Get to know a bit more about the beauty in our October catalog, Julia Stegner!
Julia is wearing the Crochet Cuff Henley.
Shop all items in the October catalog.
October 2011 Catalog Video: Julia Stegner by Guy Aroch
Our October catalog video makes me smile :) Shot by Guy Aroch featuring model Julia Stegner, it captures her cool, carefree attitude and a fun day of shooting in the studio!
Song is “Crazy As You” by Nicole Reynolds.
Shop the October catalog.
Fall Fashion from our Favorite Bloggers
This week’s featured blogger is our good friend Natalie of the blog Natalie Off Duty! Here’s one of her favorite looks for fall (featuring our polka dot boho top!) and what she’s most excited about this season.
What trend are you most excited about for Fall?
For Fall, I am sooo excited to get back into layering, especially with knits. I love something chunky on top with something a little more fitted at the bottom. Playing around with proportions is great for fall weather. Right now, I love mixing something very classic with something totally unexpected and fun. I look forward to everything from printed blouses to shearling coats!
Favorite designers right now?
My favorite designers right now are Chloe, Stella McCartney, Rebecca Minkoff, Alexander Wang, and Isabel Marant.
Your must have Free People item for Fall?
The Genteel V-Neck Sweater. It’s super classic and looks great with just about everything. It also looks like something I could just cuddle in!
What is your favorite Fall activity?
I LOVE playing in ball pits or riding my bike through the parks!
I love how she styled the polka dot blouse! Thank you Natalie!
Milan Fashion Week
Milan’s fashion week has come to a close and I’ve been scrolling through the shows for inspiration. It was bright and glitzy, everything that you would expect from a city that enjoys the finest things in life.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Marni, there’s something so incredibly quirky going on with it aesthetics; whether it’s the unique colour palette or the juxtaposition of ad-hoc accessories against geometric prints. In this collection I was seeing a little touch of 60’s housewife which worked in a weird kind of way – that’s what to expect from Consuelo Castiglioni.
Roberto Cavalli’s show brought glitz to my eyes the artisanship won me. The collection seemed like it belonged at the couture shows at times. I loved the contrast of gold with leopard and florals against the black. It was a dream to look at.
Milan shone bright, next stop Paris!
Photo’s taken from Vogue and Style
Designer Jewelry by DANNIJO
This month’s featured jewelry designer is one of my personal favorites – Dannijo. The New York based label was founded by sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder, self-taught jewelry designers who learned how to wirework by playing with their father’s medical tools as kids. Their pieces are handmade using various metals – oxidized silver, gold and gunmetal – mixed with bold colorful elements like druzy quartz, crystals, aqua aura and pearls.
A combination of bohemian whimsy and old-world sophistication, their pieces are incredibly beautiful and eye-catching, making them a favorite among celebrities and fashion designers.
Their inspiration:
“For SS12 we were really inspired by Indonesian surf culture, western elements and Aztec artifacts — think masks, fossils and ancient jewelry dug up from the past. We wanted the collection to be really wearable and able to be stacked and layered as always so we had fun with color and silhouettes while keeping the collection very signature Dannijo. It’s sort of a modern take on remnants of the past.”
I love how the necklaces are styled with vintage tees and faux fur in our October catalog – on the left, the Stella Collar, and on the right, the Tribal Rhaise Pendant.
And the rings? The rings are out of this world!
Lucas Stone Ring, Dai Ring, Jacinda Ring.
Shop all designer jewelry by Dannijo.
Style File: Meadow Design Assistant
Style file this week is dedicated to the design assistant on our meadow team. She’s a fabulous dresser with extremely feminine taste. Dresses are her specialty, and her collection is out of this world. Delicate lace, dainty peter pan collars, and retro polka dots are just the details that showed up in her numbers this week. Everything she wears feels like something you’ve never seen before – it looks like a vintage piece with a great story behind it, or a uniquely handmade piece. It’s like she finds special pieces and gives them a home. Her collection of feminine ankle socks is another great aspect to her style. She’s often wearing a pair, and manages to pull off the look so well. No doubt, she has a great wardrobe, and her styling is on point, but her best accessory is the huge smile that lights up every outfit she wears and brings it to life.
I fell in love with delicate beauty of this lace on her vintage dress!
She had some awesome nail art going on.
Office Style
Day by day I’m so impressed by all of the amazing fashion I come across here at the office. Everywhere there are items that make you want to melt. The styling is so fresh. I find myself staring just taking in the aesthetic of it all.
She was a little camera shy, but I had to capture this necklace for you all. How amazing?!
I love how she knotted the dress and wore it with printed boots to give this look a laidback feel.
This crazy mix match of prints is so daring and perfect. I love how the prints have a funky feel yet the look remains retro and feminine overall.
How stylish is this pairing of the ruffle legging with chambray and booties?
I love this dressed down look with the lacey layering skort for fall.
Store Style: Velvet Crush
We have a serious crush on velvet. It’s one of our favorite fabrics for fall – both cozy and chic, it adds a rich element of texture to your look. We can’t get enough, whether it is in the form of a menswear style blazer, wideleg pants or cute shorts. Here are some of our Free People store girls showing how they’d style velvet!
In this look: Slouchy Velvet Blazer, Graphic Lovebug Thermal, Tribal Triangle Collar, Sweetwater Fringe Crossbody.
In this look: Velvet Wideleg Pant, Laguna Coast Pullover… Extreme Comfort.
On the left: Velvet Wideleg Pant in Rust, We The Free Washed Graphic Tee, Abiza Double Wrap Belt, Fringe Crossbody, Spilling Chains Necklace.
On the right: Velvet Wideleg Pant in Moss, Striped Burnout Top, Shrunken Jacquard Military Jacket, Spilling Chains Necklace.
In this Look: Slouchy Velvet Blazer, We The Free Eco Thermal Raglan, Vegan Leather Shorts, Velvet Turban, Billie Leather Clutch.
In this look: Valhalla Velvet Short, Veneto Plaid Corset, Marled Fringe Cardigan, Changing Crochet Legging.
In this look: Slouchy Velvet Blazer, Solid Pieced Maxi Skirt, Zusto Border Print Scarf, Floppy Brim Hat.
In this look: Velvet Wideleg Pant, Boxy Crochet Sweater (coming soon).
On the right: Velvet Wideleg Pant, Vintage Tee, Enchanted Eyelet Dress.
In this look: Velvet Blazer, Vegan Leather Skirt, Dotted Lace Tee, Bouquet Ankle Sock.
In this look: Velvet Wideleg Pant, Victorian Inset Tunic.
In this look: Floral Printed Velvet Overalls, Open Lace Sleeve Top, Crochet Tall Sock, Tribal Stone Bib Necklace.
You all look amazing! Thanks ladies!
Sneak Peek: Julia Stegner by Guy Aroch for Free People October
I’m so excited to give you a sneak peek of one of my favorite catalogs of this year! Photographer Guy Aroch has the magic touch… I love everything he does – and model Julia Stegner looks stunning in these perfect Fall looks.
The catalog drops on Tuesday. Stay tuned!
Office Space: BHLDN
By now you have probably heard of our new sister, BHLDN (pronounced Beholden), a line of dresses, accessories and décor for your wedding day. Over the summer, FP Naomi and I went over to their offices, which are located in Free People’s former home, Building 15. We got to take a little tour of the office, check out some of the dresses and other samples, and took a bunch of photos for the blog! I have to say, I am not a wedding person – not even a dress person – but I saw a dress at BHLDN that I completely fell in love with! Their stuff is stunning, and we’re proud to have them in our family :)
Here’s a little peek, just for you, behind the scenes at BHLDN.
The gorgeous chandelier in the lobby is made of repurposed glasses! Love.
The dress that I loved.
Visit the website: bhldn.com
More Vintage Missoni Pieces added in Vintage Loves!
Our last batch of Vintage Missoni items went fast, so our vintage buyer did some hunting and found some amazing new pieces! Here’s what she had to say about Vintage Missoni.
What do you think makes vintage Missoni so special?
Hands down their amazing knitwear. With the transition to fall and spotlight on sweater dressing last month, it just seemed natural to buy vintage Missoni. Plus I love the fact that Mr. Missoni is still alive, and the designs are still so relevant.
What time period are these items from?
1970s through the 1980s.
Which piece is your favorite?
The natural knit one piece sweater dress with matching belt. It’s a great transition piece into fall and the color is amazing!!!
I agree, that sweater dress is gorgeous! Shop Vintage Missoni.
Extreme Vintage Flare Tutorial
This one’s for all you “shorties” out there :) The extreme vintage flares are one of our hottest items right now, but they run a little on the long side – which is great if you’re tall, but for the shorter girls they may need to be trimmed. Luckily our Free People San Antonio girls put together this adorable tutorial showing you how to cut your extreme flares to make them the perfect length for YOU.
Love it! Also in love with the new darker shade of the extreme flares… This would work for the extreme flare cords as well!