I’m so excited to give you a sneak peek of one of my favorite catalogs of this year! Photographer Guy Aroch has the magic touch… I love everything he does – and model Julia Stegner looks stunning in these perfect Fall looks.
The catalog drops on Tuesday. Stay tuned!
By now you have probably heard of our new sister, BHLDN (pronounced Beholden), a line of dresses, accessories and décor for your wedding day. Over the summer, FP Naomi and I went over to their offices, which are located in Free People’s former home, Building 15. We got to take a little tour of the office, check out some of the dresses and other samples, and took a bunch of photos for the blog! I have to say, I am not a wedding person – not even a dress person – but I saw a dress at BHLDN that I completely fell in love with! Their stuff is stunning, and we’re proud to have them in our family :)
Here’s a little peek, just for you, behind the scenes at BHLDN.
The gorgeous chandelier in the lobby is made of repurposed glasses! Love.
The dress that I loved.
Visit the website: bhldn.com
Beautiful Elsa of the blog Styleabaad, who recently paid a visit to our home offices, shares one of her favorite looks and tells us what she’s excited about this Fall!
In this look: This vintage 1970’s maxi dress is the gem of my closet! I love wearing it in fall/winter and styling it in different ways depending on the occasion. Here I decided to dress it down a bit for a more casual fall look so I added a Free People vest, a stack of bangles and a floppy hat. The shoes and sunnies are vintage.
What trend are you most excited about for fall?
I am so into jewel colors right now like amber, sapphire and emerald. Also I can’t leave my house this fall without a hat – I love both fedoras and floppy hats and I don’t think I could have too many.
Favorite designers right now?
I always follow the shows but find myself more inspired by the archives. Like 1970’s YSL and Halston. But I have to say I adore Dries van Noten and Etro’s latest collections.
Your must have Free People item for fall?
I’m dying to get my hands on the Velvet Extreme Flares in the “moss” color! It’s the perfect piece for fall and I’ll wear them in the daytime with a thermal and oxfords and at nighttime with a sheer blouse and high heels.
What is your favorite fall activity?
I can’t imagine anything better than getting up really early a sunny fall morning and heading out to a big flea market. I love to wander around with a hot tea looking through the stalls and finding those treasures for my house I know are out there.
Check out Elsa’s blog here!
Photo credit: Jonas Lindström
I think her style is very 70s boho, don’t you?!
“The free soul is rare, but you know it when you see it – basically because you feel good, very good, when you are near or with them.”
– Charles Bukowski
I posted about John Pfahl’s Metamorphoses de la Terre a little while back… but I think I love his Altered Landscapes even more.
more at johnpfahl.com
DO: go to bed an hour early and read.
I have two problems: 1) I never seem to get enough sleep, and 2) I never have enough time to read as much as I’d like. Rather than continue letting this bother me, I’ve begun a little experiment. An hour earlier than I typically would, I force myself to get into bed. I’m usually not tired, but I get into bed anyways and pull out a book. Eventually from reading, my eyes begin to get droopy. As soon as this happens I roll over and go to sleep. Reading serves as a perfect way to let the tiredness set in, and it helps you feel more settled before bed.
I don’t get too much more sleep than I did before, only about 15-30min, but I think that’s the best I can shoot for with the way my life goes. The biggest success of this experiment has been the added reading time. I find reading to be one of life’s biggest pleasures. Fiction, non-fiction, fantasy…whatever it is – reading opens your eyes, and lets you experience things/people that you may never otherwise encounter. It’s a great thing to incorporate into your everyday routine.
I quite like the effects of my experiment so far. I’ve decided to keep up the efforts, and try to make it my new thing. You should all try it out sometime soon and see how it works for you. It’s a great way to wind down your day, and I think you will all enjoy the added one-on-one time with you, your book, and your bed.
I have more than a small obsession with Jack Kerouac. I have all of his books and I treasure them, often re-reading them and each time finding something new and eye-opening in their pages. On the Road was the first one I read, and then re-read when I was literally on the road taking my own journey across the country. Dharma Bums probably had the most profound effect on me, and I read Big Sur shortly after visiting that place for the first time. While living in San Francisco I found myself influenced by my surroundings and diving deeper into the psychedelic culture of the 60s– it was around that time I read The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, a manic tale about the bus called Furthur and the acid-fueled journey of Ken Kesey and a colorful troupe of companions (called the Merry Pranksters, with nicknames like Stark Naked and Gretchen Fetchen) including Neal Cassady -On the Road’s Dean Moriarty. I don’t know what it is that fascinates me so much about this time period, but there’s something about the spirit these people had that is so magnetic.
So when I found out there was a new documentary about this very trip, called Magic Trip, I was pretty much floored. I knew that the Pranksters had been filming a lot of what went on during their journey, with the hopes of making a film, but none of that footage had ever been seen. Until now.
I think what blew me away the most was seeing the footage of Neal Cassady talking nonstop, being his erratic, speed-driven self. He was, word for word, exactly as Jack Kerouac described him in On the Road. He painted the picture so clearly that I almost felt like I had seen this person before.
The journey starts at Ken Kesey’s Northern California home and follows the Pranksters and Furthur down Haight Street and across the country, with various antics and acid trips along the way, ending in New York with a stop at the World’s Fair and Timothy Leary’s home. Their destination, however, does not live up to the journey itself, which is where the true spirit and feelings of ultimate joy, freedom and peace are alive.
Jack Kerouac and the Grateful Dead (then called the Warlocks) also make appearances – what more could you possibly need?
I was completely captivated by the troubled beauty Stark Naked, who’s real name is Cathryn Casamo (pictured above with Neal Cassady, and below).
Mountain Girl and Jerry Garcia
Ken Kesey sitting on Furthur.
Timothy Leary and Neal Cassady.
Whether you’re into the sixties or not, this is a piece of history worth checking out!
Have you seen it? Let me know what you think :)
I had to post that sunset pic again, in its full size… too amazing not to!
Photography by Thomas Northcut.
Sadly that is the last of the September catalog behind the scenes, but next week I’ll have a sneak peek of the October book which is one of my favorites this year… can’t wait!
I love this video by Ben Wu and David Usui of Lost & Found Films about the idea of home. John Coffer’s home is beautifully imperfect. I’d love to escape to his oasis for a bit and participate in one of his wet plate workshops.
It’s so interesting how the space we inhabit really becomes an extension of us. As we change our homes change with ourselves – reflecting pastimes, values, tastes…everything. It’s “like [your] own little kingdom that [your] the boss over,” in Coffer’s words.
The video is part of a miniseries titled “This Must Be the Place.” Check out the other video on their website here.
Lives in: a cozy apartment on the west side of LA on a hill overlooking the city. It’s decorated with antique Victorian furniture and tons of artwork all over the walls. It’s the perfect place to host tea parties, which I do on a regular basis.
Shoots with: a Canon 7D with 1.4 L series Canon Lens, a 1953 Rolleiflex and an assortment of old 35 mms and Polaroids.
Favorite Subject: I love a good heroine. I work with a lot of girls around my age because I relate to them. Adventure, magic, friendship, and gaze are themes seen throughout a lot of my work. Youth is relevant as well because I’m still so young and I feel the need to capture it. all of my settings are characters in one way or another. Nature is vital. It has a mind of its own and adds unexpected organic elements to whatever my idea is. My goal is for my photos to appear timeless so viewers are left with a nostalgic feeling. I want them to be as relatable 50 years from now as they are today.
Inspired by: Travel is one of the biggest factors. The need to be on the move and covering new ground fuels a lot of my work. I also take my dreams seriously. I analyze them and translate them into different mediums. I like to try out new visual themes and then mold them to fit my work so it stays true to what I want to say or want to feel. If I see a cool geographical location I might get really excited and try to bribe my friends into going there with me so I can photograph them. It usually doesn’t take much. I have a lot of creative friends who enjoy modeling as much as I love taking pictures.
Random fact: I once let someone play connect the dots with all the freckles on my face.
A self portrait:
View more of her amazing work on her website.
Such a beautiful and inspiring young talent. Thank you Claire!
A friend sent this to me the other day to check out and I thought it was such a neat concept – a photographer and textile designer collaborated on this shoot and it showcases both of their talents so beautifully! I love the juxtaposition of the fabrics alongside the photos of nature, they complement each other so perfectly.
Designs and Artwork by Tara Bromham.
Photography by Bohie Palecek.
View in its entirety here.
As you may have seen by now, we had a very special cameo by one of our beloved home office pups in the September catalog – Toby! I caught up with Toby the other day to ask him about his experience shooting his first Free People catalog :)
Were you nervous about being a part of our September catalog shoot? I was a little nervous, but once we started shooting, I relaxed.
What did you do to prepare for the shoot? Well, I’m a natural so I didn’t do much. I had a bath and made sure my paws were extra clean.
What did you think of Bambi, the model you posed with? She was great! I think we complimented each other well. At first, she was a bit scared of me, but after she realized I was a gentle giant, she had fun.
What was your favorite part of the shoot? Being showered with cookies and attention from all the ladies :)
Do you get stopped on the street now that you’re a famous catalog model? Not so much…
Will you be doing any more modeling in the future? I hope to. I am available :)
Do you have a favorite item from the September catalog? I love the Americana Sweater Jumper.
What’s your favorite thing about Fall? Boots and the cooler weather!
Toby wasn’t the only pup on set at the September shoot! He had a bud to hang out with – Ace!
Ace lives on the farm in New Tripoli where our catalog was shot. He lost his leg when he was hit by a car but he is doing just fine now! He had a blast during the shoot and LOVED all the attention from the ladies :) He is one happy dog!
