inspired by…easy rider

our team drew inspiration for the attitude and styling of our december catalog from the classic sixties film easy rider, starring peter fonda and dennis hopper as bikers traveling the american southwest in search of freedom.  the film explores the counterculture of the 1960s and alternative lifestyles that rose out of it, and in its optimistic, ambitious beginning and tragic end, seems to mirror the counterculture movement itself.

the american southwest, with its vast open landscape, represents an unexplored frontier full of possibilities.  it is this essence that has drawn so many to “go west” in search of freedom and a new life, and what drew our team to the dramatic beauty of utah. the expansive desert, massive rock formations and majestic canyons, the southwestern US landscape is some of the only land in the country that looks untouched by man. the only backdrop suitable for the themes of exploration, independence and of course, freedom.

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to capture the attitude and style of easy rider our team used hard-edged denim, leather and suede to toughen up girly lace and crochet. denim on denim, paisley scarves, western shirts, suede hats, biker boots, fringe and that amazing red leather jacket ooze with the easy rider spirit. oversized utility bags complete the look of a girl gone wandering, seeking adventure and captivated by the beauty that unfolds before her eyes.

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for more feminine inspiration there’s sixties icon marianne faithfull in the film the girl on a motorcycle, in which she plays a woman who leaves her husband and takes off on her bike to visit her lover, her motorcycle representing freedom and escape.

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this trend has left me longing to take a motorcycle ride up the california coast with the sun on my face and wind in my hair…

shop easy rider here.

fun giveaway on twitter!

we’re doing another giveaway – this time on twitter!

a lot of you have been asking about the amazing saddle bag on the back of the motorcycle on the cover of our december catalog.  this one of a kind piece was made in india, using the same antique quilts used in many of our store displays and embellished with studs and leather fringe.  this bag has seen some wear and tear but that just makes it look even cooler! can you imagine having this on the back of your bike?!?

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to win all you have to do is head over to our twitter page and tweet a story or memory involving a motorcycle @ us with this link: http://ow.ly/3kGYq. if you don’t already, make sure you follow us on twitter so you don’t miss out on fun stuff like this!

i thought this one was pretty cute:

“im secretly in love with my boyfriend’s motorcycle & i pretend to ride it while it’s stationed in the garage.”

the winner will be selected at random on friday. good luck!

some sparkle for your monday

a couple of weeks ago i popped into our web studio and found this scene: stunning model elsa hosk striking pose after flawless pose, and our stylist and studio intern crouched on the floor scooping up fistfuls of glitter and tossing them into the air. just another day at the office!

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they were shooting our december lookbook which is up online now and i suggest you go see – i swear they keep getting better and better and this one is perfection. see it here.

free people december catalog

our december catalog was shot at the amangiri resort in utah by photographer chrissy piper, featuring models martha hunt and izzy marshall.  shades of brown and rust to highlight the earthy landscape with pops of turquoise, and delicate crochet and lace roughened up with biker boots and suede. the catalog was inspired by easy rider attitude and freedom of the open road and as i look through its pages i can’t help but hear the plucking of guitar strings and neil young’s voice…

“somewhere on a desert highway, she rides a harley davidson, her long blonde hair flyin’ in the wind, she’s been runnin’ half her life, the chrome and steel she rides, colliding with the very air she breathes…”


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view the entire catalog online right here!

around the office this week

i couldn’t resist. i had to post some photos of teeny tiny noemi the yorkie, she kills me.

here she is sitting in the palm of my hand… she doesn’t even weigh one pound!

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one of our fp girls set up a holiday gift drive!

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i want this chair…

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and this pretty dress from our december catalog kept catching my eye!

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the december book drops tuesday and its a beauty! stay tuned…

holiday getaways – lou

lou would be in her element at a ski resort where she can snowboard to her heart’s content, and one of the best places for winter activities is lake tahoe. we love squaw valley – which is also where the wanderlust yoga and music festival takes place. lou could stay at the squaw valley lodge where she can ski right out onto the mountain. when she gets tired, she can relax in the outdoor hot tub and then cozy up by the fire in an armchair with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book… even lou needs to indulge herself every once in a while, and for that there’s a fireside indoor spa!

other activities that lou will love can be found at high camp.  a scenic ride up the mountain in the squaw valley cable car and she can enjoy ice skating, snow tubing and moonlit snowshoe tours, all with panoramic views of lake tahoe and the high sierra.

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for more info on squaw valley click here. the website is referring to this past month as “snowvember” because they’ve already gotten eleven feet of snow – and counting!

dispatches from doub

one of our most inspiring fp girls, our creative director, has started a twitter! follow her to get the updates on her day’s activities from lunch to xmas tree decorating :) i’m so excited, i always wanna know what she’s up to!

prop shopping for our next vintage loves shoot!

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propped out!!

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my pride and joy!

follow doub’s twitter here!

where we work

the website arch daily posted an article on the urban outfitters campus, featuring some gorgeous photos and a really interesting video about the project.  as you may know, urban purchased a group of buildings down at the navy yard, which had been abandoned back in 1996.  the transformation of the buildings was really astonishing, shifting from factory-like spaces meant for the construction and repair of naval vessels to beautiful office buildings where creativity flourishes.

i’ve posted a lot of photos of the campus and our new building on the blog, but these photos by lara swimmer photography give you a much more expansive picture of the campus as a whole and the size and scope of these beautiful buildings where we work.

our old building

our new building

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building 543, where the cafe and cafeteria are located.

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read the article and see more photos and the video here.

office style – twins!

this is actually pretty wild – these are our two web merchandisers, who maaayyyy be spending a little too much time working together, because they came in today wearing almost identical outfits! printed maxi skirts, boots, black sweatshirt/sweater and vest, one fur, the other with fur trim on the hood… and while you can’t see it in this photo, they are both wearing sarah lewis bullet shell necklaces! great fashion minds think alike :)

a gift we love

i’m slightly obsessed with these booties we have right now by gypsy 05. gypsy 05 is a southern california company started in 2005 by israeli brother and sister duo osi and dotan. their line is largely inspired by culture and colors – these booties are inspired by south american handmade booties that have been reinvented with modern life and fashion in mind. we have two styles, the gretta over the knee sock and the chevron tall sock boot. they’re a hybrid of knit slippers and boots, so you can wear them whether you’re lounging around at home or running errands in the city – for someone like me who would love to wear my slippers outside, they’re perfect :) the sock portion is made of 100% organic knit cotton and the soles are biodegradable rubber, keeping true to gypsy 05’s green state of mind.

these would be an amazing gift – hint hint ;) i also think it would be a really cute idea to double their purpose and use them as stockings, filling them with little trinkets on christmas morning!

i want to wear the gretta over the knee sock with the patchwork chemise on christmas morning, then pull them on over skinny jeans with a chunky sweater and hat to go shopping!