I didn’t get much sleep last night at The Jane Hotel… The excitement was running through me.
At 9am after a strong red eye I headed to the Lincoln centre for the 10am BCBG show. The fashion flock were swamping in and the adrenalin was sky high. Everyone was excited to see what the show had to offer. The lights dimmed and the music started pumping, the models sashayed down the runway showing elongated shapes, beautiful colors and a great use of geometric obstruction.
After the show we hunted outside the venue for style, I spied Alexa Chung and my heart started racing. New York is fast, one blink and you’ll miss a trick! my tired feet are now resting with thoughts on what Fall 2012 fashion will become. I wonder what tomorrow will bring…
For live updates head over to our Twitter page and follow our tracks! And our street style photos will be coming next week!
A collection of photos have built up in my instagram like a visual calendar reminding me of certain things I did in the week.
It’s easy for me to declare that I’m slightly addicted to documenting my days, I like to capture the essence that remind me of my whereabouts, my feeling and my thought. Capturing a moment is like pressing pause on your life – which thought, which feeling you had there and then will remain there through the photo you took. Like a treasure chest it’s always nice digging through photos, the feeling you get is something else.
Writing a blogger diary every three weeks, sometimes it’s hard to pick just one thing to talk about. Life has been a whirlwind – a good one, but nonetheless – a whirlwind. Read More
As you guys may have heard by now, we are opening our very first Free People store in Philadelphia this Friday! It is definitely a homecoming of sorts, as we open our doors on Walnut Street in Center City, not far from where the company began. You’ll hear much more about all the special touches we’re putting into the store over the next few days, but today Jemma, Naomi and I decided to take a field trip and head to some spots in the city that are nearest and dearest to our hearts, to shoot our own little Philly lookbook.
I knew right away what my location would be – the street where I grew up. A three story brick townhouse in the Fairmount neighborhood, walking distance from the Art Museum and just a few blocks from the stone walls of the penitentiary. A quiet, tree lined street, where the same construction truck still parks in the spot across from my old house, and marble steps climb up towards doors painted varying shades of blue, red and green.
It was a magical time in my childhood, full of block parties, neighborhood cleanups (when we’d all go out and rake leaves and clean up together), bike rides, scraped knees, and water ice from the park grocery across the street that has since closed its doors for good. Sometimes its nice to take a little trip down memory lane.
After wearing the wingtip boots today I became slightly attached.
Stay tuned for our photos, they’ll be up later this week!
Decade Diary is an illustrated diary chronicling past, present interests and future perspectives of a decade lived in New York City, by Illustrator Bernadette Pascua. The second I discovered her site, I knew I had to feature her on the blog. She has a wonderful creative eye, and is a very talented illustrator and collage artist. Her creations convey not only a sophisticated style but a unique take on fashion and the world around her as viewed through New York eyes.
Bernadette was kind enough to create this amazing New York themed collage just for us! Read on to learn more about her and see more of her lovely work.
City lights photo and all watercolor by Decade Diary.
Film still from Andy Warhol’s “Empire”
Press photo of the Neue Galerie
Patti Smith on the Bowery, photograph by Godlis
Press photo of Saturdays Coffee Shop
Press photo of Diner in Brooklyn
I live in Brooklyn, in the Southside of Williamsburg, right along side the bridge. It’s such a great location – the city is just a ride across the bridge and most of the buildings on our street are turn of the century cast iron, dating back to the 1800’s. The street is quiet but with a little liveliness that comes from having a row of favorite restaurants like Diner and Marlow and Sons (plus their amazing grocery store Marlow and Daughters).
What do you love most about New York?
I love the constant flux that the city is in. It keeps a great balance of feeling like you are in your own world yet it brings people together in the most odd ways. There’s something magical about the way New York serendipitously brings people into your life. I love those moments of camaraderie New Yorkers can have, all of those chance encounters. Everyday is a big surprise.
Describe a typical day in NYC:
Each day is never the same for me, but I think the most typical day in NYC has to be the Sunday Brunch Day! It’s like an unspoken holiday of sorts that every New Yorker celebrates on the weekend. Waking up later, reading the paper and then going to a brunch with your boyfriend or friends. Then taking a walk around wherever you find yourself going.
What is your favorite coffee shop in the city?
Right now my favorite coffee shop is Saturdays Surf in Soho. It’s on the way to my subway station going back into Brooklyn. It’s a surf shop that has a small counter in the front where coffee can be ordered, there is usually only one attractive guy working the coffee who spends a really long time making your drink, so it always turns out good. They have a casual backyard with simple benches for hanging out which is great in the summer. In the winter looking at all the Surf memorabilia sort of keeps your hopes up for some sun.
Describe New York City fashion in three words:
Of the moment.
Where do you go in New York to get away from the crowds?
I love going to a museum or a gallery for some quiet time. The rows of galleries around 9th Avenue in Chelsea are along some very calm streets. My most favorite museum ever is the Neue Galerie by Central Park. It’s a small and uncrowded museum devoted to early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design, housed in a beautiful townhouse. So it feels like you are looking at art in someones home. Downstairs it has a Café inspired by turn of the century Vienna, its like being transported out of New York for an afternoon.
How long have you been doing Decade Diary, and how did it come about?
Wow I’ve been doing Decade Diary now since 2009, so four years now! It seems like a really long time but I’ve actually been doing projects similar to Decade since my teenage years. In High School I used to make a lot of xerox copied zines with my Illustrations and stories, and would send or trade them via snail mail. So blogging only seemed like the natural thing to do!
This weekend my mind was running overtime, running overtime with inspiring thoughts. Sometimes I just need a new twist to my weekend in order for the light to come back on again; you can get stuck in a routine and that routine can kill your mind, so Friday I went to New York to see the future Free People collection for June Wholesale. The collection was bright and poppy and reminded me of the Sun, Sand and Sea just what I needed on that brutal cold day.
Being in a new place for a couple of days gave me a new light I saw things that made my inspiration bank fill up and it made me feel alive all weekend, don’t you just love when that happens?
“Life moves on, whether we act as cowards or heroes. Life has no other discipline to impose, if we would but realize it, than to accept life unquestioningly. Everything we shut our eyes to, everything we run away from, everything we deny, denigrate or despise, serves to defeat us in the end. What seems nasty, painful, evil, can become a source of beauty, joy, and strength, if faced with an open mind. Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such.”
– Henry Miller
Every once in a while you come across a quote at the exact perfect moment…when truer words could not be spoken, almost as if someone knew you needed to hear these words and and an invisible force held them up in front of your eyes. I am taking these words and holding them close throughout this year. I don’t like to make new year’s resolutions, more “life resolutions,” but like I mentioned in the previous post, I did make a list of things that I’d really like to do before the year is over. I have a feeling I’ll be able to accomplish them all :)
I want to work on my photography, and learn how to cook – I’m not talking fancy cooking, I’d just like to be able to make something! I want to spend more time at my beach house this year, and I want to visit San Francisco at some point and see my friends there. I used to be one of those people who went to yoga almost every single day – religiously. Ever since breaking my ankle, I don’t go nearly as often, and I still don’t feel comfortable taking the advanced classes I used to, but I think I can get back to it this year. I also ran track through my entire youth and want to start running again, if my ankle and bad knees let me. Lastly… I’m pretty sure I’m getting my next tattoo this year ;)
I’d love to hear your goals and resolutions for 2012!
“In this modern age everything, everywhere seems to lead the senses outward and away from oneself. Don’t be afraid of quiet. Find the time for peace and introversion, and life will have new meaning.”
~ “The way of Tea” by Aaron Fisher
This Holiday I spent some quality time with my family. They flew here from Wales and brought with them a new light; I took a step back and soaked in some quiet – we took peaceful walks around New York where my eyes were wide open looking for unexpected beauty. And, we snuggled on the sofa with our tummies full of hearty foods until we drifted asleep. Christmas goes way too fast, don’t you think? But hey, another celebration is soon to come, New Years Eve and then a brand new year to look forward too!
Taking pictures and styling clothes, my thirst for creativity and inspiration was well satiated that day. The euphoria of childlike happiness tightened my cheeks and pulled the corners of my mouth up into a googely grin that never left my face. Shooting and collaborating with these beautiful & talented bloggers was something of an out of body experience – one where you pinch yourself… hard. Myself six months ago, the girl who liked to dink around with the camera gifted by her parents (one of the best gifts I’ve ever received btw), would never have thought I’d be doing this. I’ve always enjoyed photography as a side thing – especially the portrait and fashion genres, but I sort of stumbled into getting to do it on the regular for work. Free People has opened doors to explore my hobby in ways I’d never imagined.
I love being at work & I love what I do, but outside of the office I’ve been pretty busy too. I’m always sure to fill my weekends with adventures: brunching, city jaunts, record sorting, flea markets, nights out with friends, and of course, shopping. It keeps me moving and it keeps me inspired. Life has been a whirlwind of fun and love.
I’ve snapped some photos along the way to document…
Hello again from Hanoi! It’s 6 am, and we’ve just arrived back on the night train from Sa Pa, and just enjoyed a delicious breakfast of Pho and watermelon juice. We’re about to hop on a flight to Hoi An, a beach town on the south central coast of Vietnam, on the south China Sea. We’re literally doing hair and make-up on the street outside of a cafe…
