Into the Looking Glass

Last week started me thinking about fond childhood memories, and a few Twitter conversations on the subject and a couple of memory-prompting slices of inspiration later, I can't stop thinking about Alice in Wonderland-inspired tea parties or The Secret Garden-esque hideaways and all other sorts of hidden places and passageways! And with Easter just around the corner, what better time to dive headfirst into the rabbit hole?!

Today is all about Miss Alice, and it's impossible (and possibly illegal) to discuss Alice's adventures without mentioning the famous Annie Leibovitz' editorial for US Vogue, so let's start there. Natalia Vodianova stars as our favourite Alice Liddell, and she's joined by an all-star fashion designer cast (...and Rupert Everett. What?!)

[Through the Looking Glass - Natalia wears Balenciaga Couture]

[The Mad Tea Party - Featuring Stephen Jones, right, and Christian Lacroix.
Natalia wears Christian Lacroix Haute Couture]

[The Mock Turtle's Story - Featuring Donatella Versace and Rupert Everett.
Natalia wears Atelier Versace]

[Drink Me - Natalia wears Helmut Lang]

[Tweedledum and Tweedledee - Featuring Rolf Snoeren, far left, and Viktor Horsting.
Natalia wears Viktor & Rolf]

There are still a few fantastic scans of the Vogue spread around too (like this one), which is good news for those of us who don't have Vogue back issues circa 2003! But back to reality, you don't need supermodels and Karl Lagerfeld on speed-dial to tell this great story! Here are three of my favourite Alice-inspired shoots...

This first one has already received a whole lot of blog kudos (bludos?), and quite deservedly so! Alix (aka The Cherry Blossom Girl) and La Méchante teamed up for this amazing shoot, and it's nothing short of divine. The rabbit mask is a little bit eerie (Donnie Darko flashbacks!), the colours are rich, the compositions are quirky, and best of all, there are TINY TINY TEACUPS! I'm so easily amused.

Secondly is this delectable shoot by Andrea Francesco. Andrea writes that the small-scale shoot was limited by the lack of characters at his disposal, but I think he's done a stunning job regardless. The King of Hearts took my breath away. Literally, it really did. I wouldn't lie to you about something so important!

[Down the Rabbit Hole]

[The King of Hearts]

[...Said the White Rabbit]

[A Cup of Tea]

This last shoot looks like it was way too much fun to put together! Edan Fiterman rounded up a group of friends and photographed this Mad Tea Party, complete with real cupcakes, cookies and tea! That's my kind of friend/photographer!

[Down the Rabbit Hole]

[Awaiting]

[Discovering a Mad Tea Party]

[Advice From a Caterpillar]

[Some Tea With That?]

Mmmm cupcakes. Alice in Wonderland is the perfect combination of exploration, oddity, and of course tea parties and tasty candy (let's not discuss all the drug references, mmmkay?) Like many other kidlets (from many generations!), the story captured my imagination and sent me off exploring my neighbourhood in search of the perfect tea party location. Because after all, who hasn't found a perfectly secretive spot and wished they'd brought along an 8-seater table, high tea and a group of well-dressed friends? (Even if said high tea consists of sugared water and Iced Vo Vo's, and well-dressed friends just so happen to be stuffed toys. That still counts!)

Speaking of sumptuous secret locations, the rest of the week is going to be an incomparably chaotic concoction of Secret Garden-esque hideaways, inspired outdoor tea parties and fashions from the forest (not to mention ample alliteration!)...so don't climb out the rabbit hole just yet!


[Images via fairytalecinema, The Cherry Blossom Girl and La Méchant, Andrea Francesco and aragonzo]