Courtney and Lizzy made some beautiful marbled papers for our “trend walls.” As the designers are developing a trend, they designate a wall in the hallway where they post all kinds of inspirational images, artwork, magazine tears, trims, etc. You’ll have to wait a few months to see what comes of the trend with the marbled colors… The painting sure looks like fun though!
Here are some of the supplies and tips:
Paper was from Pearl Paint
Big white tub was from Ikea
The marbling kit was from Pearl too.
Innovative Marbling Suminagashi Dye Ink Set:
6 colors, in 12 ml. tubes and it comes with instructions!!
The girls put a little baby oil (does not come in the set) in the water too, just to make it more interesting. Wherever the oil is, the paper will remain white.
Check out the comments from an expert marbler for some more tips…
Aline-Aug 28, 2008, 8:10AM
It's beautiful your work.!!!!!!!!
How to?
I'd like to now how to do it...
by using cheap and recycled material
x
Aline
Wendy-Apr 26, 2008, 11:51AM
you should use marble paper idea for artwork in the next catalog!!
FP President, Meg recently bought a puppy from a lovely young girl in Canada named Sherry. Sherry’s other passion happens to be Gypsy Vanner horses, and their story is pretty neat, so we thought we’d share. Sherry explained to Meg that Gypsy Vanner horses were used by the gypsy people to pull their caravans. They are one of the rarest horses in North America. There are only 2 breeders in all of Ontario but they are more popular in the states. Check out this youtube video Sherry made for some more info…
Louise-Nov 11, 2009, 1:51PM
ooo if you like !! gyspsy vanner
Amber GoinsFinley-Mar 14, 2009, 9:30PM
I have a wonderful Vanner, and I am always happy to see others loving them so much. I'd share photos any time you like, but mine has a real life not a "plush" life like most of these.
Have you heard of uber? It’s like a blogging platform or social networking similar to MySpace where you can post photos, write blog entries and stream music. The difference is, it’s really customizable and much easier to design your pages without using code or sticking with really basic templates. You can just drag and drop your options in. The result is some really great looking sites. And a new place to find some great design blogs, like Crafty Ideas by Benny and Kelly for instance
We have this amazing collection of vintage sunglasses acquired from Selima Optique, the famous luxury eyeglass boutiques from LA, NY and Paris. Each pair is original and in pristine condition. Check out shades by Dior, Lacoste, Dunhill, and Vuarnet. There are also these sweet color-changing Chameleon sunglasses in assorted colors. Check them all out here.
brooklyn-Dec 20, 2008, 8:48AM
I absolutely love the orange sunglassses, I wonder if they still have them, another place I shop for vintage sunglasses is http://www.thehoneyroom.com
VintageSunglassfreak-Oct 09, 2008, 3:57PM
Those are cool shades. I found a pair just like these on house of sunglasses
for real cheap! Just thought I'd share. =)
*First name: Luren
*How long have you worked at Free People? Close to 2 years
*Tell me about your job: I draw on the walls at the new Free People stores during the openings, mostly in the fitting rooms. I design the seasonal visual display that goes to all the stores with my team, which means looking everywhere for inspiration, shopping in thrift stores, trying things out here in our studio, and seeing through production of anything that we make overseas. And I work on the designs for the packaging (the fabric shopping bags you get when you buy clothes at a Free People store).
*What do you like best about working at FP? I get a lot of creative freedom and responsibility, which is exciting because we get to be the face of the retail side of the brand–the part that people see when they’re wandering down the street or shopping in the mall. We get to make really inspirational, special setups in the store that get people using their imaginations and staying in the stores to look at everything we did to make it special, and that gets them to look at the amazing clothes!
Favorite FP items. Why? We The Free! The Relaxed Pullover Hoodie and the We the Free Short Sleeve Rugby Stripe. Anything from WE THE FREE. Looking forward to all the new products that are about to drop.
Tell me about your dog. I LOVE ALL DOGS. But I can’t have my own because I travel all the time for work and to explore the world. So I get to love all the dogs around the Navy Yard, without getting to spoil just one with all my attention. But IDA lives in my house, so she’s my most favorite!
What do you do when not at work? I design textiles, run a gallery and a gallery store which sells artist-made products with some friends, tie-dye old clothes in my yard, cook, grow vegetables in my garden, draw, travel, and I just wrote a book about screenprinting at home called Print Liberation .
What do you like best about Philly? I love Philadelphia. It’s a really easy place to do your own thing. You’re not in the world spotlight like you are in cities like NYC and LA so the pressure is off and people get to dig their heels in the ground and do what they feel passionate about. Which means people are more real and more straightforward. It’s cheap, so your life isn’t on the line if you screw up. People are hardworking and inspired.
Anything else? Picture credit: Mike Wilkes
Note: in pictures I’m in India working on display production, and wearing a free people burnout shirt
Gloria Miles-May 02, 2008, 4:43PM
I love freepeople, the colors the style. I own lots of your clothing. I just bought a bag called Grandma's Attic bag and I just love it. I live in California, I just found out you opened a store at the Stanford Mall. I will be visting that store tomorrow. I hope you will carry more shoes their. Whom ever is on your design/style staff they are very Artisic. Thank You, Freepeople. Gloria Miles
Emma-Apr 08, 2008, 3:31PM
Luren,
I am interning with Teen Vogue in NYC right now and have come to realize that it's not for me. This caused me to panic because I thought editorial design was the way I wanted to go. The more and more I help our creative director, the more I realize that I am going to need a job with ALOT of creative freedom.
I would love to talk to you more about your position at Free People, what you studied in school... pick your brain because I am trying to feel out what direction I want to head in and it sounds like what you do... is dead on!
Thanks,
Emma
Check out this amazing beagle birthday cake that Jill (the Training Manager at the Customer Service Call Center) received for her birthday. It was actually made by her husband Pablo, who works in the South Carolina fulfillment center where all Free People orders are shipped from. Pretty impressive. The design was likely inspired by Pablo and Jill’s dog Baylee, who they found roaming around the woods near the South Carolina facility. The beagle and doghouse are made of marshmallows!
We are going to do some spotlights of Free People stores, so you can get to know a little bit about each one. The first entry is from our very first Free People store! Here is what the girls had to say…
Where is your store located? Garden State Plaza Mall, Paramus NJ
How many people work in your store? 5 Managers, 12 Sales Associates.
What is the weather like? Well right now it’s still cold, but we are all anxiously waiting for Spring to come!!!
What is the best thing for lunch in the area? One of our sales associate’s parents’ has a deli/market…Morano’s!!
What is your favorite piece in the store right now? The Cherry Blossom Dress..it is made of great fabric and has an amazing fit on everyone!!
How are people wearing this piece? Either by itself or looks really cute w/ skinny jeans or leggings
What is your favorite local treat? We love Ritas or Ralph’s Italian ice especially now in the spring and summer and Starbucks drinks!
What does the FP Girl do for fun? Go out with her friends to the mall, movies, bars
What else do you want us to know about your store? We all have a great time working with each other and provide GREAT customer service to all our customers!!! We all really love the brand and have so much fun working here!!
Sarin-Apr 09, 2009, 6:14PM
hello,
my question is.. how old do you have to be to work at a free people store ?
pruittfpgirl-Nov 20, 2008, 2:04PM
Hey Taylor!
Thanks for your comment! :)
I'm afraid you will have to wait until you are 18 years old to work for Free People - but don't worry, you can always apply again in April!
As for working in the store, I'm afraid I have no knowledge of it - any fpgirls working in the stores want to help me out? :) Please post!
Thank you again for writing! Good luck! xox
p
Spotted this on Bloesem! A collaboration of artists yoshikazu yamagata and mafuyu, they made knitted “home wear” for this piece called My Town in My Home. They first displayed at Arnhem Mode Biennale 2007 in the Netherlands. Check out the artists sites for lots of great pictures and some more info.
Alzena-Jan 24, 2011, 6:54PM
Thanks for the great info. Definatly plan to bookmark this article.
Debbie Schramer-Mar 29, 2008, 8:08PM
I love Free People and the wonderful, imaginative clothes and other magical creations you have!! So creative! I am an artist, too and would love for you to see my unusual art! I make fairy furniture, fairy castles, and other wonderful creations. My website and blog are:
www.artmajeur.com/debbieschramer
http://beautiful-art.blogspot.com
I think you'll really like it. Hope to hear from you!!
Debbie
I know you’ve met some of the home office pets in the past (see here and here) but it’s been a while. There are some new faces and they want some attention!
Jack was a rescue dog from Morris Animal Shelter in Philadelphia. Word was that he was poisoned at the age of 4 months and left to die. Poor Jack was put on hold and rejected 4 times by different families for being “too hyper.” Jack eventually found a home with Kelly, our Wholesale customer service rep. She knew he was the dog for her when she took him out to the shelter yard to play and he promptly nipped her on her behind.
Jack now lives in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia with Kelly and her family and likes to come to work on a regular basis.
Name: Jack the dog
Nickname: Just Jack, Jackalope, Jack-a-saurus Rex, Bins, Jackson
Breed: Terrier/Boxer/something very soft
Likes: Girls and raw meat. Flashlights shone on the ceiling
Dislikes: Feral cats and robbers
Favorite friends: Free People Direct girls and Indie pup (one of the other FP office dogs)… Lauren from Wholesale is his real girlfriend
Kelly says: He is the greatest puppers ever. I *heart* him
ritu-Mar 28, 2008, 6:49AM
He is an adorable looking dog. Hate to even read about atrocities committed on animals and dogs particularly are the most lovable creatures on earth. A huge hug to Jack!!
dez-Mar 27, 2008, 2:28PM
what a freakin cutie pie. I love the info on him, it made me laugh, especially the nickname Bins...ah ha ha. love it.
Coolhunting just did a great entry featuring amazing bike baskets. I had featured this one a while back, so here are some of my new favorites introduced by Coolhunting. The top two are by Basil. They have a huge assortment of both baskets and bags. You can get the one below at Velo Orange. This is the Hershberger Baker’s Basket, made by the Amish Hershberger family in rural Minnesota.
Sarah-Mar 27, 2008, 10:58PM
Holy cow! That Hershberger Baker's Basket is gorgeous! I've been wanting a front rack for ages, just might be the reason to make it happen.
Alicia-Mar 25, 2008, 9:22PM
Great baskets! I am a huge fan of fp clothes, and i was saving up for the pushup striped swimsuit, but it was taken off the site! do you have plans for any more suits in that style?
I wanted to share some info about these amazing leather vintage belts we have in the March catalog. The belts are handmade by Stowe Provisions in their studio in Austin TX. Both the belt buckles and leather are hand-worked, most of the leather even hand-dyed. Their aesthetic is self-described as all about “rock n’roll and looking pretty. Check em out on Freepeople.com.
MrBarns-Feb 01, 2010, 1:59PM
what a great site and informative posts, I will add a backlink and bookmark your site. Keep up the good work!
I know lots of people have been asking about what kind of music we all listen to here at Free People. We have put together some playlists on imeem for your listening pleasure. Sign up and be our friends, and listen to our favorite songs by artists like Joni Mitchell, Vampire Weekend and Kate Nash. Listen here…
pruittfpgirl-Oct 10, 2008, 2:21PM
Hey Blaire!
I passed your comment and info along to our person in charge of making the playlists... She should be getting back to you at some point soon.
xoxoxo
p
The Blaire Reinhard Band-Oct 10, 2008, 1:48PM
Hello! I have been a "free people" fan for years and usually shop at free people for my performance and music video wardrobes. The music that my band writes has a similar vibe to the songs selected for in-store radio. Where could I send an mp3 of select songs, or a CD? Is there a music supervisor that handles this task? We've been featured on MTV, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Comedy Central, and HBO, but a placement in "Free People's" stores would be beyond exciting!
Many thanks,
Blaire
BlaireBand@gmail.com
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