Anokhi Fashion Lifestyle Entertaiment

To some members of Generation Y, going "down the rabbit-hole" may mean a hallucinogenic-drug trip. However, to many others, it represents Alice's fantastical journey through Wonderland in C.S. Lewis' most beloved children's tale.
Alice in Wonderland follows a young blonde-haired girl wearing a "pale blue knee-length dress with a white pinafore" who gets caught in an extraordinary world with filled with eccentric characters such as a mad hatter, a talking white rabbit, and a pipe-smoking caterpillar. The whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland has become a point of fascination and inspiration in recent years, and this especially holds true in the fashion world.

There have been many fashion editorials based on the novel, but the most popular one comes from world-renowned photographer Annie Liebovitz in the pages of Vogue (seen below). The photo shoot featured a magnificent array of blue dresses of chiffon, satin, and organza, with model Natalia Vodianova as Alice re-enacting some of the most famous moments of the book. Joining Vodianova in the imaginative spread are some of the most influential and biggest names of the designing world; Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Donatella Versace were some of the designers to grace Vogue's pages as they portrayed the comical characters from the novel.

With the worldwide release of Tim Burton's film adaptation of the children's book out now, excitement and anticipation have been the words to describe the wait for its debut. Here, Toronto's own Queen Subway Station has been adorned with posters of Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway as the Red and White Queen.

This film is taking the world by storm in more ways than one. To coincide with the launch of the highly anticipated film, designer Tom Binn has collaborated with Disney to create a collection of jewellery based on the novel, which can be found in luxury jewelry stores. And to add some more glitter to the tea party are the crystals from Swarovski. Their
Spring/Summer collection includes pieces such as necklaces and earrings incorporating all sorts of Alice in Wonderland images; “hearts and clubs” for the Red Queen, the Mad Hatter's “cotton reels and scissors”, and a “bunny and pocket watch” representing the White Rabbit.

Other designers have found inspiration in Alice in Wonderland on the runway such as Zac Posen and Donatella Versace; for Fall 2010, Zac Posen designed a pre-collection centred around the idea of “Lewis Carroll meets Paloma Picasso”, while Donatella channelled Alice when creating playful pastel dresses for her Spring/Summer 2010 collection.

And how can any music lover forget the quirky music video of Gwen Stefani's “What You Waiting For?” After picking up an oversized pocket watch, Gwen lands in the topsy-turvy world of Alice in Wonderland. The No Doubt lead singer plays different characters of the novel in the wickedly fun music video, including the Red and White Queen, and the Mad Hatter. As Alice, she rocks the blue and white creations from designer John Galliano. Known for his over-the-top designs, Galliano designed the dresses for the video.

As C.S Lewis was writing Alice in Wonderland in Victorian England, it is safe to assume that he was not expecting it to have such a large influence on pop culture or fashion. The reason why it continues to fascinate people worldwide is because it is so timeless and it has the power to transport us into a fantasy world. Fashion loves to channel inspiration from history, art, and literature, and Alice in Wonderland seems to be the biggest literary influence on the industry. Who knew that a single children's book would have such an impact in the fashion world?

BY: AMANDA LI / POSTED ON MARCH 14, 2010