Whenever i think of “the sweet life” la dolce vita i think of Europe. I think of exquisite beauty that romances you and makes you feel rich inside with thoughts and emotions. It’s gives a feeling of wealth but not the kind of wealth involved in spending lots of money on luxury items, but the kind of wealth that involves evoking a feeling of fulfillment. Textures like velvet and fur that scream “I’m worth it” a whole silhouette that tells a story of love, of taste and great knowledge of the beautiful. European fashion definitely embodies la dolce vita.
This trend makes me want to get lost in a city just like the concept of our August book. It makes me want to fall in love and feel like a million bucks.
What does la dolce vita mean to you?
Images taken from weheartit.com
items in second image: swalesdale texture shrug vegan leather pleated skirt floral lace fit and flare dress large amulet pendant western moonstone ring malachite wrap ring
Outside Lands 2011 has come to a close and what a magical weekend it was… Sunday was another gorgeous sunny day in Golden Gate Park and once again Free People was everywhere we looked. The girls in San Francisco definitely know how to do festival fashion right! Read More
Outside Lands kicked off today in Golden Gate Park and attendees were definitely rocking their bestfestival fashion! Everywhere we looked there was amazing style, with lots of maxis, boots, braids, funky accessories and of course Free People! Read More
I first met this week’s style file girl when she was still an intern. We had one of those classic intern moments with a broken copy machine, ten different types of toner, and too many blinking arrows. We ended up figuring it out while chatting back and forth a bit.
She has now been promoted from intern, to merchandise assistant for knits. She loves her job, but admits that she didn’t always know that she wanted to work in fashion. Her career began as an international business major in college from where she went to teach English in Japan for three years. She traveled all around Southeast Asia and fell in love with Japan and fashion while she was there.
In talking with her, she gave me interesting perspective on what it is about the fashion there that interested her so much – no matter how funny or different it is, the people really dress however they want. They stick out as an individual, which is an interesting thing to see expressed in a society that is so strongly community based. To further explain, she shared two of her favorite Japanese street fashion blogs with me: style-arena and Japanese streets. I’ve added the blogs to the list of blogs that I follow I found them so interesting. The style is far out, but totally cool and inspirational.
As is her own fashion! She’s a bohemian queen, but mixes in quirky vintage pieces that at times give her outfits a sense of humor. Check out her personal style and what she wore this week ;)
This week at work she was scrambling a bit because her buyer was out on vacation which left her to cover duties she’d never dealt with before. Her department (buying) serves as a central coordinator for planning, design, wholesale, and production, which means there can be a lot to do. On the day that I caught up with her to hear about it she was entering in orders with an archaic looking system (although it’s not) to be sent to our producers. This is a highly detailed process involving lots of codes. When placing an order everything is considered from cost, color, and fabric to delivery method, ship date, and unit count. It’s amazing how fast she can do it at this point. Any one of the components can get messed up at anytime, anywhere in the supply chain, and a lot of her job also involves cleaning up the mistakes to make sure that the customer gets what she wants when she wants it.
I know you’re already intrigued by how interesting this girl is, but to further interest you – here is her survey. (How cute are her doodles? They made me smile (= )
Here is part two of the Free People Guide to Venice, put together by our producer! Read on for our tips on where to eat and more of our favorite things about Venice, and if you missed it be sure to check out part one of the guide featuring where to stay, landmarks, gondola riding tips and more fun stuff!
It’s always my goal when arriving in a new city to find the best local joints. Venice is a hard city to get to know due to its “tourist-y” nature, but all it takes is a little wander away from San Marco and the Rialto (make sure you see those too!) to get to know the real Venice.
It was recommended by a friend of a friend to eat at Alle Vedova – we didn’t end up finding it until our last night, but I think I can speak for all of us in saying that we wish we had made it there sooner! After a week of sub-par and expensive Italian food we found just what we were craving at Alle Vedova.
I think that it was more the experience than the food itself, though tables of fresh squid, local veggies and homemade pasta weren’t so bad! Alle Vedova is settled in at the end of a small dark alley, but the rumble of local chatter makes it clear when you are headed in the right direction! Once you put your name in they give you small glasses of red or white wine for while you wait and homemade meatballs to tide you over until your table is ready. One of my favorite touches was the napkin lampshades! What a sweet idea!
Its spritz o’clock!
It seems to be a Venetian tradition to take a break in the middle of the day for a Spritz. I think it’s the most beautifully colored cocktail I’ve ever seen and it is the perfect drink for a hot summers day.
Here is how to make it for yourself …
1/3 white wine (ideally prosecco)
1/3 aperol or bitters or select (pick your favorite!)
1/3 seltzer water
Throw in an olive; find some sunshine and lounge by a canal… you’ll blend right in with the locals!
I’m not sure even where to begin talking about gelato! I think that a few of us ate it breakfast lunch and dinner during our long shoot days. Our local producer claimed that Gelati Nico was her favorite in Venice, and though I agree that it was delicious I believe that gelato is heaven anywhere you eat it in Italy, it may just be a matter of price … more expensive does not equal better in this case!
I’m sure a lot of you are wondering what the difference is between gelato and ice cream and I am here to tell you that they are not at all the same thing. The ingredients are similar but the process of making it, the ratio of ingredients in it and the temperature at which it is served are completely different. It is smoother, tastes creamier and I am happy to tell you has less fat then ice cream.
… it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it now!
Oh boy… every little detail makes me smile… and the color combinations are inspiring to say the least <3
Venice kills me with its rich color combinations and patterns … for a city that is known for its decay, it has the richest detail elements! Look at these samples from the home that we shot in… All of these patterns were found in the living room alone! Just thinking about it makes my heart melt a little.
These shoes aren’t mine but I sure do wish they were! They are the perfect flat shoe… casual and dressy and oh so comfortable. I can’t wait for them to come out in the catalog so I can snatch up a pair for myself!
Venice comes alive at night, and I recommend to everyone that you go out and enjoy it! We often worked late which meant that we didn’t eat until around 10 or so which seemed to be the norm at most of the places we ate. After our meal we often opted to wander back to the hotel instead of taking a water taxi and we saw the most beautiful things along the way!
Our last night in Venice was my favorite. We combined all of my favorite things into one last hurrah! We ate great food at Alle Vedova, had fun drinks at Bar Paradiso Perduto (Cannaregio 2540, Venice), played dice along the canal, met up with old friends, made some new ones, wandered endlessly and laughed even more so… certainly a night to remember and how I recommend ending every trip! Well, think of it this way… a late night before the flight home helps you sleep on the plane :)
We hope you enjoyed our guide to Venice! If you’d like, visit our flickr page and download the whole thing. Ciao, Venice!
*All photos by Thomas Northcut except for pages: “All about the details,” “Patterns” and “Shoes I Love”.
It’s no secret that Free People has some of the best jewelry around. Unique, ethnic-inspired pieces are aplenty on our website. I love the small curated collection of jewelry, Cup of Tea, that is live on the website now, but as usual with Free People jewelry, I’m a bit overwhelmed by the amazing options, and cannot chose one. What do you all think?
Tons of good fashion inspiration around the office today! From killer gladiator-style shorts to kooky sweaters and pretty prairie dresses I was deeply impressed. What’s your favorite look from the Free People team was wearing today?
Yesterday I showed you some festival styling ideas that I’m thinking about rocking at Outside Lands 2011, and today it’s time for the ladies who work for our Norcal stores who I’m attending the festival with! Read More
I can’t believe it has already been a year since we launched our Vintage Loves line! But what a year it has been…here’s a look back at some Vintage Loves highlights from its first year at Free People, culminating in a very special birthday celebration :)
And believe me when I say… you ain’t seen nothin’ yet…we have some new vintage items coming in for holiday that will completely blow your mind – I promise!
Meet this week’s style file girl – the visual merchandising assistant at the Free People home offices. She is one of the sweetest most humble people, and when you visit her desk you’re sure to get licked up and down by her friendly (canine) partner in crime, Dill. I was drawn to her style because of the perfect blend of classic elements and rocker edge that she seems to have mastered. You can almost bet she’ll have on at least one piece that you want to rip off of her for yourself – namely, the abundance of statement necklaces, hair pieces, and perfect tees that she has collected over the years. Another thing I love about her style is the hair. She has mastered the art of hair pinning for awesome intricate up-dos, and has tons of neat head bands, scarves, turbans, and hats that she works in. Maybe it’s her easy personality that makes it all look so effortless, but she sure knows how to top off a look achieving great results.
Her styling skills don’t just keep her looking like perfection each day, but they also keep our stores looking like perfection. In her job as a visual merchandiser, she styles mannequins with outfit ideas and comes up with merchandising concepts and color stories for our stores. Another cool part of her job involves selecting all of the music to be played in Free People stores. Every other Friday she and the visual team go through their new selections and choose their favorites. After all the ideas have been developed she maintains communication with store contacts, so they are well aware of the big ideas and everything going on.
items in second image: swalesdale texture shrug vegan leather pleated skirt floral lace fit and flare dress large amulet pendant western moonstone ring malachite wrap ring
