as promised, the lovely ladies of free people austin lamar have provided step by step instructions on how to put in these rad feather hair extensions! i’m so bummed i didn’t know how to do this all summer long!
step 1: pick anywhere from 3-5 feathers. you can buy the feathers at some hair salons, or order them from etsy.
step 2: pick a small piece of hair- we suggest either under a layer of hair on top, or a small piece of hair underneath, right by the ear.
Step 3: if you don’t have a fancy tool, you can just take a piece of fishing line and loop it! then place the hair extension bead through both ends. you can find these beads at any beauty supply store that carries hair extensions.
step 4: pull the small piece of hair that you selected through the loop.
step 5: move the bead up the fishing line and onto the piece of hair.
step 6: pull the hair through the bead completely, and make sure it stays about an inch from the scalp.
step 7: take your cluster of feathers, and make sure every feather makes it into the bead!
Step 8: once you make sure all of the feathers are in, you can trim any of the excess that is sticking out of the top of the bead.
step 9: take pliers and squeeze the bead until it is completely closed.
VOILA!!! you have beautiful feathers in your hair!!
now if you want to take it a step further, put some feathers on both sides of your head and put your hair into a french braid:
peace of cake ;)
*update*
to remove the feathers you can just pinch the bead with pliers in the other direction to open it and they slide right out. or after a week or two they might slide out on their own.
the feather can get wet, washed, brushed, blown dry and straightened! you can pretty much just treat them like your own hair.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
be sure to check out natalie’s blog, natalie off duty! the october catalog can be viewed in full right here.
some quotes i’ve uderlined in the book so far, with some imagery that they brought to mind.
“we can never know what to want, because, living only one life, we can neither compare it with our previous lives nor perfect it in our lives to come.”
“she loved to walk down the street with a book under her arm. it had the same significance for her as an elegant cane for the dandy a century ago. it differentiated her from others.”
“she knew that she had become a burden to him: she took things too seriously, turning everything into a tragedy, and failed to grasp the lightness and amusing insignificance of physical love. how she wished she could learn lightness!”
“she wanted to see the vltava. she wanted to stand on its banks and look long and hard into its waters, because the sight of the flow was soothing and healing. the river flowed from century to century, and human affairs play themselves out on its banks. play themselves out to be forgotten the next day, while the river flows on.”
“chance and chance alone has a message for us. everything that occurs out of necessity, everything expected, repeated day in and day out, is mute. only chance can speak to us. we read its message much as gypsies read the images made by coffee grounds at the bottom of a cup.”
love that last quote so much. click on images for sources.
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 :)
hardly strictly bluegrass starts today in san francisco!
with one exception – radiohead’s show at outside lands (first ever nighttime show in golden gate park) – this was the most fun i had when i lived in san francisco. the festival takes place each fall in golden gate park, and consists of three days of live music – FOR FREE. those of you who haven’t been to san fran, october is probably the nicest month out there weather wise and there’s really nothing better than spending a weekend lounging on blankets in spectacular golden gate park with a bunch of friends listening to the plucking of guitar strings. this year’s lineup is sick – including t. bone burnett w/ a special appearance by karen elson, jenny and johnny, steve earle, conor oberst, joan baez, trombone shorty, umphrey’s mcgee, the felice brothers, sharon jones and the dap kings, yonder mountain string band, the avett brothers, railroad earth, elvis costello, patti smith, emmylou harris, and many more.
did i mention its FREE??? check out the website here.
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.
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.
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?
