It’s finally happening!!! We are SO excited to be opening a store in our hometown of Philly! The store will open in January and we are currently looking for an Assistant Store Manager & Assistant Visual Manager. Our fp girls put together this really cute video to give potential applicants some insight into a day in the life of an fp store manager!
Check out the video, and for more info about the position and/or to apply click here.
This weekend I enjoyed the feeling of Fall, the leaves have turned all fiery here in Philly. The rustic leaves brings a vintage feel, a feeling of age and decay that I’m drawn to; throughout my life I’ve loved the juxtaposition of the beautiful and the ugly finding old buildings and seeing the beauty in them. This nostalgic feeling comes flowing into me during fall – the trees decay ready to transform into something beautiful come spring. I kinda love that.
After a scrumptious brunch at one of my favorite restaurants here in Philly “Parc” that recalls the chic brasseries of Paris and a long walk in my vintage French military boots I returned home and got be-dazzled by party hats for these coming festive months – DIY soon perhaps!
The 1970s has always been a decade that fascinates me – it was such an interesting time of change. So many life-altering events took place in the late sixties, that the 70s seemed like a period when people were a little “dazed and confused”, turning to new types of music, film, or travel as a form of escapism. Many writers and musicians traveled to Morocco, where we shot this decade of our holiday catalog – seeking a change of scenery and inspiration. Others turned up in droves at Studio 54, to enjoy the disco music craze and dance the night away. Fashion was all about personal expression – from sequins and flowing dresses to floppy hats and bell-bottoms to the menswear look made famous by Annie Hall.
Pictured, clockwise from top left: Led Zeppelin, one of the biggest bands of the 1970s Diane Keaton as Annie Hall
Musician and 70s fashion icon Carly Simon Mick Jagger and his first wife Bianca Jagger, who was a fashion icon in the 70s and fixture at Studio 54 Fleetwood Mac, who released one of the biggest albums of the 70s, Rumours, in 1977
A shot from our holiday catalog, by David Bellemere Almost Famous captures the music scene in the 70s based on Cameron Crowe’s experience touring with some of the decade’s biggest bands, including the Allman Brothers, Lynard Skynard and Led Zeppelin.
Iconic photo of Talitha Getty in Morocco by Patrick Lichfield.
Stay tuned for some amazing behind the scenes photos, and check out the full holiday catalog.
Although I love to cook, when it comes to baking I’m something of an amateur. Growing up my parents always kept a kitchen stocked with healthy options, and if I whipped up a sheet of cookies for no reason they often went uneaten (except by me). As I got older and more health conscious, I realized that I probably shouldn’t be devouring these cookies either. So, in an effort to maintain a clean diet, I kind of fell off the baking band wagon and became more of a cook.
Nowadays, we have so many more options for healthy baking. Right here in Philly there is a café that serves up my favorite “nuffins” made with yogurt, olive oil, and splenda. It got me to thinking about baking in an all new way, and I decided to give it a stab again. Up until now, this has involved following other people’s recipes, but this past weekend I attempted making whole-wheat pumpkin cupcakes with yogurt as an experiment. I took photos, and was planning to post on them today, but sadly, they came out entirely too moist, and sort of fell in on themselves.
The week got hectic, and I couldn’t make it to the store to pick up ingredients for another recipe, so as a result, I thought I’d take you all along the learning curve with me. In attempts to get the recipe right, I’ve been doing some research on healthy baking substitutes that I’ve heard about. Here’s what I’ve learned so far and can’t wait to try out. Once I get the cupcakes just right, I’ll be sure to share them with you all & if any of you have tips – please share!
Applesauce
Substituting applesauce is one way to cut down on fat in baking. Using it keeps the finished product moist, but it really only works for oil-based baked goods (i.e. breads, muffins, and some cakes) not recipes calling for butter. When you substitute applesauce, it’s even more important to work the batter gently, and as little as possible. Most sources recommend a 1:1 swap (1 cup of applesauce in a recipe calling for 1 cup of oil). Measure it out in a liquid measuring cup, and use unsweetened applesauce.
Yogurt
Yogurt is another great way to cut fat and calories, but maintain a tender, moist consistency in baked goods. This one can be used in both butter and oil-based recipes. In those calling for butter, replace half of the butter with half as much yogurt (1/4cup yogurt & 1/2cup butter in a recipe calling for 1 cup butter). For oil or shortening, replaice half of the oil with ¾ the amount of yogurt (1/4 cup + 2tbsp of yogurt with ½ cup oil in a recipe calling for 1 cup of oil).
Whole Wheat Flour
This is where it can get a bit tricky. From what I’ve read, you want to find whole-wheat pastry flour which is generally lighter than the all-purpose kind. You usually still have to include white flour when making this switch. Sometimes you can use 100% whole wheat, but that’s where experimenting comes in. From what I’ve read, going entirely whole-wheat works great with banana bread. Breads in general can take more, as it tends to make the product heavier which is okay with bread. When baking pastries you’ll want to stick to a 50/50 rule (substituting half the amount of all-purpose white flour with whole-wheat flour).
“An artistic collaboration with stylist Kathi Kauder and photographer Sabrina Theissen. For these collages Ashkan Honarvar used Vanitas symbols in a search for the equilibrium between life and death. The woman depicted features different animal eyes – remnants of the instincts that guide people under extreme circumstances.”
We’re layering up to brace the elements here in Philly today. It’s one of the coolest days we’ve had yet this fall and boy is that wind slap-in-the-face cold. There’s no doubt we have tights on underneath our shorts, and those jackets are no longer an option, but a necessity. Of course, that doesn’t stop the lovely Free People ladies from throwing on an ace outfit. Check out how we’re doing it today…
For all of you in the Philadelphia area – you’ll want to head to our KOP store this Saturday from 11am-1pm! A professional photographer will be in the store snapping photos of your best holiday styling creations in his “Winter Wonderland Photo Booth.” The store will then pick their four favorites which will go up on Facebook to be voted on. The look with the most votes will get featured on the BLDG 25 blog, right here!
Our brand-new and very first Las Vegas boutique opens today! We threw an opening bash last night with live music by Avalon Landing and styling by Lauren, Free People’s Art Director and Head Stylist. There was an amazing turnout flooding the store with fashionable women from far and wide. Fashion addicts that we are, we couldn’t help but snap some shots of our favorite looks…
These ladies drove all the way from Utah! #dedication
Not only is she an awesome fan for having driven all the way from Utah, but she also tried out the fishtail diy from last month’s guest post – so awesome!
For the 1950s portion of our holiday catalog “Through the Decades,” our team shot in-studio in NYC with photographer Alexei Hay, and model Elsa Hosk was the picture-perfect pin-up :) Here’s a peek behind the scenes!
