fred flare and built by wendy
 
In early 2002 Chris and Keith of fred flare and Wendy from Built by Wendy,
the creators of the ultra-hot Birthday Book, had a chat fest on the phone
about birthdays, boys and business.

chris: Hey Wendy, when's your birthday again? And how are you planning on spending
it this year?

wendy: My birthday is March 15th. I'm a Pisces. (My mom's an astrologer!) I want to do
something fun cause last year I just did nothing. Maybe go to Barcode in Times Square
and play video games. When are your birthdays?

keith: Chris's is November 14th - total Scorpio!!! - and mine is August 24th. I'm turning
30 this year so I want to do something special and I want TONS of gifts!!!! What's the
ultimate best birthday you've ever had?

w: My 30th was totally the best because my friend told me AC/DC was filming a music
video down the street so we went over there and got in the video. Then we went up to
Malcolm and talked to him and he told me Happy Birthday and I invited him to my party
and he said he "might come if he's not too tired." Then Andrew WK played at my birthday
party at Parkside Lounge that night. It was the best ever!!! I felt like the coolest girl ever!!
What was yours?

k: Chris actually planned my best birthday ever the year we first met. It was this whole
elaborate surprise with coded messages that I almost cracked with the help of my Nancy
Drew Sleuthbook... It ended up that he and our friend Lulu had planned this whole party
at Magic Waters, a water park in Rockford, Illinois. When we showed up I remember
thinking to myself, Wow this guy really doesn't know me at all. I haven't even worn a
bathing suit in years! But I said nothing and just went along with it and totally had the
best time ever! That's the cool thing I think about being in a relationship. You totally get
exposed to new things and pushed in directions you would never go.

c: Working on fred flare together has been like that too... Wendy, now how old is your
company? And how did you get it started?

w: It's about 10 years old. I have taken things really gradually. I started my line when I
was in college in Kansas then I moved to New York and eventually started doing it full
time. It's been a full time job for about 6 years now. How old is fred flare? Is fred flare
a toddler?

c: Fred's four years old now. Pretty soon he'll be off to kindergarten.

k: I loved kindergarten!

c: It's totally where all our design inspiration comes from...

k: I never had a birthday during the school year. Did your parents ever bring cupcakes
to school? What would you say is like your favorite birthday cake motif?

w: Um, I think my total fantasy cake would be one with a waterfall and giant butterflies
and flowers that all taste as good as they look...

c: Yes!! Decorations are super important! Actually, that's what I remember about the
school cupcakes... Since my birthday was in the first semester of the school year it was
super competitive - you had to make the biggest splash with your birthday treat to insure
your spot on the popularity ladder - and decorations were key. You'd plan at least a
month in advance.

k: Yeah, birthday's were real rites of passage in a young kid's social status. Oh, and so
painful! I never got invited to the right ones... How about you, Wendy? Which boy's
birthday party were you dying to be invited to back in junior high?

w: I can't really name names but there was this one guy that I loved all of Junior high
that I carved his initials in a tree by my house. When I got to high school I realized what
a loser he was and totally not cute. He never ever noticed me but that's ok. I have moved
on...... I think... just kidding. Chris, did you go to any hottie junior high birthday parties?

c: No way! I only got invited to the parties where the parents made the kid invite the
whole class. I'd get invited by default.

k: My friend threw a small birthday party for her Cabbage Patch doll. I got invited to
that one...

c: Wendy, one more question... Which one of your products do you think makes the best
birthday gift?

w: I think clothes are sort of hard to buy for people - I would buy hand cream or
something. People like buying my guitar straps for gifts though. Those are good. What
about you guys?

c: I think the construction pad is a nice little gift. It's this notepad we have that really lasts
and lasts. It's got like 300 sheets of construction paper, all different colors. It's very fred:
something for adults using nostalgic kid materials.

k: Our stuff makes really good gifts I think and as a designer I really treasure that. We
sold this live tree seedling over the Holidays called the fred fir and we got so many calls
and orders for it and I loved hearing people's stories about it... Some were buying it for
friends that just bought a new home, or this woman bought one for her brother to honor
the anniversary of their father's death. I know Chris and I both feel so honored to be a
small part of people's milestones like that.

c: Yeah, the birthday book is totally like that for us, too. We had such a great time
working on it with you and it turned out so great! Wendy, thanks for everything and
thanks for chatting! Have a great day and we'll talk to you soon!

w: You too!! Bye!

02/2002
 



DIARY ARCHIVES: fred friends Top Model's Sarah Vonderhaar, Jack Mackenroth, Think Pink writer Lisa Clark, Kit Pistol, Au Revoir Simone, Supayana, What the Buck, Peter Bjorn and John, Ratatat, next BIG thing! 2007, shoe designer Jeffrey Campbell, Erika Forster of Au Revoir Simone, heartist Chris Uphues, Alison Kelly of Dahl, Stephanie Deleau of Noisette, Marilyn Patrizio of M.Partizio, Liam Sullivan of Kelly "Shoes", Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, next BIG thing! 2006, Jill Bliss, next BIG thing! 2005, Loop NYC's China Young, Sukie, The Donnas, Vinnie's Tampon Case, Leah Tinari, Peach Berzerk, The Sperber twins, Jennifer Worick, Cody, Patch NYC 2, Chip Wass, Angela Adams, Venue, Jack and Lulu 2, All Girl Summer Fun Band, 31 Corn Lane, Charlotte Ronson, Three by Three Seattle, Princess Tina, Imperial Teen, Built by Wendy 2, Dana Carlson, Sweden, Jack and Lulu 1, Bob's Your Uncle, Mary Ping & Jonathan Adler, E-Z Living, Built by Wendy 1, Endicott Five, Patch NYC 1, media blitz Mod*Mom, Aya Kanai from Nylon, Grace Bonney of Design Sponge, Samantha Moeller of Missbehave, Marie Kare of The Sampler, Pink Is The New Blog's Trent Vanegas, Martha Stewart Kids' Jodi Levine, BUST's Debbie Stoller, YM's Elizabeth Kiester, Cargo's Ariel Foxman, teeter on tour back to brooklyn, she's so rad, double handsome, wild pony, enchanted treehouse, beanz-n- rice, wide open road, crush Teeter Sperber, Kelis, Jennifer Garner, Kylie Minogue, Charlie Brown, Scarlett Johansson, employee of the month Julie, Jen, Sammy Joe & Joe Sammy, Amy, Vanessa, Tim, Anne, Chanel, Josh, Lauren, Diane, Charles, Lillian, nancy drew review the haunted bridge, the whispering statue, the mystery of the ivory charm, the message in the hollow oak, the clue of the broken locket, password to larkspur lane, the sign of the twisted candles, nancy's mysterious letter, the clue in the diary, the secret of red gate farm, the secret of shadow ranch, the mystery at lilac inn, the bungalow mystery, the hidden staircase, the secret of the old clock, lulu in the city lulu luvs, extra! extra! read all about it!, pink Christmas, thanks, new york!, single in the city, spooky lulu, roller girl, jersey girl, no lights, big city, it was a "red hot" summer!, miss independence, billyburg shopping guide, lulu and the kitty, in like a lion, out like a lamb, my best friend joe, hotpants!, the queen of brooklyn, summer in the city, the anniversary party, garbage & neighbors & mice...oh my!, lulu in the city, cheap & cheerful give thanks, hula hoops, a piece of pi, cupcakes, fred fleur, tommy: mini mode happy summer days, it's a mod, mod world, good night, sweet dreams, my girl, keep on marching, one fine day, supermodels Dana's Lucky magazine shoot, hi-fi holiday honeys, supermodel Hillary's Warhol, fallfabulous, supermodel challenge, covergirls, fred on tour Paris Dispatch: Eiffel Awesomeness, Paris Dispatch: Just Strollin', Paris Dispatch: From Colette w/ Love, Paris Dispatch: Marie & The Moulin, Paris Dispatch: Bonjour, Peeps!, behind the music, San Fredcisco, LA Flare, chartoppers: the 80's 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, chartoppers: madonna Hard Candy, Confessions on a Dance Floor, reinvention tour recap, reinvention contest winners, Madonna, Like a Virgin, True Blue, Like a Prayer, I'm Breathless, Erotica, Bedtime Stories, Ray of Light, Music, American Life, top 50 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, window shopping 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, sales and events Carnival of Cute: Holiday 2006, Fall Sample Sale 2006, Pool Party 2006, Holiday Sale 2003, let's skate, Holiday Sale 2002, Holiday Sale 2001, Holiday Sale 2000, Spring Sale 2000