Month: October 2011
October 2011 Catalog Video: Julia Stegner by Guy Aroch
Our October catalog video makes me smile :) Shot by Guy Aroch featuring model Julia Stegner, it captures her cool, carefree attitude and a fun day of shooting in the studio!
Song is “Crazy As You” by Nicole Reynolds.
Shop the October catalog.
Fall Fashion from our Favorite Bloggers
This week’s featured blogger is our good friend Natalie of the blog Natalie Off Duty! Here’s one of her favorite looks for fall (featuring our polka dot boho top!) and what she’s most excited about this season.
What trend are you most excited about for Fall?
For Fall, I am sooo excited to get back into layering, especially with knits. I love something chunky on top with something a little more fitted at the bottom. Playing around with proportions is great for fall weather. Right now, I love mixing something very classic with something totally unexpected and fun. I look forward to everything from printed blouses to shearling coats!
Favorite designers right now?
My favorite designers right now are Chloe, Stella McCartney, Rebecca Minkoff, Alexander Wang, and Isabel Marant.
Your must have Free People item for Fall?
The Genteel V-Neck Sweater. It’s super classic and looks great with just about everything. It also looks like something I could just cuddle in!
What is your favorite Fall activity?
I LOVE playing in ball pits or riding my bike through the parks!
I love how she styled the polka dot blouse! Thank you Natalie!
Milan Fashion Week
Milan’s fashion week has come to a close and I’ve been scrolling through the shows for inspiration. It was bright and glitzy, everything that you would expect from a city that enjoys the finest things in life.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Marni, there’s something so incredibly quirky going on with it aesthetics; whether it’s the unique colour palette or the juxtaposition of ad-hoc accessories against geometric prints. In this collection I was seeing a little touch of 60’s housewife which worked in a weird kind of way – that’s what to expect from Consuelo Castiglioni.
Roberto Cavalli’s show brought glitz to my eyes the artisanship won me. The collection seemed like it belonged at the couture shows at times. I loved the contrast of gold with leopard and florals against the black. It was a dream to look at.
Milan shone bright, next stop Paris!
Photo’s taken from Vogue and Style
Designer Jewelry by DANNIJO
This month’s featured jewelry designer is one of my personal favorites – Dannijo. The New York based label was founded by sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder, self-taught jewelry designers who learned how to wirework by playing with their father’s medical tools as kids. Their pieces are handmade using various metals – oxidized silver, gold and gunmetal – mixed with bold colorful elements like druzy quartz, crystals, aqua aura and pearls.
A combination of bohemian whimsy and old-world sophistication, their pieces are incredibly beautiful and eye-catching, making them a favorite among celebrities and fashion designers.
Their inspiration:
“For SS12 we were really inspired by Indonesian surf culture, western elements and Aztec artifacts — think masks, fossils and ancient jewelry dug up from the past. We wanted the collection to be really wearable and able to be stacked and layered as always so we had fun with color and silhouettes while keeping the collection very signature Dannijo. It’s sort of a modern take on remnants of the past.”
I love how the necklaces are styled with vintage tees and faux fur in our October catalog – on the left, the Stella Collar, and on the right, the Tribal Rhaise Pendant.
And the rings? The rings are out of this world!
Lucas Stone Ring, Dai Ring, Jacinda Ring.
Shop all designer jewelry by Dannijo.
Sunday Funday: Baby Ducks
One of my favorite moments ever from the show Planet Earth. It kills me every time!
Chilled Lentil Salad
Most people do not eat many lentils, but they’re a great food to try and incorporate into your diet more often. Technically legumes, they are high in protein (especially great for vegetarians), and have a multitude of vitamins like magnesium, iron, zinc and vitamin B. They’re also good to lower cholesterol, but perhaps the best part is that these little guys are extremely filling which isn’t always the case with healthy foods.
I’ve been trying to eat lentils more often, and this week’s recipe is my first stab at a chilled lentil salad. I used to think that lentils were hard to cook, and generally stayed away from them. After reading up a bit, I realized I was wrong – they’re just about as easy to cook as rice. Some might think lentils can get a bit bland, but that’s why I’ve added some kick with Serrano peppers for this recipe. The onions throughout help to add a bit of crunch, and the spinach is just plain tasty. This is a great to-go lunch or side dish for dinner.
photo incorporates tomatoes which aren’t in this recipe, but feel free to add them in! (via the grub daily)
Ingredients:
2 Cups of Dried Green Lentils
6 Cups of Hot Water
5 Cups of Spinach
3 Serrano Peppers
1 Red Onion
½ Tbsp Cumin Seeds
½ Tbsp Minced Ginger
2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
Directions:
Pour dried lentils into a strainer and pick over for any bad looking bits.
Rinse a few times, mixing around with your hand to be sure every piece gets rinsed well.
Throw into a pot, with 6 cups of hot water, and let cook for about 25-30 minutes.
Slice onion and peppers, mince ginger, and throw into a saucepan with grapeseed oil to sauté.
While that is sautéing mix cumin seeds into your lentils, and then begin to stir in spinach. You’ll have to stir it in bit by bit as bulky spinach moistens and wilts, creating space to add more.
Once onions begin to appear transparent, mix everything in the sauce pan into your lentils. Let sit until they reach room temperature, and then stick them in the fridge to chill overnight.
Okay, it’s not the prettiest food out there, but it sure is delicious – and good for you!
Artist Profile: Rachi Farrow
Rachi Farrow is a Vermont-based artist whose work is currently on display at the Christine Price Gallery Fine Arts center in Vermont – here is her story!
I make ART with STUFF instead of throwing stuff away. It’s how I recycle. At first I gathered flotsam and jetsam from roadsides, beaches, dumpsters, trash cans, etc. I see something I can use, I take it to my studio.
10 years ago I was in Guatemala working in a make-shift studio and scrounging around for materials to use. I discovered a room in the factory full of leftover yarns and woven scraps. The mother-load!
The XXXL project began once I was back home in Vermont. I asked my welder (he’s also my husband) to make a stick figure armature from scrap steel. I wanted to make a doll.
My sister Carol was talking with a friend who asked her what kind of art I was making. Carol described what I was using to make art…Her friend works at Free People…and the rest is history. I am currently working on doll #7, which is the 4th XXXLer made from Free People’s fabulous-fantastic-funderful damages & samples.
Details:
The sculptures:
So cool – thanks Rachi!
October Calendar Download
It’s midnight meaning it’s October calendar time!
Go to our flickr page to download the large size in regular or widescreen!