Summer is a time when the weekend comes you just want to drift away for some fun and adventure whether it’s to a cosmopolitan city to explore or just to hang out on the beach.
I love to pack light but it takes a lot of experimentation to make the most of the items you’ve packed to create looks that will last the duration of your weekend away.
Here’s a little video to inspire you starring one of our designers here at the office, we used the eyelet seamless romper as a foundation to our outfit building looks.
behind the scenes pics from our june e-catalog shoot here at the navy yard in philly! as i’ve told you, day one we shot with martha hunt in our web studio, with her boyfriend as hair stylist. it was such a fun day- he was doing the coolest stuff with her hair, and martha is always a blast to be around – we love her!
our senior photographer showed us this cool camera trick – tape a piece of cardboard over your camera lens with the tiniest little pinhole in the middle:
the result is this cool ghostly effect:
day two we worked with andreea diaconu and shot outdoors in the wilderness of the navy yard :) there is a lot of abandoned land down here that used to be used for military barracks and such, so we went to one of the fields and had a pretty entertaining time fending off deer ticks and tending to a few cuts and bruises… andreea was a trooper and looked beautiful as she danced amidst the grass.
group huddle around the computer to review shots :)
have you guys seen our new vintage loves vignette, aphrodite? the collection contains some exquisite dresses by designers like oscar de la renta, mary mcfadden, koos van den akker and guy laroche, in delicate fabrics and shades of ivory, cream and taupe. i think a lot of these would make amaaaazing wedding dresses! we shot the vignette a couple of months back here at our home office and i snapped some behind the scenes photos for you.
emily hirsch was raised on a vineyard in the anderson valley where she grew up surrounded by the rich, earthy scents of northern california – mossy forests, redwood trees, fermenting grapes, warm earth and sea fog to name a few. she says, “i love how a smell can transport you to the time and place you first smelled it.”
now based in brooklyn, emily is a jewelry designer who started talon nyc. combining a love of vintage inspired jewelry and the aromas of her childhood, she designed the beautiful amulette necklaces that we are carrying at free people.
“fragrance has been worn in beautiful adornments since ancient times, to ward off evil, intoxicate lovers, enhance mood, and interact with the spirits.”
the amulettes are made entirely of recycled materials and hand cast in bronze, silver and glass. when filled with a scent and warmed by the body, they release subtle aromas that escape through the cork stopper, drifting up to the wearer throughout the day. the cork can be removed and used to dab the scent behind the ears, on the neck, or wherever is desired.
emily carefully blends essential oils to create the scents held inside the amulettes, and has made three custom scents. the signature is described as “an intoxicating aroma of tobacco leaf and newly opened orange blossom. it makes us think of sitting in our grandfathers’ old, worn in leather chair in a dimly lit, cozy room, surrounded by books, a scotch and a small branch pulled from the apple tree blooming outside.”
read on for an interview with emily and stay tuned for a guest post she wrote for the blog about a recent road trip she took with family band and warpaint!
Can you tell me a little bit about the process of making the scents that go inside the amulettes?
The biggest trick to making scents is experimenting with as many combinations as possible. When I made Avalon, I knew I wanted to use Jasmine, as it’s one of my favorite floral scents. So I started with just Jasmine, and then would add one more thing to it. Then the next day I would go back and smell each combination. You have to also smell the scent on your skin as it is usually pretty different.
I would pick my favorites and then decide what they needed next. If it was too sweet smelling, I would add earthier, muskier or grassier scents next to balance the sweetness. You also have to throw out preconceived notions about what will mix well together because it’s often the unexpected combinations that work best.
Once I have the final blends, I will start wearing the scent when I go out and see how it evolves throughout the night and how I feel wearing it.
How would you describe your personal style?
Sexy 70s! (Which happens to also be a nickname J.) I am very inspired by the 1970s, musically and stylistically. I buy a lot of vintage clothing and like to layer vintage and new pieces to create a look that isn’t over stylized in one era but has a definite 70s slant combined with a natural 60s vibe.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
When I’m not working I love spending time with friends, eating tasty food and drinking good wine! My husband, Scott, is a great cook, so most evenings he is cooking something we picked up at the farmer’s market and we are listening to records and having wine. We also have a cat named Arrow who I spend a lot of time spoiling.
What’s your favorite city or place?
I grew up in California, so the whole state is very nostalgic for me. But my favorite place is Ojai, where my mom lives. I try to get there at least once a year and love taking bike rides through the orange grooves with views of the Topa Topa mountains.
My favorite city is New York! We have lived in New York for about four years and I’ve never felt more creative than I do here.
What music are you listening to right now?
I am pretty much stuck in the 70s with some guilty pleasure 80s music thrown in for good measure. My staples include Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart (early stuff) and the Faces, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, David Bowie…
Favorite book?
As a kid it was the Secret Garden because I was always looking to find secret hiding places in the woods. As a college student, probably Love in the Time of Cholera because I lived in Costa Rica and fell in love with Latin culture and magical realism.
How did your road trip with the Family Band and Warpaint come about?
My husband has toured in various bands many times during our relationship, so when his band, Family Band, went on tour with Warpaint I asked if I could come to see what touring is all about. I went on the leg through the South because I have never been, and have this very romantic view of that part of the country. We went to Durham, Asheville, Nashville, Athens, New Orleans, Houston and Austin. I loved the humid rich tropical magic of the South.
What’s next for talon? Anything you can tell us about what you’re currently working on?
I launched Talon with just the amulette necklace, but for fall, I want to release a full line of jewelry. I’m obsessed with braids and twists, so I’m incorporating that pattern into a bunch of different pieces. I’m also going to have some castings and will be releasing the amulette in some vintage glass colors. I’m sure I will work on a new scent as well!
i have one more video from our call of the wild e-catalog to share with you today! our stylist talks about one of the looks and how it was put together – i’m so glad they chose this one, it’s one of my favorites :)
click on the image below to go see the items in this look!
Since I started at Free People, I’ve been noticing many cool tattoos around the office. I’m personally a big fan of body art – I think it’s a creative way of self expression, just one’s personal style. For this week in office style I wanted to show you all some of the cool tats I’ve been seeing on the Free People ladies. It was really fun hearing everyone’s story and why they chose to get their certain tattoo.
This intricate piece depicts a vestal virgin, the solar system, the sun, and a tree. Vestal virgin were powerful holy female priests in the Roman Empire. Apparently, they were something like witches. The bottom half where the solar system is depicted shows each planet, and it’s actual placement in orbit relative to the other planets. So cool!
Her middle name is based off of the Hindi word “sattvic” which means purity and harmonious balance in the world. On her middle finger she also has a lotus flower which is also representative of life and purity. I love how peaceful this tattoo is.
She based her tattoo off of album artwork from Incubus – It was drawn by the drummer Jose Pasillas in the band. She changed the eye in the center by replacing it with her grandfather’s eye. The idea is that he’s always with her and watching over her.
A feather to represent her last name which means “to write” (the feather is supposed to be like a quill). After she got engaged and would be changing her last name she and her brother decided to go and get the same thing. (my brother and I both have matching tattoos too!)
All of her tattoos are drawings by a friend of hers who lives in Brooklyn. I love the idea of putting a piece of one of your friends on you.
This tree is based off of a necklace that she and her mother always wear. It’s “their little family tree.”
When back packing through Thailand with her friends, they would always draw mustaches on their fingers and take pictures. Afterward, they all decided to get tattoos so that they would always be, “mustache photo ready.” Each has a different style mustache.
This is a word that she made up which is a combination of the words “god” and “given.” She said that if she ever has her own line one day that’s what it will be called.
it’s no secret: we love the nightcap lace bell bottoms! there are so many ways to style them, and our store girls are pros- check out these lovely pics of them rocking our fave pants!
katie, mit at fp san jose, wears them with a strappy cami, ruffle hem cami and denim jacket and hat for a cute casual look.
here’s one of our denver sales associates, wearing them with the tape yarn beach sweater! love.
one of our customers, who dressed them up with a button-down crop top and hat!
from boston: sales associate stephanie is rocking the american flag scarf– she’s a hippie child and a dreamer! she looks super cute and casual, showing you don’t have to be over the top, and can totally pull them off everyday. and becka, the soon to be natick ASM, is wearing the grey in an adorable beach style with the pintuck lace square neck top!
i have an interesting twist for your thursday poll today! our videographer made this lovely video featuring model martha hunt demonstrating three great ways to wear the fp one smiles returning tube dress – check it out and then vote for your favorite of the three!
in place of our usual wednes-diy, today i have something even better! tutorials showing you how to get the hair and makeup in our june e-catalog :) Read More
our e-catalog features some amazing new pieces from our beach collection! i’m a huge fan of beach – the majority of the fp items i own are from the collection – because they’re so easy to wear! they can be super casual and worn on the beach or you can dress them up for going out at night.
the crochet birkin romper and flume cardigan are made of the same laser-cut fabric that is amazing- it’s nice and light and let’s your warm summer skin breathe!
now hear more about the collection from the lovely designer herself – this video is adorable:
in just two days i’ll be in the car on my way down to tennessee for bonnaroo! it is my favorite festival and i’ve gone several times but i have a feeling this year will be my last. it is the festival’s tenth anniversary and they are going back to their roots, bringing in lots of jam bands and bonnaroo staples. i am particularly excited for my morning jacket, buffalo springfield, dr. john & the meters, superjam ft. dr, john and dan auerbach, widespread panic and arcade fire…but there are so many amazing bands playing! i am camping and won’t have access to a computer while i’m there but i’ll take tons of pictures to share with you when i get back :)
bonnaroo style is very laid back…it’s all about staying comfortable while getting hot, sweaty and dirty! simple, versatile items are key. here’s a look at my ideal bag for bonnaroo!
some of our home office ladies rocking looks from the june e-book for a live fashion show here at the home office!
update: a few behind the scenes pics!
