't forget our Free People Fashion Illustration Contest deadline is this Friday October 3rd! That means there are only 5 days left to send us your Free People inspired fashion illustration for a chance to win an awesome surprise box including a signed print from illustrator Kris Chau! Click here for all the details!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on September 28, 2008 2:37 PM
Don't forget about our Free People Fashion Illustration Contest! Send us your Free People inspired fashion illustration for a chance to win a totally awesome surprise box with all kinds of goodies and trinkets, including a signed print by celebrated illustrator Kris Chau! For more details about entering, click here!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on September 21, 2008 1:43 PM
Don't forget about our FP Style Event, which is going on right now!
We've 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, check out just a few of the super cute pictures we've gotten so far! To see the whole set, go to our Flickr account!
And don't forget to send us pictures of you in your Free People, with your name and hometown, to blog.freepeople@gmail.com!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on September 17, 2008 2:28 PM
Gee's Bend Quilts at the Philadelphia Museum of Art!
One week from today, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is opening an exhibition of the Gee's Bend Quilts! Gee's Bend is a small, poor town in Alabama that has become widely-known for its quilting. The quilts of Gee's Bend take a different angle on normal quilting techniques, and they are just amazing. If you are near Philadelphia you should definitely go look at these quilts (there are 74 of them!) before the exhibition ends in December. It's $14 to get in to the museum, unless you go on Sunday, when it's pay what you want all day!
I am so excited to announce the Free People Fashion Illustration Contest!
Create an original Free People-inspired fashion illustration that includes at least one Free People item.
Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, artistic rendering, and appropriateness to the Free People aesthetic.
The winner will receive a surprise goody-box filled with all kinds of awesome things from all of us at Free People, including a signed print by illustrator (and FP designer) Kris Chau!
A Few Guidelines
-Your illustration must be your own original design.
-Illustrations may be done in any two-dimensional medium.
-Illustrations should be no larger than 11x17 inches, or no larger than 6336x9792 pixels.
-Illustrations should include at least one Free People item.
-Entrants must be at least 13 years old and live in the United States of America.
-You may enter more than one illustration, but if you choose to do so, each illustration must be entered on its own, as a separate entry.
To Enter:
Email us your entry at freepeoplecontest@gmail.com.
Mail us your entry at: Attn: Pruitt Shutt
Free People Fashion Illustration Contest
5000 South Broad Street Bldg. #15
Philadelphia, PA 19112
Be sure to include your name, age, address, telephone number, and email address with your entry!
All email entries must be received by October 3rd 2008.
All mail-in entries must be postmarked by October 3rd 2008, and received by October 9th 2008.
Do check out the official rules, and as always, please feel free to post any questions in the comments of this post, or email us at freepeoplecontest@gmail.com!
For inspiration, check out NinkyBink's illustration gallery, and below find a few of Kris Chau's grogeous illustrations!
Good luck!
Note: The drawing on the banner at the top was also done by a FP designer, Sylvie, one of our Wovens designers!
Posted by pruitt fpgirl on September 5, 2008 2:15 PM
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!)
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
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.
Prepare for September 19th and Park(ing) Day, and experience how great our cities might be if they were designed for people rather than cars. Park(ing) Day participants get into some guerrilla gardening and take over public parking spaces, turning them into their own customized little corners of nature and relaxation.
Check out Inhabitat for more pictures and a full description.
Hey Free People girls!
Show us your style! How do you wear your Free People? Head to toe? Flashes of flair?
We noticed that people would often upload pictures of themselves wearing
their Free People to our Facebook account, and we loved it! That got us thinking... and curious to see more!
Send us your pictures of you and your friends in your Free People
clothing, and we’ll put them all on our Flickr account!
Email your name, age, and current town with your pictures to blog.freepeople@gmail.com, and we will upload them!
If you can, tell us which FP items you are wearing too!
Eventually, we’ll pick out some of our favorite styles and feature them on
the blog!
To get started, we put up a few pictures of our own employees rocking their
Free People here at the home office! You can check out our Flickr folder for
this event here!
Congratulations to our Free People Design-A-Bag Contest winner, Olivia Wendel of Marina del Rey California! You can look for the bag with her design to be in use at the stores in January!
Also, most of the entries have been uploaded to our Flickr account, so check them out!
We want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who participated! And if you didn't win, don't lose heart! There are more contests on the horizon, so stay tuned!
The University of the Arts Senior Thesis Show for their BFA Photography program will be hosted by the gallery at 543!
543 is a building in the Navy Yard that is shared by all the Urban Outfitters Inc. brands, and is also open to the public. Among other things, it has our cafeteria, gym, coffee shop, mailroom, web studio, and of course, the art gallery!
The opening reception for the show is tonight, and you are all invited! If anyone is in the Philadelphia area, come check it out from 5:30 to 7pm tonight! The Philadelphia Navy Yard is located at the extreme south end of the city, at the very bottom of South Broad Street. In fact, South Broad basically ends in the Navy Yard. Once you're here, just look for Building 543! There are even signs around the Yard that will direct you to it. Hope to see you there! :)
As some of you already know, this weekend I tried to get pictures of the fireworks here in Philly to show you, but failed. However, to my delight, our Design Assistant Courtney got quite a few pictures of the fireworks, from the TV! Courtney is obsessed with pictures taken of the TV, and the fireworks couldn't escape her lens! The pictures are actually pretty darn cool!
It is my great pleasure to announce the Free People Design-A-Bag Contest!
Using the colors green & blue, create a design that will be screen-printed on our medium cloth bags, used at all Free People stores and trade shows!
Aside from having their design used, the winner will receive a $200 gift card that may be used at any Free People store or online, as well as 10 cloth bags with your design on it for you and your friends!
A Few Guidelines:
-Use no more than 3 colors in your design, and try to stick to cool colors. Green and blue are what we are looking for most.
-The bags are made from sheer voile fabric in a natural color that will have the design screen-printed on it. Because of this, please keep in mind that it is difficult to have any colors that look water-colory or less saturated. It’s more of an all-or-nothing deal, where the color is there, or it isn’t.
-Please avoid things like landscapes or other things that wouldn’t look good upside down– the design needs to be versatile and look as good upside down as rightside up.
-Please don’t worry about putting the Free People logo or your name on the design. Our cloth bag team will add the Free People logo and a small “designed by Winner Person for Free People” to the winning design.
-The bags will be in use for Spring 2009, starting in January. Try and make your designs kind of Spring-esque!
-The ideal size for designs is 11inches by 16inches. If you are turning in your entry by email, make sure it is scanned at 200 dpi, or a higher resolution.
-All e-mail entries must be received by Friday June 27th, 2008 and all regular mail entries must be postmarked by Friday June 27th, 2008 and received by Friday July 5th, 2008.
-Be sure to include your name, address, and phone number with your entry! One entry per person, please!
Email your entries to:
freepeoplecontest@gmail.com
Mail your entries to:
ATTN: Pruitt Shutt
5000 South Broad Street Bldg#15
Philadelphia, PA 19112
A friendly reminder: Regardless of which way you enter the contest, be sure to read the Official Rules, as by entering the contest you will be deemed to have agreed to be bound by them.
Below, find a couple pictures of past bags for inspiration!
Best of luck to all that choose to enter!
xo
I don't mean to overwhelm you with videos, but I really wanted to share this. This Saturday, you can join the world to celebrate Pangea Day. The concept is really amazing. Here is some info from the Pangea Day web site...
Pangea Day is a global event bringing the world together through film.
Why? In a world where people are often divided by borders, difference, and conflict, it's easy to lose sight of what we all have in common. Pangea Day seeks to overcome that – to help people see themselves in others – through the power of film.
More than 1,000 Pangea Day events worldwide will transmit photos, video, and text messages, to be incorporated in the live broadcast and the pangeaday.org web site.
The 4-hour Pangea Day program will include visionary speakers and live music in addition to the featured films. Queen Noor of Jordan, CNN's Christiane Amanpour, musician/activist Bob Geldof and Iranian rock phenom Hypernova are among the presenters taking part.
So get some buddies together or check out this map to find put where people will be celebrating near you.
Heather at the home office recommends checking out this Philly photographer this week before his show ends! Manuel Dominguez Jr.'s photography is currently on display at Benna's Cafe in South Philly. Heather also recommends trying the most delicious coffee and tea beverages she has ever tasted, especially the Open Fire made with soy milk.
Heather bought a print of the photo above! Her favorite part is that they are watching Rock of Love on the TV!
A comment on uwishunu (a Philly happenings blog) claims Manuel is the modern Norman Rockwell, so get there this week to check it out (show ends May 8).
It's the anniversary of our first ever Free People craft swap! Valentine craft swap 2008 starts now.
For those of you who have not swapped before, here's how it works...
You sign up to swap and are sure to give me you correct mailing address and email. I hook you up with another swapper anywhere in the world (or just in the US if you prefer). I email you all of your partner's information. You have a few weeks to make your partner absolutely anything you want based on the theme of Valentine's Day. Then you mail your gift to your partner, and they mail you one in return. And everyone has a happy Valentine's Day!
Just wanted to show some love for a local philly band and their fp lovin singer. Exreverie is playing a show on February 2nd at the Tin Angel in Philly, to celebrate the release of their new record. Check out their website and myspace...
Camille from Kissing Knees Craft wants to invite all you creative fp girls to participate in a project she's putting together. Share you love stories. Ya gotta love something! check out her blog for the info...
There are some cool events happening this week in NY that I thought I'd share...
One is the Bust Holiday Craftacular. This is one of my favorite spots for holiday gifts and new crafty ideas for stuff to make myself. It keeps getting better every year, so check it out this Saturday, Dec 8th at The Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City, 125 West 18th Street.
Also this week, is GenArt's SHOP NYC, full of amazing designers selling their wares for amazing prices. This Wednesday at the Puck Building from 6-10pm.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, enter MAYFLOWER in the promo field at checkout, and get your Free People goodies shipped FREE on all orders from freepeople.com through November 26th!
Let fiber keep you warm during the Etsy Fiber Art Street Team sale, trunk show, online events … and all year round!
Who: The fabulous independent spinners, knitters, crocheters, weavers, felters, and fiber artists of Etsy.com, your place to buy handmade!
What: A giant event, online and in person, celebrating all things handmade and fiber!
When: Sale in online shops from Nov. 1 - Nov. 16. Trunk show date is Nov. 16, online and at Etsy Labs 6 - 8 p.m. EST.
Where: Etsy Labs, 325 Gold Street, 6th Floor, Brooklyn NY 11201 , and also online at www.etsy.com and www.etsyfast.com
Why: Warm up your November with our great fiber artists! Great sales on items for the holidays, supplies, and more! Interact with our members, learning more about these products and techniques! Buy handmade.
How: RSVP at labs [!at] etsy.com, check www.etsyfast.com for more info, and be sure to visit us during our sale and show Nov. 16!
Our Dark Fairy Swap flickr group is filling up with photos of the amazing crafts you all made! Check out the photos, read about the swappers in the discussion page (come on swappers, introduce yourself!) and leave the crafters some comments. And FYI, if you have a flickr account, or want to set one up, you can view ALL of the photos in the group. If you don't have an account, you can only see a limited #. Not sure why...
I'll be featuring some individual photos from the swap in the sidebar to the right. So check back to see yours featured!
You're invited! Our Boston Free People store celebrates its one year anniversary this weekend! Come visit this Saturday and get a free gift before they're gone. Party goes on 10am to 10pm.
One of our own home office FP girls plans this scooter rally in Philly, so if you gotta bike, check out the Rabble Rouser Scooter Club. Rally happening this weekend!
Hi Swappers! Just wanted to let you know that sign up time is over for the Dark Fairy craft swap. It is a bit of a process to match up partners and email you, so I will send you a message sometime later this week. Thank you all for participating!!!
There's just a few more days to sign up for our Dark Fairy theme craft swap! The more swappers, the more fun. So can you help spread the word? Post about it on your blogs and email all your crafty friends!
Fellow FP girl reccomended this event and I thought it highly appropriate now that we have a store in Austin!
Check out Stitch 2007 on November 10th, and get tickets because they sell out! Indie craft fair and fashion show goin on, so go and support the community. The money raised benefits the Stitch Grant awarded for Indie and Craft Upstarts. Woohoo.
Our next craft swap theme is inspired by this month's catalog, Dark Fairy. Think about woodland creatures, fairy tales, A Midsummer's Night Dream, and gothic stories (or whatever else you can think up...). Feel free to comment with inspiration ideas!
Sign up will be from now until next Wednesday September 26th. We will have a month to make the crafts and can ship to partners the last weeks of October. Let's get our gifts swapped so that everyone receives theirs before Halloween!
Sign up here. PLEASE double check your info and make sure your email address is correct. If your partner emails you, please respond so they know you are still swapping. If something happens and your gift will be late, give your partner a heads up. If you decide not to swap after signing up, PLEASE email me so I can match up your partner with a different swapper.
So I'm sure you've already come across notcouture, fashionable offspring of favorite design site, notcot. Well this week notcouture is celebrating their official launch! Be sure to check out both of the sites, and take notice of special discounts for notcot readers from some of your favorite retailers (hint hint hint). And start submitting some of your favorite items on notcouture!
PingMag just did this entry featuring Japanese wind bells. Every July in Kanagawa, people visit the Kawasaki Taishi Wind Bell Market. Can you imagine how magical and peaceful it would be to walk through an entire market filled with these bells? These photos are my favorites, but check out PingMag for more pics and info...
Urban Outfitters Inc. has a building called 543 in the Navy Yard that is the center of employee life. This building is shared by the three brands and is also open to the public. 543 houses our restaurant/cafeteria, gym, yoga studio, coffee shop, and magazine shop among other things. Since it is a space the employees visit so often, we thought it would be a great place to set up an art gallery to display the artwork or collections of the employees. Our company is filled with creative people and we want to showcase all of their hidden talents...
So to kick it off, Free People employee Kris Chau set up a show of her art work with her best friend Brielle. You might recognize Chau's style from a few illustrations that have been posted on the blog. Check out the video of Kris and Brielle and the gallery opening, and Kris Chau's website!!
Our store in Garden City, NY (Roosevelt Field Mall) would like to invite you to celebrate their one year anniversary! The girls are super excited. They're decorating the store, bringing in sweets & treats and even making little gifts for you.
Visit the Garden City location and receive a gift with your purchase on Saturday, June 30th from 12 to 7pm.
Did you miss the Renegade Craft Fair this weekend? Or maybe you're thinking about checking out the Chicago scene? Poppy Talk did this cool guide to the fair that can catch you up on what you missed... Above image from rock paper scissors
Etsy has teamed up with Instructables for this Sew Useful contest. So you know that Etsy is all about supplying a marketplace for the independent artist and crafter, and Instructables is a community created to share the how-to's for useful projects. I love how Instructables encourages the sharing of finds and ideas. I mean, that's what blogging is all about, right? Anyway, combining these two ideas, you get the ultimate way to support the handmade community. And there's prizes...
So our travel themed craft swap is coming to a close. These photos are just a few of the amazing crafts the particpants have exchanged. Check out our flickr group to see the rest, and leave these guys some comments! The creativity of all you swappers is seriously incredible. Hope you all had fun!!!!
Anyone ride a scooter? One of our own FP girls is responsible for planning a rally in Philly at the end of the month. Join in on the rides, BBQs, scavenger hunt and Philly fun. Check out the site for the schedule and details!
It's coming up, so clear your calendars, and make that road trip to NY! The Renegade Craft Fair is sponsored by Bust Magazine and is seriously awesome. This year is their biggest yet, with over 300 artists participating. And I'm sure some of our favorite craft bloggers will be there. Leave a comment with your link if you're going! It looks like this year there will be vendors set up in the pool instead of the park. I guess that lessens the chance of getting hit with a baseball. See you there!
Oh, and if you live near Chicago, the fair is held there too! Check out their site for more info...
Above are some photos from last year. Check out the rest on the RCF flickr site.
This is for anyone signed up to swap... You should have your partners by now. I'm still getting some comments trickling in about not having partner info. If you don't have a partner, then the message went to your junk box or you gave me the incorrect (or no) email address. So let me know asap and I can fix you up!!
Also, be sure to join our travel swap flickr group so you can share you photos and see everyone else's. I can't wait to see all the crafts!
I know this is late notice if you actually live close enough to Philly to go tonight, but I would like to support the artist anyway, so I thought I'd give her a shout out...
Tonight!!
May 11th, 7pm-9pm
At Benna's Cafe' (which is located on the north-west corner of 8th and wharton st in south philly)
Katie Henry will be having a party and you are all invited.
There will be mint juleps and miniature dinosaur cupcakes and miniature fruit tarts and wine and cheese and balloons and good people.
Oh and there will also be Katie's beautiful sewn drawings and handbags.
Please come if you can, and tell your friends to come as well.
Free People is in love with mixing it up... mismatched prints, soft feminine with tough boy elements, the pulled-together with the super care-free. How do you wear your Free People? I know there are some Free People girls out there with some serious style. Well we wanna see it!
I've set up a flickr group where you can post pics of your personal FP looks. You don't have to be in head to toe Free People, I think it's cool to see how everyone mixes things into their wardrobe. We'll be checking out the photos and the comments people leave. I'll post some of your photos that really stand out on the blog, and somebody might even get contacted to participate in a Free People catalog shoot!
The above photos are some of the girls that work in our store in Paramus NJ. So style up your Free People and post some photos here!!!
So there were seriously eight different FP employees in the home office yesterday wearing blue and white stripes. How ridiculous is that? And yes, we have an FP man! He merchandises the stores!
And about the swap...
There are just under 200 people signed up! woohoo! Thanks to all you bloggers that spread the word! So I'm gonna match up partners and email you info. There are about 10 people that didn't leave me your email address! If your name is listed, (I left out your last name for security or whatever) please comment with your email. I won't post the comments... This is gonna be fun.
Laura P
Cody F (male swapper! woohoo! he did the vday swap and the poor guy received a necklace, so this time I'll let his partner know he's an FP man...)
suzi b
Jessica G
Crystal-Ann K
Rachelle C
Natalie S
Claire B
Patrina F
Reethi J
Helen H
Heather R
Today is the last day to sign up for our travel themed craft swap! This is such a fun opportunity to share your creative talents with another crafty free people girl, and all of the blog readers as well. Check out details here and sign up here.
I was walking home from work last week and spotted this amazing trunk in my neighbor's garbage. It's made of metal and super heavy, but I dragged it home. All the straps are leather and its marked with all these old labels from its travels. I think I might use it as inspiration for the swap! How perfectly strange is that?
I want to thank everyone that's already signed up for the travel swap (probably about 150!) and encourage you to get even more people involved! I love the community the last swap created, and all of the back and forth in the flickr group was such a great chance to share your crafty talents with even more people. So the last day to sign up is Monday. Post the info on your blogs and let's get some more people involved over the weekend.
After Monday, it'll take a few days to get all the info together and then I'll email you with your partner's info and the link for the travel swap's flickr group.
I saw these globes and maps over at Terramia and it reminded to get thinking about what I'm gonna make!
Rocket St. George posted the above images of tents in the spirit of the upcoming season of music festivals. I thought the whole camping idea could be added onto the list of inspiration for the Free People travel themed craft swap. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out!
But the tents also reminded me of this past exhibit called "Shelter" by Saviour Scraps, a Brooklyn arts collective that makes installations re-using scraps of fabric to create their imaginative environments. One of the FP girls emailed me their link a while ago because her sister is one of the artists involved. You'll wanna check out their site and their current work on view at Monkey Town in Williamsburg.
The Valentine's swap was a huge success and we've had lots of requests for another, so let's do it! A huge theme in recent FP collections is travel. We've had store displays and product inspiration from across the world (the last two collections focusing on India and Africa), and summer is coming, so think about vacations! Get inspired by maps, travel guides, road trips, exotic countries, you get the idea.
So this time each participant will be matched with a partner. You will make something beautiful inspired by the idea of travel and they will make something for you in return. (Last time I matched everyone with one person to send to and a different to receive from, and it got a little crazy.) The sign up will be open for two weeks, so get your friends involved! Then you will have
about a month to make you goodies and send them out.
Click here to participate, and make sure you fill out all your info! Your email and mailing address are super important. Oh, and make a note if you're totally against shipping internationally. Comment with any questions. Get to crafting!
Check out March's of KnitKnit . This month features the "Knitting Nation Manifesto" by Liz Collins. Remeber the radical lace & subversive knitting exhibit I posted about? Well, word has it, some of the girls here at Free People will be involved in a knitting performance/installation conceived by Liz Collins. It happens the last day of the exhibit in June. Check out the Museum of Art & Design calendar for details.
I know most of you are crafty, some of you even run your own businesses or sell your wares on etsy. In any case, I thought I'd pass along the info about Fred Flare's Next Big Thing contest. They're looking for artists, crafters and designers to submit products to be sold on Fred Flare. Get lots of exposure, new wholesale opportunities, and maybe a $1000 too! check it out...
ABC Carpet & Home is hosting a "month long journey exporing the essence of the spirit, culture, color and artistry of India". Judging by their website, they have put so much into this, and it sounds like it's going to be a truly amazing month.
They'll celebrate Indian foods as well as health and beauty traditions, but what sounds most appealing is the daily demonstrations of indigenous craft presented by celebrated artisans from India. Learn the arts of vegetable dying, stone carving, ancient weaving techniques, different embroidery methods, block printing...there's a huge list. The work of the artists will be displayed in a gallery within the store.
Like ABC, Free People has a certain connection with India, and believes in supporting the crafts that have been handed down from generation to generation. (Just look at our store interiors) And on top of that constant relationship we share, India is also inspiration for one of our upcoming trends. More on that coming soon...
The Free People Valentine's Swap is coming to an end. I just received my gift today! I can tell swapping is going to be addicting. I feel like I could start a mini art collection this way...
So above are some of the photos from the swap. There are a hundred more here... Leave the swappers some comments. They made really incredible stuff. And keep on the lookout for the next swap. We have to do this again. Anybody have any good ideas for the next theme?
The swap has started! Some crafters have even already posted pics in the flickr group and they look completely amazing. I'm sure everyone will be finishing up this weekend and getting their goods in the mail. So check back to see the progress.
If you're swapping and haven't joined the flickr group yet, please do! I know there's still about 100 people that haven't joined yet.Then everyone can see your swapiness and you can chat with other swappers!
If you live in LA, I am really really jealous right now. For anyone who has not heard of The Citizens Band, you want to check out their website immediately. A group of artists and performers making the most fantastical magical shows you can imagine featuring such beauties as Karen Elson, Zooey Deschanel and trapeze artist Sarah Sophie Flicker. Creating extraordinary works of art, the group expresses their concerns for our futures through reworking images of the past. So why am I jealous of those in LA? They are perfoming January 25th for $15!!!
This is for any one in the Boston or LA areas... Craft events this weekend! Both LA and Boston fairs happening tomorrow the 16th. Check out details here. Below are some pictures from past events.
I must say, the selection looks super creative, more diverse than some shows I have been to. So, if anyone goes, leave a comment and let us know what you thought! Have fun...
If you are in the NYC area, I highly suggest making the trek to Brooklyn for Bust Magazine's Holiday Craftacular this Saturday. I found loads of great crafty gifts last year, and it's totally inspiring to see so many talented people selling their handmades.
Here's a picture of last year's crowd. It's a serious party with with music spun by DJs Dirty Jean, Amylulita, Lady Byrd, Peppermintwist, Ultra V, Mahssa, and Miss Modular plus free drinks and a raffle with great prizes. See you there!