“i want to stand as close to the edge as i can without going over. out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can’t see from the center.”
— kurt vonnegut
image by lauren treece.
“i want to stand as close to the edge as i can without going over. out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can’t see from the center.”
— kurt vonnegut
image by lauren treece.
amaaaaazing work by sundry sullen. that last photo blows my mind.
Our skinny cords are the perfect fit for your everyday. I like them tucked into riding boots for an elegant silhouette. To me they are the best bottom to have this winter, I’m spoilt with choice with the colour palette though, can’t quite figure out which ones I want AH!
i wanted to share this awesome video that our creative director did with one of our most favorite models, the beautiful – and hilarious – jenny lopez! check out jenny’s blog here.
on jemma: velvet victorian jacket, anna boots, rider felt hat and stag satchel.
on julia: cross my heart cardigan, lacey layering skort, shaggy pom pom hat, boots coming soon.
nancy is our web studio intern and she’s a huge help to our stylists and studio team – get to know a little bit more about her!
our assistant buyers and one of our planners wearing their favorite shoes from fp at the moment!
from left to right: the rambler hi moccasin, the bullet boot, the lea fringe boot and the roper field boot.
i love them all but those rambler mocs…man i want them!
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!
i’m normally not a big heels person but we have some amazing party shoes right now that i would absolutely wear if i could walk in them… which ones do you like best?
the sicily lace up heels:
the luna pump:
the foxy fabric platform:
or the victorian lace ankle bootie:
time to vote!
last week’s party lookbook poll had a huge turnout- i think the largest for any thursday poll! it was close between looks three and five, but five took it with 25% – i wonder if the cute pup had something to do with it? :)
one of our interns from the summer (in the blue shirt and floppy hat) has done some modeling for us, and she was in the studio last week to do some special shots for our website. she asked her college roommate to come along and we just so happened to be doing a how to style session and thought… why not use both of them? they looked adorable and had such great energy together :) here they are showing different ways to wear the directions in lace maxi slip!
left: here the lace slip is worn over top of the point d’esprit maxi slip, with the familiar chambray shirt and disordered fur vest over top. accessorized with the janis brimmed wool tall hat (which our stylists added some feathers to – i love!), sullivan suede belt and roper field boot.
right: for a more “lou” look, pair the skirt with a plaid shirt and some stripes tied around the waist for an added clash. she’s also wearing the thriller moto boot and slouchy beanie. pile on some cuffs on the wrists to toughen up the look!
left: the lace maxi is worn over top of the patterned diamonds dress, accessorized with the beaded beanie, vintage obi belt and fatale platform boots.
right: you can never have too much lace! pair the maxi with the lace mock neck top and treasured days cardigan, with the lacey layering skort under the slip. she’s also wearing the sovereign crystal pendant. boots coming soon.
here the slip is again worn over the point d’espirit maxi slip, with the seamless tupelo honey top and fp one season’s sparkle bralette, topped off with the fp one shimmers of holiday vest. she’s also wearing the lennon topper hat, sullivan suede belt, all dolled up anklet and solvang clog.
and last but not least, the slip looks amazing as a dress! worn here over top of a seamless tube, with the twisted in chains necklace, adjustable admiral belt and velvet crusher peeptoe.
can you believe these girls aren’t real models? they look gorgeous!
I’m loving this trend right now. It’s perfect for crispy Fall days, over the knee riding boots, plaid shirts and knitted fitted jackets; I like the idea of smartening it up with velvet jackets and ruffle skirts in lace and paisley prints.
Now all I need is a horse!
chapter four of our november catalog features our new line for little girls, wee people! as mentioned, this line is the baby of our director of design, who wanted to create a line of clothing for her daughter with free people’s unique aesthetic. her daughter was her muse, and is also one of the models in our catalog. Read More