“The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great…”
– Jack Kerouac
Top photo is from Jack Kerouac alley in San Francisco.
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Free People’s Guide to Venice – Part 2
Here is part two of the Free People Guide to Venice, put together by our producer! Read on for our tips on where to eat and more of our favorite things about Venice, and if you missed it be sure to check out part one of the guide featuring where to stay, landmarks, gondola riding tips and more fun stuff!
It’s always my goal when arriving in a new city to find the best local joints. Venice is a hard city to get to know due to its “tourist-y” nature, but all it takes is a little wander away from San Marco and the Rialto (make sure you see those too!) to get to know the real Venice.
It was recommended by a friend of a friend to eat at Alle Vedova – we didn’t end up finding it until our last night, but I think I can speak for all of us in saying that we wish we had made it there sooner! After a week of sub-par and expensive Italian food we found just what we were craving at Alle Vedova.
I think that it was more the experience than the food itself, though tables of fresh squid, local veggies and homemade pasta weren’t so bad! Alle Vedova is settled in at the end of a small dark alley, but the rumble of local chatter makes it clear when you are headed in the right direction! Once you put your name in they give you small glasses of red or white wine for while you wait and homemade meatballs to tide you over until your table is ready. One of my favorite touches was the napkin lampshades! What a sweet idea!
Its spritz o’clock!
It seems to be a Venetian tradition to take a break in the middle of the day for a Spritz. I think it’s the most beautifully colored cocktail I’ve ever seen and it is the perfect drink for a hot summers day.
Here is how to make it for yourself …
1/3 white wine (ideally prosecco)
1/3 aperol or bitters or select (pick your favorite!)
1/3 seltzer water
Throw in an olive; find some sunshine and lounge by a canal… you’ll blend right in with the locals!
I’m not sure even where to begin talking about gelato! I think that a few of us ate it breakfast lunch and dinner during our long shoot days. Our local producer claimed that Gelati Nico was her favorite in Venice, and though I agree that it was delicious I believe that gelato is heaven anywhere you eat it in Italy, it may just be a matter of price … more expensive does not equal better in this case!
I’m sure a lot of you are wondering what the difference is between gelato and ice cream and I am here to tell you that they are not at all the same thing. The ingredients are similar but the process of making it, the ratio of ingredients in it and the temperature at which it is served are completely different. It is smoother, tastes creamier and I am happy to tell you has less fat then ice cream.
… it’s making my mouth water just thinking about it now!
Oh boy… every little detail makes me smile… and the color combinations are inspiring to say the least <3
Venice kills me with its rich color combinations and patterns … for a city that is known for its decay, it has the richest detail elements! Look at these samples from the home that we shot in… All of these patterns were found in the living room alone! Just thinking about it makes my heart melt a little.
These shoes aren’t mine but I sure do wish they were! They are the perfect flat shoe… casual and dressy and oh so comfortable. I can’t wait for them to come out in the catalog so I can snatch up a pair for myself!
Venice comes alive at night, and I recommend to everyone that you go out and enjoy it! We often worked late which meant that we didn’t eat until around 10 or so which seemed to be the norm at most of the places we ate. After our meal we often opted to wander back to the hotel instead of taking a water taxi and we saw the most beautiful things along the way!
Our last night in Venice was my favorite. We combined all of my favorite things into one last hurrah! We ate great food at Alle Vedova, had fun drinks at Bar Paradiso Perduto (Cannaregio 2540, Venice), played dice along the canal, met up with old friends, made some new ones, wandered endlessly and laughed even more so… certainly a night to remember and how I recommend ending every trip! Well, think of it this way… a late night before the flight home helps you sleep on the plane :)
We hope you enjoyed our guide to Venice! If you’d like, visit our flickr page and download the whole thing. Ciao, Venice!
*All photos by Thomas Northcut except for pages: “All about the details,” “Patterns” and “Shoes I Love”.
Free People Book Club: Jitterbug Perfume Part 2
Jitterbug Perfume: the two key ingredients for making the most intoxicating and powerful perfume in the world are jasmine and beets. I love the way that Tom Robbins describes these two plants in the book as if they have personalities… he has such a magical way with words.
“A few other flowers may be as sweet, but jasmine is sweet without sentiment, sweet without effeteness, sweet without compromise; it is aggressively sweet…Expansive, yet never cloying, romantic, yet seldom melancholy, jasmine has the poise of a wild creature, some elusive self-sufficient thing that croons like an organic saxophone in the tropical night.”
“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.”
“The beet is the ancient ancestor of the autumn moon, bearded, buried, all but fossilized; the dark green sails of the grounded moon-boat stitched with veins of primordial plasma; the kite string that once connected the moon to the Earth now a muddy whisker drilling desperately for rubies.”
“Although the contention that matter can transcend, at will, its material character would have had Descartes spinning in one or the other of his graves, a person who can believe in physical immorality is merely a step away from believing in dematerialization.”
Let me know how far along in the book you guys are and what you think so far!
click on images for sources.
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Venice Photography by Robert Crum
I am always on the look-out for artists and photographers to post about on the blog, and it was by pure coincidence that I found this one about a week before our August Catalog dropped. Robert Crum is a fine art photographer, and his images of Venice blew me away. They almost look like paintings – I expected the rich color and scenery to be idealized on a canvas, but no…they are photographs, and these are typical scenes that you can expect to see in Venice. Stunning.
See more on his etsy site.
Free People’s Guide to Venice
Our talented producer has put together a beautiful Guide to Venice to share with you all, with tips on where to eat, where to stay and things to do while in Venice – with some Free People fun thrown in for good measure :) Read on for Part One of Free People’s Guide to Venice!
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The Free People team has just returned from a trip to Italy, Venice to be exact, and what an amazing trip it was! It was my 3rd time to the beautiful country known for its pasta, wine and enthusiastic, fun-loving people and the 3rd time was certainly a charm.
Venice. Despite the fact that I was there for work and our hours were long, I feel like I really got to see the best of the best. We ate the most amazing food, found some magical local drinking spots, and spent many late nights lost in Venice’s streets – as every good traveler should.
Here are some of my favorites … some places and things that I hope everyone can enjoy at some point in their lives.
It’s never a quick exit for our catalog team when embarking on a new shoot. There are months of prep that go into one catalog at a time and since we shoot 12 catalogs every year there are often 3 to 5 shoots in the making at one time! We never stop emailing, calling and texting about work until we are finally on the plane! Here is a quick peek at our morning before a flight … packing samples, making last minute calls, and finally at the airport and checked in we take a seat and talk about the week to come. Here is our art director, stylist and me on our way to Venice!
striped shirt, two tees, two tanks, leopard print scarf, maxi skirt, high waisted jeans, blouse, leather jacket, flats, hats, high waisted shorts, wayfarer sunglasses.
Venice appears to have hotels on every canal corner, but finding one that is reasonably priced, with large rooms is far less obvious. We found exactly what we were looking for at Ca Pisani. With a friendly staff, large clean rooms, and an amazing full breakfast included we couldn’t have asked for anything more. Located in the Dorsoduro section of the island, we were close to the Grand Canal, the Academia Art Gallery and at a perfect distance from the bustle of Piazza Margarita, The Rialto and the heart of Venice.
Oh… and they leave the best candies on your pillow at night!
The Hotel Danieli is known to be one of the most decadent hotels in the world. Its guest book includes a plethora of royalty and Hollywood icons from the past and present, and it has graced many films such as “The Tourist” and the classic James Bond film “Moonraker”.
On our scout day we were lucky enough to peek inside. They even gave us a tour of the Master Suite! … What I would give to be able to call that home for the night.
Dating back to the 14th century, the interior is breathtaking and intriguing … it tells a story of the decadent golden years of the floating city, of doges and Italian royalty. simply standing in its hallways made me want to put on heels, do my hair, put on some red lipstick and sip cocktails on the rooftop patio that overlooks the grand canal and San Marco square. Alas … it’s back to work for the fp crew!
The first time I visited Venice was with my family when I was young. Sadly, a huge part of what I remember is feeding the pigeons in Piazza San Marco! This time I took a moment to notice the magnitude of the architecture. Parts of this square date back to the 800’s! So, so incredible.
Just a heads up: you can no longer feed the pigeons :(
We got a handy tip from a local Venetian today and i wanted to share it with you all! As you learn quickly in Venice, getting from point A to point B may not be as easy as it looks on a map. Often times, right when you think you have finally maneuvered your way over bridges and through piazza’s there is a beautiful deep blue canal standing between you and your final destination.
A tip to remember is if all you need to do is go from one side of a canal to the other, it is common for gondoliers to take you for mere pennies opposed to the hundreds of dollars that a gondola ride usually costs you… the catch is that it is standing room only! But considering that the ride is only about a minute and it could possibly save you an hour of walking, it is a tip totally worth remembering.
Look for a line of locals at gondola stops … they are most likely hitching a ride as well!
Masks are everywhere in Venice, and are a very important part of the Venetian culture. Carnival is a festival that was originally intended to be a time of expression and celebration throughout all social classes of the time. What a beautiful idea! I love that anyone and everyone become equal when behind one of the many intricate and delicate masks. We stumbled across Ca’del Sol while shooting one day behind San Marco. The women that ran it were so kind and let us shoot in their store. We all fell in love with their masks that covered every inch of every wall … even the ceiling! It’s a breathtaking sight! And the perfect gift to bring home from Venice.
The many faces of Free People! While working on location on the 3rd day I decided to document the Free People crew Venetian style! What a good looking group! And what an amazing team <3
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Part Two of Free People’s Guide to Venice will be posted next week!
*Photos in pages “Arrivederci,” “Welcome to Venice,” “Ca Pisani,” “Hotel Danieli” and “italian lovers” are by Thomas Northcut.
Behind the Scenes: Shooting in Venice with Guy Aroch
I always love the behind the scenes photos from our catalog shoots… they allow us to see what was going on behind the lens and around the lens when the catalog photos were being taken. Here’s a little taste of the atmosphere on the Venice shoot with Guy Aroch and models Marloes Horst and Darla Baker!
Photos by Thomas Northcut.
Office Space: The Farmer’s Market
So much good stuff at the Farmer’s Market in Building 543 at the home office today. Beautiful flowers, fresh veggies and dairy from Doe Run Farm and some pretty rad terrariums… check it out!
Venice by Guy Aroch
Venice has always been a city that intrigued me. I have never been there, but having studied a lot of Art History in college, it was always a place that signified fine art, gothic architecture, romantic music and exquisite fashion. The city’s layout, with ribbons of canals running through it, and iconic imagery like the masks of carnival, made the city seem almost other-wordly in my mind… a decadent gem floating mysteriously off of Italy’s coast, its own unique entity. Guy Aroch’s photography heightens these sensations and confirms in my mind that I will visit this city one day.
Stay tuned because our team put together a beautiful guide to Venice – I will share it with you soon!
view the complete August Catalog.
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Weekend Getaway: The Not-So-Dirty Jerse
Jersey gets a bad rap, but my experience with the state has been primarily good, so I wanted to highlight one of its cute, lesser-known towns: Mount Holly. It’s a quaint historical village with a bit of indie vibe. Drive in on the main road, High Street, and you’ll be amongst town halls, prisons, and estates built as early as the late 18th century. As you make your way down the buildings are that of a more recent era – now filled with quaint shops, cafes, and restaurants. There’s a rich history in this place, and you can feel the presence of the many lives lived here.
Once you reach the town center’s crossroads – you’ll come across an arched gate leading into what is called Mill Race Village. The town mood changes here. Mill Race is an eclectic mix of quirky shops, handmade goods, and cute homes all painted in vibrant colors that brighten up your day. You can find anything from ghost hunting supplies to fresh honey to handmade jewelry in this part of town. It’s a lot of fun to walk around and explore.
After enjoying the town, venture out to Smithville Park. This National Park is built around a historic village which was once a major industrial plant known for its high-quality woodworking machinery in the the 1860’s to the 1920’s. The plant ruins are a bit eerie, but they’re placed amongst such beautiful surroundings it gives off a strange feeling. Keep wandering around and you’ll find a large lily pad covered lake with canoes, hiking trails, gardens, and old homes both restored and vacant.
From our Catalog Team: Shooting in NYC
Our catalog team sent along some more photos to give you guys a little peek at what they’ve been up to! Enjoy :)
We arrived in New York City on the 19th and had a nice bonding dinner to start the shoot off right at Frankie’s on the Lower East Side. We stayed at The Bowery – the rooms are beautiful and some have lovely private terraces. We got up early the next morning and headed to Splashlight Studios where we were shooting with one of our favorite photographers, Guy Aroch, and model Julia Stegner. She is very beautiful and even more so behind the lens! I love the 60’s Marianne Faithfull vibe she brings to the table and felt really inspired by it. During the shoot we listened to Carly Simon and munched on Sushi. It was a fun shoot and the perfect time to be in NYC – while there was a stifling heat wave in Philly, New York had a cool breeze circulating the summer air. It was a great shoot, we are all very proud of it and can’t wait for everyone to see!
i love her cute, off-duty style!
Our sweet studio intern :)
We had to bundle up in the cold studio!
Our friend Bambi was shooting next door.
model multi-tasking.
elegant hair.
Reviewing the shots with Guy Aroch.
…and a little peek for you!