The Early Bird: Free People is Winning at Everything

In case you haven’t noticed, Free People is really hitting it out of the park lately. From being the go-to brand for music festivals (you’d be hard pressed to find someone at Coachella that wasn’t wearing something from the line) to becoming the must-have for ladies that crave that boho-chic aesthetic, the label has become much more than a toned down version of la vie bohème. Along with chic-yet-understated staples, Free People is associated with a lifestyle that’s equal parts downtown cool, yet freespirited and a little bit wild.

It’s hardly a surprise when the brand reported that its exponential growth isn’t just an illusion. The last three months (ending July 31st) sales grew by over 21%. Get this — the brand brought in over $128 million in that time frame, compared to the $97 million from last year. They’re not finished yet, either: the brand is set to open even more stores in the coming months, and due to the larger product assortment (including the introduction of activewear back in May) existing locations are expected to grow to accommodate the new goodies. They’re growing rapidly, too. In the last half year, the brand opened up seven new locations, making the grand total of brick-and-mortar stores 97. By the end of this year, that number is expected to grow to 102.

Regardless, Free People found itself in a very cozy spot. From the rising popularity of festival style to the casualwear-as-outerwear trend that’s been everything the past season, the brand is in the spotlight now more than ever. They’ve also attracted the names of bigtime models to help grow the brand — from Joan Smalls to Candice Swanepoel , you’d be hard pressed to name a top 50 model that hasn’t graced the pages of the catalog, the site, or become the face of the brand in some capacity. That’s no big feat, either — Karlie Kloss is currently one of the biggest names in the industry, yet she became their cover girl in January 2012. Same with Anja Rubik (who is so famous that she even gets shoutouts in Kanye West songs) — she became the Free People icon in the summer of 2013.

Are you as excited as we are about Free People’s introduction to the mainstream and unyielding rise? Let us know in the comments, below!

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