a bag for coachella

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, music

who’s going to coachella this weekend?! unfortunately we aren’t going this year but that doesn’t mean we can’t get in the mindset… here’s a look at what i would bring if i were heading to coachella…

i drew most of my inspiration from the two outfits pictured above.  the outfit at far right is PERFECT- our little plaid cropped bralettes can be worn on their own, over a tank, or under some cute overalls like the puddle jumper romper! add the romana fest sandal and gorgeous rio brillante bag to complete the look. then the next day, wear it with some bright blue cutoff shorts and the embroidered mesh crop top like sasha pivovarova from our april catalog :)

packing lightly and being able to mix and match is key for music festivals – the sophia bikini top would look great with the overalls or just with the cutoffs as well! i would also bring a scarf to either sit on or cover up my hair, which would surely be a mess after dancing in the hot sun all day and into the night. the feather straw fedora and sunglasses would also be in my bag to keep the california sun out of my eyes. and in addition to the sandals i’d bring along some comfy kicks like the muddy waters sneakers.

when i’m at a festival, sometimes i don’t want to worry about carrying a bag so the artists and revolutionaries fanny pack would be ideal, and would hold my small journal and some sunblock. and i’m loving these candy-colored shades of nail polish by chanel! finally, i’m obsessed with the bag charms by the 2 bandits and the cute saba feather clips (on the straw hat and in sasha’s hair above)! clip ’em to your bag, hat, belt loop or right into your hair! the perfect festival accessory.

those are my picks,  click here to go to our festival shop for more inspiration :)

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behind the scenes of our April Lookbook

Posted by fp jemma on in fashion

Our April Look Book went up today and it’s truly beautiful. The concept is called Modern romance of a beautiful ballerina in decayed, decadent environment.  It was shot in a dilapidated house in west Philly with crackled walls and peeling paint.  I joined the image team to take some behind the scenes photos and to get to know the model a little bit more. The place was beautiful – the walls were full of texture, and the light was soft.  It definitely gave that feeling of something beautiful falling apart to reveal something even more interesting. We had a great time!

you can see the lookbook here

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april catalog diary: day one, shooting with sasha

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, inspiration

last week i gave you the low-down on hair and makeup and the lead-up to shooting, and now it’s time for the action to begin! here’s a behind the scenes look at shooting with sasha pivovarova.

being able to watch a world class model in action was such an awesome experience.  sasha blew me away- she was so sweet and soft spoken in person, and had a very graceful, swanlike presence on set.  her ability to strike completely unnatural poses and make them seem effortlessly natural is incredible.

sasha’s jewelry and doodle on the makeup table.

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in between shots hair and makeup were touched up.

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guy reviewing the shots – he’s so good, he could probably take one photo for each outfit and be done, but he seemed to have an idea in his head of what he wanted each shot to look like and wouldn’t stop until it was perfect.

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sasha was a natural with the animals – very playful and sweet.

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we were all crazy about this outfit – the combination of the long-in-the-back raglan tee and mesh ombre skirt is to die for! i loved that she just wore socks with this look too, giving it a very relaxed loungy feel.

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someone on set (i cant remember who) had the idea of using one of the belts in the shoot instead of a leash :)

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stylists at work.

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i love this photo :)

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the light outside started to fade as we neared the end of our allotted shooting time.

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sasha loved this necklace – and we all loved this outfit, our favorite of the day!

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and that’s a wrap on day one! stay tuned for day two :)

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Erika Pena featured accessories designer

Posted by fp jemma on in fashion

Erika Pena is a dreamer, who started her journey into Fashion design and accessories when she was 18 and attended Parsons school of

Art and design in New York City. Her Accessories draw inspiration from her move to Manhattan from Puerto Rico conveying the rough and edgy city life of NYC to the light and airy free spirited air of the Caribbean. All her work derives inspiration from her travels, the people she meets and the cultures she absorbs herself into – making her pieces extra special!

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I played around with her pieces in the studio the other day I feel in love with the unique rings that sit just delicately on the tops of your fingers. The textures of her jewelry make for exquisite accessories perfectly dressed down for a festival and easily adapted for a lovely night out. Sasha wears the rings throughout our April book, they add that extra special to any outfit.

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I’m hooked. You can find her pieces here!

Ise lines ring foil double ring Molten Knuckle ring

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office style

Posted by fp jemma on in fashion

One trend of the season: Chinos rolled up a little to show sandals and letting your cute little ankles breathe. Our intern has styled her high-waisted chinos with a cropped jumper and a statement necklace, making a sophisticated look playful by adding braids to her hair. This is a perfect look for those mild, breezy days going into spring.

 

Her shoes are free people get them here!

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birkenstocks are back!

Posted by fp julia on in fashion

and i couldn’t be happier.

i have been waiting, patiently, ever since our meeting back in january about the april catalog product when i saw them all lined up in a rainbow of colors. birkenstocks definitely carry a strong sense of nostalgia with them… it is hard to look at them and not be reminded of a time in my life when i was too young to know or care about fashion, all that mattered was comfort and ease.  i’m not gonna lie, wearing them now i even start to feel like a kid again. the famous photos of kate moss by corinne day capture that carefree feeling perfectly.

if you’re like me and grew up wearing birks, you already know how comfy they are, and that they mold to fit your feet to perfection.  but another reason why i love these so much right now is that i’m a big flip flop girl- i like sandals that can slip on and off easily so if you’re at the beach or chilling at a park you can kick them right off. but i’m getting a little tired of the same old rainbows i’ve been wearing for a few years now and i have already decided that they will be replaced with these sunkissed tangerine birks very soon.

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sasha pivovarova rocks the birkenstocks in a couple of awesome ways in our april catalog.  our shoe buyer loves the look on the left – she says birks are the perfect shoe to pair with girly, feminine skirts and dresses this season to add a touch of laid back cool. the look on the right is one of my favorites in the entire catalog – the pop of color is perfect to complete this fun & funky look.

check out our birkenstocks online here – and tell me, what do you think about their comeback?

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thursday poll: edition 129

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, features

our april catalog has dropped and in it are some amaaaaazing maxi dresses – i love how they’re all so different! which of these dresses would you wear?

the tracks of my tiers maxi:

the hinted florals maxi:

the vibrations kaftan:
vibrations kaftan

the crochet variety dress:
crochet variety dress

the we the free feathered maxi:
we the free feathered maxi

or the roaring era dress:
roaring era dress

vote for your fave!


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april catalog diary: day one

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, inspiration

on a crystal clear thursday in january i took an early morning train up to new york city to meet up with our catalog team for the april shoot. anticipation and excitement were running through my veins as i listened to mellow tunes and thought about what the day ahead would hold – super model sasha pivovarova, one of my favorite photographers, guy aroch, exotic animals, and seeing our catalog team in action for the first time.

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we shot at milk studios in NYC, an amazing space in the meatpacking district across from the chelsea market.  studio three would be ours for the next couple of days, a large and inviting space flooded with light and located at the end of a quiet hallway.

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when i arrived our team was setting up for the day. the set and the lighting have to be perfect, the outfits are all hung up and organized, and hair and makeup begins.

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our catalog team chatted over coffee and breakfast as hair and makeup was underway. the team typically consists of our creative director, art director, producer, a stylist, hair and makeup artists, and the the photographer and photo/tech assistants.

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sasha chilled with her laptop as she got her hair and nails done.

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the clothes were separated into two racks to correspond with the catalog’s element theme – day one was  air and earth, consisting of a soft color palette, natural makeup and all white animals. day two’s theme would be fire and water, with bright colors and tribal accents.

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our stylist, creative director and art director looked over the outfits and made some last minute changes.

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shoes were lined up and accessories carefully arranged on a table.

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the day prior our team had done some prop shopping – the props above would be used day one.

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guy aroch arrived and got set up, taking a couple test shots to make sure the lighting was just right. i was so nervous to meet him but he’s extremely laid back and cool.

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guy and sasha talked for a few minutes and then it was time for shooting to begin!

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to be continued…

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the many ways to wear scarves

Posted by fp julia on in fashion

it may be spring but that doesn’t mean you should put away your scarves just yet! there are so many ways to wear them well into spring and summer, and our team made this awesome video (featuring one of our stylists and our assistant web merchandiser) demonstrating several of those ways.  i am in love with the scarves shown above on sasha pivovarova from our april catalog…check them and more out online here, but first watch the video below :)

our stylist is wearing the scalloped back lace crop top and thrifted skirt (but stay tuned b/c we have a similar skirt coming in may!) and our assistant web merchandiser is wearing the fp-1 daydreams gauze tunic. the scarf used is the faded dye scarf.

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from jemma: dear diary…department shopping in london

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, inspiration

London has some of the best department stores around – all offering a different shopping environment.

Today I headed to Liberty’s, my favorite store of all time. I love the Tudor relation and the creaking floorboards. It makes shopping there a delicate experience.   I’m the biggest fan of liberty fabric – I’m drawn to everything that has it, so you can imagine my eyes are wide open every time I’m in there!

As I walked through the main entrance there was a huge hanging display coming from the ceiling. It kind of translated into a basketball net, which makes sense as there was a private event being held there that day for the launch of the Nike air and liberty print collaboration.

For a quick afternoon snack Leon is a beautiful organic cafe. It’s fast delivered and no fuss. I had the sweet potato falafel and cloudy apple juice with mint and lime. Yum!

The second department store I headed to was Selfridges. In contrast to Liberty’s this is a very upbeat shopping experience. Expect loud music, bright colors and flashing lights.  A perfect place to shop Friday after work to pick up something to wear out on the weekends. It will sure get you bumping!

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So after a lovely day of strolling around being a magpie, I headed home. Below are 4 photos that make me smile. Flowers outside liberty, old bentley racer, shopping for spring clothes and yes, of course I couldn’t help myself – a royal wedding mug!

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Tomorrow I’m heading to broadway market – I hear the fashion there is happening on the weekend, so I aim to do some street style. I’m also going to head to buckingham palace – why not :)

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another fun event – tomorrow at fp topanga!

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, features, music

C O A C H E L L A fashion show is finally here!!!

*Fashion show is April 2nd at 1pm sharp

*DJ in stores from 1-4pm

*Exclusive limited edition Free People Gift Bags with every purchase of $100 or more while supplies last (pictured above)

*Free People Feather Hair Extensions with every $50 or more while supplies last

We are so excited to have you attend our Coachella fashion show, it’s going to be a BLAST. Free People models, amazing music, and tons of new product, it doesn’t get better than that!

It’s also our store’s third BIRTHDAY so in celebration we are going to have light refreshments and tons of sweets:)

Don’t be camera shy either, we are going to have a photographer at the event to document the show for our Free People blog

Come early to the event so you don’t miss out!

Can’t wait to see you at the show :)

XOXO Free People Topanga

(818)716-8069

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from jemma: dear diary…the V&A

Posted by fp julia on in fashion, inspiration

I headed to the V&A today (Victoria and Albert museum), but before I arrived there I stopped off in Angel. Angel is a great place to go for breakfast and quiet stroll in the mornings. It’s not too crazy, but the right amount of busy-ness to keep you stimulated. They have cute, old world charm restaurants and great vintage stores. The vintage stores are a little more on the pricey side here, the selection is unique and a bit more carefully curated. I adore Annie’s for its reference to the Victorian era. I can’t get enough of the delicate Victorian lace.

The V&A fascinates me every time. I love the location. Situated in the more upper class area of London – South Kensington – you can expect to see a vast majority of pleasant “sloanes” walking about, well dressed and full of charm.

As you walk into the grand entrance of the museum you instantly feel ready to get soaked in culture. I headed straight to the Asia and India section. I was drawn there due to the familiarity of the Free People aesthetic.

Seeing the chintz costumes of the 1600 was mind blowing. A fashion made from Indian painted cotton. In the 1600s, Chintz fabric was a huge fashion statement amongst women  — dresses constructed in England made from beautiful hand painted fabric in south east India was the main “fashion” of this era.

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I was in awe of the fine Bengali muslin praised as “woven air”, painted so beautifully, they looked so delicate and light. I stood for hours admiring the beautiful aesthetics from Asia and India. Every time I leave the V&A I always feel like I’ve travelled a little around the world and that enlightens me.

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around the South Kensington/Chelsea area you get some pretty well dressed people. One of the best Art collages around is situated here “the royal academy of Art”, so you get the incredibly unique art students strolling around. You have a lot of celebrities and models living here. Here are some details that I enjoyed while walking around Kensington. ( above)

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After the day was over I met up with my two BFF’s for a drink at Jaguar Shoes Old city. This area is far too cool for school it often hurts my head thinking where all the absurdly “cool” people came from. It’s pretty entertaining. We had a glass of wine and a great catch up then headed home. The day was perfect!

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