“...I’m Just A Lover of the Human Spirit”

There are some people who seemingly move through the world entirely as themselves. WILLOW is one of them.

Grounded yet curious, expressive without performance, her creativity feels less like something she “turns on” than something she lives. It's a spirit we've long admired—and one that has made WILLOW a natural part of the Free People world for some time.

That's why our collaborative Fall campaign felt less like a partnership and more like a conversation.

Read on for our exclusive interview with WILLOW, then watch her newest video, where she worked closely with our team to style looks inspired by her own personal aesthetic.

W: I feel like if I can just allow myself to hit a flow state, where I'm not thinking too much, sometimes that's difficult. As artists, it can be difficult to do the thing on the fly, but it really just becomes like a life practice and sometimes it's easier to do it in a state of more inward, not so external.

FP: Do you feel like your style ever changes based on the creative place that you're in or vice versa?

W: Oh my goodness. I think style is a huge way that an individual can express who they are and I don't think it only has to do with just what you look like. I think it also, the kind of music you listen to, the kind of visual art that you like or the kind of books that you like or whatever it may be, the kind of films. I think fashion is a huge way to just set the scene for whatever creative space you want to inhabit.

FP: Do you have a ritual, pre-studio ritual?

W: Really just quiet in the morning. If there's a specific tea I like to drink or a specific meditation I want to do, or if there's specific music that I haven't listened to that I want to listen to for inspiration or just some study time, like musical study time before I go in to find whatever I'm searching for, that also is really awesome for me.

FP: How often does it take you to get somewhere unexpected? Do you like to plan or do you like to kind of...

W: I cheer on the process of just letting it happen. I don't like to overthink too much because most of the time the first idea that comes to your mind is the most honest one and it's what you really want to say. And so I think following your instincts and being able to know when you want to tweak something and when you just want to leave it raw because that's really what art is about. We love those raw parts. That's what speaks to the human spirit. That's what catches our eye.

FP: What do you think your personal style says about you and how would you describe it overall?

W: I think my personal style shifts and changes a lot. Sometimes I'm leaning more towards what's going to be more comfortable for me. And sometimes I'm leaning towards like what movie am I in today? You know what I mean? So I think it's just whatever the day is calling for.

FP: Do you think clothing is an extension of how you feel or can it be a way to shape your mood?

W: Wow. Yeah. I definitely think it can be a way to invoke energy. If you're not feeling very confident there are certain elements of clothing that definitely when I put it on, I feel this energetic boost of like, oh wow, now something is different. Things have changed. And I think that's a huge power of fashion.

FP: What do you think you keep coming back to that feels the most to you?

W: What do I keep coming back to that feels the most me? I don't know. I like really interesting shapes. I love odd shapes, asymmetrical lines, things that are not usually... Your first thought wouldn't be, "Let me put that on." You know what I mean? I love to just play and experiment in that way.

FP: Do you have a first memory of Free People?

W: Whoa. Do I have a first memory of Free People? Wow. I think I do. I must have been like, I want to say like nine or 10. And I used to go to the Topanga Mall just to hang out with my friends. And I'm rolling past Free People with my friends and we're super young. You know what I mean? I feel like Free People at the time, I kind of saw it as like, oh my gosh, when I'm mature and I'm like a woman, I'm going to wear these clothes. This is who I want to be. You know what I mean? And I was like, "Let's go in there." And all my friends are like, "Let's go to Hot Topic." And I'm like, "Yeah, I'm down to go to Hot Topic, but there's something cool about Free People. I'm kind of vibing this.”

FP: Do you remember what drew you in? Was it the clothes, the colors? It was the feeling? Or what drew you in?

W: It was the colors and it was also, I remember going inside and feeling some of the clothes and just the softness of everything and just like, I don't know, this idea of just chic Bohemian was just really intriguing to me. And I wanted to see myself in that light because I felt like that's how I was inside. You what I mean? I'm always outside. I'm always in nature. I just felt like that was me. You know what I mean? And even in these clothes now, I'm like, we're taking these pictures and I'm like, oh my goodness, this is like... Honestly, I just love it so much. I love seeing myself in these clothes. I love how I feel in the clothes and it's just really awesome.

FP: We’ve always been about embracing the creative spirit through personal style. How do you relate to that? And then how do you relate to this campaign and how does it relate to you?

W: Well, I am at my heart and at the core, I'm just a lover of the human spirit. And I feel like art is one of the most beautiful ways to express the human spirit. And the human spirit is most thriving and happy when it is free and allowed to go which way it pleases and paint with all the colors that it wants to paint with. And yeah, I think that that's just where you guys are coinciding with that. You know what I mean? The idea of free people is weaved into the idea of the free human spirit and wanting to portray yourself as someone who stands for that. So I think that's awesome. Beautiful.

FP: If there was a version of you from 10 years ago that could see this moment, what do you think she'd say? Or what would you say to her?

W: If there was a version of me from 10 years ago, I would probably say practice more. You need to get the metronome on. You need to get that sweet picking. Start now. Okay. Start practicing. Man. Honestly, if I'm being realistic, that's literally what I would say. I would just say practice more. More music. Listen to more music. Just be more diligent with your technical experience of music.

FP: Would she have thought that you would be here doing a Free People campaign?

W: She probably would not be thinking that, but she would be like, "You know what? That's what I would want to do.” So we're here now and we love ourselves for it and we love you guys for it. Thank you, Free People. This is amazing. I'm proud to be here.