Sock inspiration

Fall is coming close and socks seem to be trending lately, I scoured through chicatopia to find out how girls out there are wearing these cosy little gems.

Come October when it gets a little chill in the air and you don’t want to go full out and wear tights, then just keep your ankle warm and I’m sure it will be just fine.

Little ankle socks with heels is the cutest way to dress down any va va voom vibe and over the knee with flat shoes.

september catalog – the location

our september catalog was shot in rural kent, the “garden of england,” on a property with a quaint cottage and a red caravan nestled in a lush garden bordered by sprawling fields.  a tent strung with lights and flag banners served as a resting spot during the day and took on a magical multicolored air at night. the setting could not have been more perfect for the styling of the catalog and our team fell in love with the couple who lived there, a pair of kind souls with a pet fox named rosie.

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thank you to our producer and creative design assistant for taking these photos!

free people: september 2010

set in the hills of kent, england, our september catalog evokes the spirit of the nomad.

the girl in mind is a traveler; a rock ‘n’ roll boyfriend accompanies her. they’re the new gypsies who hang out in old charismatic caravans and create a magical smokey air around them. they believe in nostalgia and recite poetry until they are lost, lost in a world of deep thought… a world of allurement and hocus pocus. the colors of their imagination are deep and mystical just like them. paisley patterns and velvet surround them. long lengths and exquisite textures make up her outfit while her boyfriend’s leather jacket is thrown on to add a raw rock ‘n’ roll edge.

the product: crushed velvet, soft dresses, shawls, fedoras and heavy jewelry contrast against ripped jeans and shaggy knitwear. chunky wedges and tiered chiffon slips. the collection makes you want to escape to a forbidden forest and lose yourself amongst folklore and witchcraft.

enchanting. this trend will send you right into a whimsical fall.

shot by iain mckell, featuring models dewi dreigen, karolina babczynska and her fiancé adam wallace.

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view the entire catalog online right here.

monday quote

Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow

— Bob Dylan

sarah lewis

we’ve posted about the amazing jewelry designer sarah lewis on the blog before – as a former member of the fp team she is a part of the free people family and we love carrying her designs. she also has an adorable store in philly called adorn.  read on for a brief interview with sarah and to see photos of her beautiful store and jewelry!

How did you get started as a jewelry designer?

I’ve been making jewelry for as long as I can remember!  When I was really young, I did a lot of beadwork and macramé, and then started working with glass when I was in high school.  I started working with silver and stone while living in Arizona. I have only been focusing all of my energy on my jewelry business for the past year, (before that, I was working for Free People!), but so far it has been going well.  I guess the way that I got started was just making the initial decision to go for it!

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Where do you draw inspiration for your work?

I draw inspiration from everything around me.  My mind is always going, thinking of new jewelry designs.  I also am really inspired by the natural beauty of the materials that I work with.  Because so much of what I do is based on the materials that I work with, I really love going to gem and mineral shows to search for material.  I often can pick up a piece, and immediately picture what I will make out of it.  I am also inspired by the past.  I find a lot of materials and design ideas by shopping at flea markets, and vintage and thrift stores.  While staying true to my own earthy and bohemian style, I also draw inspiration from fashion.  I try to create pieces that are beautiful and timeless, but also stylish and on trend.  I also think of jewelry styles as how they relate to apparel, what they could be worn with, and how they could be used to complete an outfit.

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What are some of your styles that you’re really excited about right now?

I am really excited about some of my recent ring styles.  I’ve been doing a lot of rings with drusy quartz, amethyst, and crazy lace agate.  I also really like my new gemstone fringe bib necklace, and my concentric circles crystal necklace.  I also am currently working on a new collection of jewelry and handbags for FP for holiday that I am really excited about – so watch out for them in November!

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What are some of your other hobbies?

I really love to travel, and hang out with my friends, and I live for seeing live music – so I usually combine the three!  Also, even though I live in the city, I love the outdoors.  I try to go hiking, snowboarding, and make trips to the beach as much as I can.

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center, rocking the sequin slip at phish!

How would you describe your personal style? What are some of your favorite free people items?

I would describe my style as earthy and feminine by day and rockstar by night – so I am a total Free People girl!  I am obsessed with all of the versions of the birds of paradise dress, and  I could not live without my fp intimates.  I wear my bandeaus and halter tops all the time, and .I own two sequin slips that I have probably worn hundreds of times!  They are so great for layering, I can always find new ways to wear them.  I also have a few FP sweaters that will probably stay in my wardrobe forever, because they are so soft and comfy, and I love the FP beach styles too!

What is your motto?

Work hard, but play hard too.  I am a total workaholic, but I love what I do so much, that it doesn’t really seem like work.  My business keeps me so busy that I often have trouble breaking away.  But I know that it is important to take breaks and go out and have fun!

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What does free mean to you?

To me, freedom means being able to be creative everyday, making a living doing what I love, staying connected with nature and spending time with the people I love.

thanks sarah!! check out her website here, and see our collection of sarah lewis jewelry right here!

office style

a look we love:

this look is taking over our office! we LOVE maxi dresses or jumpsuits layered with tanks, tees, or sweaters as it gets cooler! and we’re bringing back that 90’s trend of tying the tank in a knot, then just add some beat up boots or shoes and you’ve got this cool look our designers are rocking :)

our graphic designer’s awesome silver jewelry.

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earlier this week we had all of our store managers from across the country here at the home office for meetings and to get to know each other and the home office employees.  i kept noticing how amazing they all looked! they were in back to back meetings the whole time they were here but i managed to grab this girl during a coffee break. i love her outfit!

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i love how she wore the buttonfront lace back tank backwards over the v neck printed tunic!

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…and a little sneak peek at something we did for the blog. yes that’s my hair.

boho mom outfit!

remember our boho mom contest? this was the winning photo, submitted by our fan heather.  her prize was a very special one-of-a-kind garment, based on the one above, created by free people.

and here it is!!

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they did such an amazing job! i love this – i would buy that top in a heartbeat! congrats heather, we hope you love it :)

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blogger playdate!

yesterday the beautiful chantal of cocorosa just so happened to be at the urban headquarters in support of her friend who is a shoe designer, so we invited her to stop by the free people office! she is such a lovely person and i always admire her style.   i had a great time hanging out with her and playing dress up – she picked some of her favorite items and modeled them while i took photos!

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her picks were the first impressions jacket, the charmer tall boot (in our september catalog); the front & center pullover and the leather expedition hat. other boots also coming soon. go see more photos on her blog!