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FREECITY, born in 2001, is a visual language that communicates through storytelling, shared space, graphics, collected materials, sound, color, and symbols.
FREECITY, NEIGHBORHOOD, LIFENATURELOVE, ARTISTSWANTED are the building blocks of what lives within the imaginary FREECITY. More importantly is how these graphics, words, and space relate to the people that experience them. Leaving room for people to imagine what FREECITY means to them. It carries an innocence and simplicity almost like, “I could make that too.”
We want to make things that people keep, that hold sentiment and personal memory in this journey of life - inspired by ice-breakers, explorers, liberators, and Mother Nature.
Using local factories with custom developed materials, fabrications, washes and dyes. Prints are hand-thrown, using hand-mixed paint with on-screen mixed gradients - made one by one, in small batches, as this is the only way they can be made. Each one perfectly imperfect.
The final hand, customized detailing, and final home wash are all completed in our workshop in Hollywood, CA. The making of it…is the BEING of it. Not knowing how to make something, and then finding a way to make it is the challenge and the gift of FREECITY.
-Nina Garduno,
FREECITYcreator/founder
FREECITY LUCKY RABBIT - 2021
I was thinking about magnetism, the pull of energy and the intense charisma that stars carry - the pull towards them and their work.
The first person that came to mind was Annie Lennox in 1983. I imagined what she would wear performing. The first time I saw her with her electric orange buzzed hair, I remembered feeling the energy. Almost at the same time, I thought of Georgia O’keeffe in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Equally androgynous with extraordinary beauty - both brave, inspirational ice-breaking Mavericks.
Georgia O'Keeffe in Abiquiu. The image of her imprinted in my mind, wearing fine robes/kimonos in the 30’s and 40’s in the middle of the desert. Making and surrounded by her work, her collected objects, and textiles.
I imaged what she would be wearing inside her naturally lit adobe compound and her walkabouts exploring.
Using gently washed Loro Piana cashmere super 100’s, Japanese indigo, and painter white cotton materials. Workshop made hand-detailed patches and trims.
