all about natalie

get to know the first of our three october catalog models, natalie suarez!

What is your theme song?

I’m in love with all Bob Dylan songs. He explains things about life so clearly in his music. My two favorites are “Don’t think twice, it’s all right” and “Like a rolling stone.”

If you could go anywhere in the world, free of cost, where would you go?

I would go to Europe! It would be a dream trip for me.

If you were stranded on an island, what three things would you want with you?

If I were stranded on an island, I would want to have food, shelter, and possibly a computer, though there probably wouldn’t be wifi. Maybe even a guitar just to keep me occupied!

with her sister dylana outside the free people home office.

How would you describe your personal style? What are your favorite items from free people right now?

My personal style is really a mix of everything. I don’t just stick to one particular look. I wear a lot of vintage pieces that I mix in with designer finds and basics. I like to wear things that are unique so that I stand out from a crowd. My favorite items from Free People right now would have to be the gorgeous BodyCon dresses and the fitted lace blouses. I love how you can layer anything with Free People and it looks totally cool and beautiful. I love Free People’s soft fabrics and vintage inspired prints.

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What is your biggest fear?

Hmm, my biggest fear would probably be to lose someone I really love. I need my family and friends to keep me grounded.

Winter, spring, summer or fall?

That’s hard to pick. I love Spring and Fall. Both such beautiful seasons.

What color are you?

I would say my color is Green. I don’t know, I’ve always had this thing for dark olive or forest green shades.

What is your motto?

Just go with the flow. Try not to take everything so seriously. Things always happen for a reason.

What is your favorite hobby?

My favorite hobby would be singing and playing my guitar. It’s such a great way to release my energy and just let go. It gets me to really feel my emotions. And it’s really something so personal to me.

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If you could spend a day with anyone – dead or alive – who would it be?

I would spend the day with Jane Birkin. She seems like such a beautiful soul with so much talent. I would love to hear her story. She was an icon, but has so much mystery.

What’s the last album you bought? What else is on your ipod right now?

I recently got all the Rilo Kiley music. I’m obsessed with them. All their songs are great for driving in the car or just sitting in the subway. I also really love M.I.A, Vampire Weekend, Sun-kil Moon, Led Zeppelin, Paolo Nutini, and of course Bob Dylan. I really like all kinds of music.

If you weren’t a model what would you do?

If I weren’t a model, I would probably be focusing on music more. Also, I have always loved the whole college atmosphere. It seems like so much fun and I do enjoy learning and doing normal things like attending class. I plan on finishing college in the future. But for now, I’ve been really lucky with modeling and I love that I get to constantly meet new people and see new places.

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What inspired you to start a blog?

My sister, Dylana of the fashion blog, “Nana in Wonderland” first had a blog. She introduced me to the whole blogging community and I was fascinated. The photography and styling was so inspiring. I started blogging a bit on her blog, then decided to start my own. I’m so happy I did start blogging. It has brought me so many amazing opportunities.

What influences your style?

So many things influence my style. Editorials, street style photos, and music influence my style. Some days I’ll feel like dressing down if I’m having a mellow day and others I’ll throw on some heels and some really amazing vintage. The blogs influence my style as well. People are constantly updating with the latest images and you can’t help but take note of what looks amazing in the photographs and embracing that into your own personal style.

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What designers are you inspired by?

I’m inspired by Alexander Wang, Dries Van Noten, and Miu Miu. Those are just a few of my favorites.

What’s your most memorable experience whilst blogging?

My most memorable experience while blogging was getting contacted by Free People to appear in the October catalog. It was such a dream come true. I couldn’t believe it when I got the message. I feel so lucky and am so happy! I’ve been collecting Free People catalogs for years. I find them so inspiring. The styling and photography are so beautiful every single time. I’m a huge fan.

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How was your free people experience?

It was truly amazing. Everyone at Free People was so inviting and just so much fun to work with. We had a lot of laughs! The Free People clothes are also so so beautiful. I loved every piece I put on and they all work so well together, mixed and matched. It was amazing to be shot by my sister, Dylana, as well. I feel we really captured my personal style and the Free People vibe. We all worked together really well and nailed the shoot! I loved working with everyone at the team in Philadelphia and I hope to work with Free People again in the future. The whole experience was just something I will never forget.

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be sure to check out natalie’s blog, natalie off duty! the october catalog can be viewed in full right here.

Abbey Lee again in Free People

I’m sorry for the constant update lately on Abbey Lee wearing Free People but I cant help but gloat.

How often to you get a profound Fashion model wearing a brand non stop at the worlds biggest fashion event ‘Fashion week’?!

Here she’s a eclectic beauty, mixing our leaves of memory skirt with a jersey top and velvet jacket… kinda like the one that’s coming to us for Holiday :)

our october catalog

here at free people we are so inspired by fashion bloggers – we love seeing how they express their personality and fashion sense through their blogs.  there is no denying the influence they’ve come to have in the fashion world and we love it, because they’re real girls.  so we invited three bloggers, each with their own unique look and style, and asked them to model in our catalog.  we wanted the shoot to be natural and fun, and capture them in their element.  each blogger had the freedom to style their own outfits and were photographed in the homes of three of our employees, each with their own personal photographer.

the outcome: a visual diary of three girls who love to have fun with fashion.

natalie suarez makes the world of modeling more personal by sharing her off duty style, fashion inspiration, and passion for music on her blog natalie off duty. natalie was photographed by her sister dylana suarez (of the blog nana in wonderland) at the home of our creative director in northern liberties, philadelphia.

england-based georgia larsen is the free-spirited blogger behind dora’s fur, where she shares her eclectic style, fashion inspiration and personal photos and stories. georgia was photographed by our studio photographer nathan kula, at his home in northern liberties, philadelphia.

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rumi neely has become an international sensation through her blog fashiontoast, where she showcases her impeccable style in editorial-quality photos taken by her boyfriend colin sokol. rumi was photographed by colin at the home of our senior designer in mt. airy, philadelphia.

the catalog will be available online and in the mail on october 5th.

thursday poll – edition 112

poll time! i love our selection of backpacks…i’m thinking about getting one because i think they’re perfect for weekend getaways.  which backpack would you take traveling?

the faded cold spring backpack:

the somerset backpack:

the russel backpack:
russel

or the leather and canvas backpack:
leather and canvas


last week’s poll was very close but the winner was the solid chiffon maxi skirt!

October Catalog Sneak Peek

you guys may have heard by now that our october catalog features three lovely fashion bloggers – natalie suarez, georgia larsen and rumi neely.  we’ll have lots of great stuff for you on the blog in the month ahead including behind the scenes videos, photos and interviews with each girl.

here’s a sneak peek of what’s to come!

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the catalog drops october 5th.

austin fall kickoff event!

our lamar store in austin, texas is having a really cool event this weekend! in addition to a raffle and fall fashion ideas from our staff, they will be giving away FREE feather hair extensions and showing customers how to put them in their hair! according to our austin fp girls, this is the must-have accessory for next weekend’s austin city limits :)

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doesn’t it look amazing with the hair in the french braid?? our austin girls are going to take more photos at the event documenting how to put in the extensions, so stay tuned for a how-to post next week! :)

and if you’re in austin, make sure you stop by our store on saturday between 1 and 5 for the event!

office style

our senior stylist wore the desert maxi dress with a simple gray sweatshirt and belt today and it looked amazing!

i love how our office coordinator toughened up her chiffon and lace slip with a leather jacket and sneakers!

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her sneakers and necklace are pretty rad too :)

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and our associate stylist looks simply adorable in a polka dot dress, tights and red shoes.  i also love the lone bangle worn high up on her arm!

how to style: the lace mock neck top!

more styling inspiration for you today! we had our stylists demonstrate four ways to wear the lace mock neck top – one of our favorite layering pieces for fall and winter. featuring our lovely web merchandiser as model :)

look one:

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the lace mock neck adds a touch of sexiness to a casual look of jeans and a plaid button down. i love how our stylists layered two plaid shirts to get a mix of prints! perfect the look with a pair of rad platforms :)

in this look: lace mock neck top; levi’s 606 painted skinny; trimmed in gingham shirt; ever plaid shirt; wani slouch knee sock; miramar straps platform.

look two:
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still want to wear your spring and summer dresses in fall and winter? just layer the lace mock neck underneath and add some tall socks and heels!

in this look: lace mock neck top; aran sheer tall cable sock; ballet platform; egyptian printed bodycon dress; ring coming soon.

look three:
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this look was all of our favorites :) pair the lace mock neck with a maxi skirt, tee and biker boots for the ultimate casual cool outfit.  isn’t that necklace amazing too?

in this look: lace mock neck top; cp shades plaid maxi skirt; we the free graphic a-line tee; CP Shades Clothingsport stripe slouch sock; brit boot (no longer avail.); grecian circle ring; metal leaf ring; necklace coming soon.

look four:
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the last look is all about the layers – a lace maxi dress over the mock neck top, the striped tee to dress it down a little, a tweed jacket and over-the-knee boots! she looks amazing.

in this look: lace mock neck top; daughters of the revolution lace maxi dress; we the free gathered stripes top; tweed jacket; joe lace up over the knee boot; ring coming soon.

thanks ladies!

thursday poll – edition 111

i’m really into our maxi skirts right now… they’re all i want to wear! i love how they allow you to be comfortable but still look put together and stylish. which of these is your favorite?

the cp shades plaid maxi skirt:

the fp one godet maxi skirt:

the solid chiffon maxi skirt:
solid chiffon maxi

the leaves of memory skirt:
leaves of memory skirt

or the ruffled layers maxi skirt:
ruffled layers maxi


last week most of you, 35%, were digging the aviator jacket style!