with the cold weather creeping in and holidays coming up all i feel like wearing are our comfy fashion knits. i’m always drawn to basic items that i can mix and match with anything. which of these is your favorite?
the easy rider dress:
the burnout v neck tee:
the crinkle maxi dress:
or the tencel rib maxi dress:
and here are your results from last week’s old west-inspired jewelry poll:
candy dreams all year long of a white christmas and counts down the days until its time to decorate for the holidays. tradition is important to her and even hanging ornaments on the tree is special to her as each ornament holds sentimental value, reminding her of her childhood and years passed. on the weekend she’ll put on christmas carols and fill her home with the scents of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg as she bakes cookies and then walks from door to door offering them to her neighbors.
she loves nothing more than giving gifts to her loved ones, and when it comes to receiving, her favorite gifts are the ones that are the most thoughtful and meaningful.
sentimental gifts like a ring with her initial or a bracelet with gems the color of her birth stone will mean the world to candy. a vintage tin full of her favorite candy and sweet greeting cards so she can send her love to her friends and family are gifts she will cherish. soft, girly items like our centered pullover in soft pink, the heart on your sleeve thermal, lacey layering skort and crochet socks and hat will appeal to her fashion sense and top it all off with the perfect stocking stuffer – our mini taco coin pouch. fill it with barrettes, a filigree hair comb and some nail polish for an added surprise!
p.s. in case you missed it, check out our lou gift guide. sandy, ginger and meadow comiong soon!
Ever since I was young I’ve always been intrigued by crafty items and intricate detail. I remember the sensation of watching my Grandma and Mam knit… when the dark wintery nights drew in they used to set up in front of the fireplace with me cuddled under their arms, It was a relaxing, soft feeling watching them at work.
I used to stare at their hands moving so fast, fascinated with the pattern that was rolling from underneath the needles. Ever since, crochet has continued to excite me.
Can you believe the earliest evidence of crochet goes back no further than the 1800’s when it became popular in Europe. During this period crochet was used as a less costly substitute to create the similar effect that lace has, and if you ask me… I would say the outcome is a little more endearing!
Crochet remained popular through the mid 1970, and then declined a little, but now it has made its way back into 21th century with a huge bang — now the technique is being used on runway shows and in new, fresh fashion forward ways that continue to impress!
Working at Free People is like heaven for me as the knit team here is so crafty, I often find myself drifting upstairs to investigate their new creations – they never disappoint!!
I am over the moon right now… we have just launched a BIG crochet story that was strongly promoted in our December catalog. It’s a great look to invest in as it one of those old world charms that will never die!
this is actually pretty wild – these are our two web merchandisers, who maaayyyy be spending a little too much time working together, because they came in today wearing almost identical outfits! printed maxi skirts, boots, black sweatshirt/sweater and vest, one fur, the other with fur trim on the hood… and while you can’t see it in this photo, they are both wearing sarah lewis bullet shell necklaces! great fashion minds think alike :)
i’m slightly obsessed with these booties we have right now by gypsy 05. gypsy 05 is a southern california company started in 2005 by israeli brother and sister duo osi and dotan. their line is largely inspired by culture and colors – these booties are inspired by south american handmade booties that have been reinvented with modern life and fashion in mind. we have two styles, the gretta over the knee sock and the chevron tall sock boot. they’re a hybrid of knit slippers and boots, so you can wear them whether you’re lounging around at home or running errands in the city – for someone like me who would love to wear my slippers outside, they’re perfect :) the sock portion is made of 100% organic knit cotton and the soles are biodegradable rubber, keeping true to gypsy 05’s green state of mind.
these would be an amazing gift – hint hint ;) i also think it would be a really cute idea to double their purpose and use them as stockings, filling them with little trinkets on christmas morning!
i want to wear the gretta over the knee sock with the patchwork chemise on christmas morning, then pull them on over skinny jeans with a chunky sweater and hat to go shopping!
Our accessories buyers are currently in love with jewelry designer Vanessa Mooney. Her ethnic treasures are one of a kind… full of character and worldly charm.
We loved her designs so much that we featured the Egyptian Ornament Pendant that is handmade in Nepal in our November catalog.
Here are some photos of Vanessa and her staff working at her studio in downtown LA.
Vanessa grew up in a family of artists: filmmakers, writers, painters and actors. As the great-granddaughter of Harry Warner, one of the Warner Bros., she was always listening to, meeting and watching the history of what her family had created through motion pictures and their art.
Inspired by what they were able to accomplish she knew there was something for her to achieve with the creativity she felt. Her mother, a free and bohemian influence, taught her to look for and see beauty in those things around her and to create it if it wasn’t there. She would keep her busy with the arts: painting, plays, stories or her favorite… dress up from the full trunk of costumes and accessories they would collect from different travels. After school she would put on a classic movie from her family’s library and think how beautiful theses woman could be with just a simple hat, a pair of gloves or a rhinestone necklace. This began her love for fashion.
We adore her designs and feel they are the perfect items to dress up your knit wear.
I have never heard of this place before and was slightly gutted when my sister beat me to it after I’ve been here much longer than her.
The Benjamin Franklin old fashioned ice cream parlor is the place I’m talking about. Isn’t it the perfect place to take some cool photos.
The aesthetic of the place is so delightful and oozes character. I know, I know, it’s getting a bit cold for ice cream, but it’s goooooooooood any time of year, right?!
“The Franklin Fountain aims to serve an experience steeped in ideals, drizzled with drollery, and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past.”
I was blown away by the original porcelain mosaic tile floor. I wish I had this in my own home!! It’s definitely a place to head to if you want to beat the Sunday blues.
Go here to visit their beautiful website. Their history is pretty magical.
We caught up with our crafty knits designer to find out what she is inspired by.
In the outside world, what inspires me?…
I’m really loving all the costumes on Boardwalk Empire. The girls are dreamy, milky white skin with burgundy lips, and then all of the amazing 20s styling, oooh! So inspiring. Also loving the outdoorsy/early 90s styling on the classic TV series Twin Peaks for Fall. There were at least 3 awesome boxy tops I wanted in my closet from season one alone.
Sheer sheer sheer legs! Sheer stockings, maxis, skirts, pants & leggings. I know after the fall silhouette meeting the girls were feeling this way, but personally I think it might have more to do with my relatively new leg tattoo?!
I’m always listening to New Order, Morrissey, The Stone Roses, etc. but lately I can’t stop listening to oldies and lady gaga! Go figure! I can’t get enough of the color red. Red lips, and accessories. And ginger boys and girls too. Hehe ;)
Design-wise I’m going crazy over doing really fashion forward bodies with embellishment/ fp trim details. Finding the perfect combination of cool body with cool artwork/trims details is the best – It feels so fresh and makes me really happy!
as a vegetarian, i often find myself in a bit of a conundrum when it comes to some clothing. i love the look and feel of leather jackets, and lately i’ve been thinking about purchasing one, but a part of me always feels guilty. am i a true vegetarian if i wear a leather jacket? is that hypocritical? sure i could buy a fake leather jacket…but they never seem to look as cool as the real ones.
the battalion has come along and solved my problem, by creating “vegan” leather pants and jackets that look just as good as, or better than, the real thing. i decided to find out a little bit more about the company and wow…i am in love.
the battalion specializes in knits and woven fabrics that are eco-friendly, primarily rayon, bamboo, organic cotton, promodal, recycled polyester, veggie fur, veggie leather, and cruelty free “peace” silk.
here’s a brief interview with battalion founder linda wong!
What inspired you to start the battalion?
I see clothes as something more than adornment of oneself but as the foundation of one’s creativity and personal expression. I started The Battalion as a vehicle to communicate that vision.
Have you always been passionate about fashion and designing? How would you describe your personal style?
My first love is drawing and creating. As I acquired the technical skills of clothes making, I fell in love with fashion design. My style is exactly like how I design. It has to be comfortable but not boring. It is relevant to popular and sub cultures, and full of narratives
What environmental issue are you most passionate about?
The Battalion is a member of The Nature Conservancy and 1% for the Planet. We are passionate about preserving nature. We also recognize that in order to make a fundamental difference with environmental issues, we have to encourage the right environmental policies to be in place. We mobilize our fans via twitter, facebook to get out the vote for all issues that will better our environment. Lastly and most importantly, we are promoting the benefits of wearing faux fur. It is not only ethical, but it is more beautiful and alluring to wear something where no animals were hurt in the process.
Battalion AW10 inspiration board
I read that the inspiration for the AW10 collection is landscape, desert and a wolf named Indio. Can you explain this a little bit more?
Years ago, my design partner worked in the costume department of one of Wim Wenders movies. His movies were known for it’s beautiful imageries of Americana. Recently I found a road atlas he left behind with detailed notes of routes he had taken during the scout. So we went on a road trip, following the routes from Los Angeles, to Palm Desert, through Las Vegas, up to Monument Valley in Utah and down to Sedona, Arizona. The collection is the reflection of our epic trip. And yes, we met a wolf name Indio in the desert whom inspired our expanded faux fur collection.
What’s next for the battalion? Is there anything you can share that you’re working on now and are really excited about?
For Spring 2011 we have some beautiful hand crochet pieces that are made in a very new way. Instead if using yarns, we crochet our ultra soft and light weight jersey fabrics.
The results are beautiful and delicate looking tops and dresses with self-crochet details. We are also making new versions of our best seller, The Battalion knit pants with buckle trims, motorcycle details, and some secret ingredients. More to come!
view the battalion items available at freepeople.com here.
thank you linda!
our third and final october catalog model, rumi neely, was photographed by her boyfriend colin sokol at the home of our senior designer in mt. airy, philadelphia. i posted some photos of the gorgeous home the other day, and here are some photos from rumi’s day of shooting there.
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stay tuned for a video tour of the house coming soon!
a couple of our stores posted about the blog fashionlitter on their facebook pages so i checked it out- this girl definitely loves fp! and she wears it well too :) i like the way she styled our items in these pics!
wearing the front & center pullover and velvet foliage dress.
the quiet harmony dress.
i would never think to do this, but the we the free mala strana dress looks great layered over the we the free gathered stripes top!
the beautiful stardust dress.
i love how the engraved knuckle ring and triple stone ring look together!
wearing the we the free pieced cable sweatshirt and jeffrey campbell solvang clog.
she looks great!
