Recession-fatigued and longing for a little escape, designers have happily plunged down the rabbit hole and dreamt up “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired wardrobes of clothing, jewelry and cosmetics.
Director Tim Burton’s vivid 3-D take on Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, which opened in theaters Friday, finds Alice a 19-year-old. Fittingly, the styles in stores for spring are geared to big girls.
Los Angeles-based designer Sue Wong, who’s known for her love of lace and embellishment, created a series of dresses in collaboration with Disney Signature to tie in with the movie. Some are sweet and romantic, inspired by the Victorian-era Alice. The designs are trimmed in Battenberg lace and soutache embroidery.
A look that’s more like the Red Queen is short, strapless and sexy, “sort of the bad girl,” Wong said. The garden dress references beautiful flowers and colors like magenta and fuchsia — “vibrant and magical,” according to the designer.
Wong said the project fired her imagination and she came up with about 20 designs, which were edited down to the half-dozen or so in the collection.
“I read (the book) when I was about 10 and was always mesmerized by the tale of a fantasy realm; the idea of falling into a rabbit hole and ending up in another dimension.” Wong said. “Reading it as a child, your mind wanders all over the place.”
Wong’s designs, $329-$609, are at upscale retailers like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and boutiques such as Mariel of Denver. Denise Snyder, owner of Mariel, has carried Wong’s creations for years and said customers are loving the Alice dresses.
“We’ve sold several of them,” said Snyder, adding, “They lift your spirits. There has been such doom and gloom, with everything black and white. This is about color and fun and fantasy. Each one is so beautiful.”
A number of jewelry companies have collaborated with Disney as well, including Tom Binns, Stella McCartney and Swarovski.
Binns’ whimsical collection includes a necklace laden with tiny ceramic tea pots and cups, while McCartney’s bracelet features playing cards and charms from the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Swarovski’s website has a necklace featuring a cupcake with crystal sprinkles and a White Rabbit pendant with pocket watch, rabbit and trumpet. Don’t expect these pieces to sell for childlike prices, as even the Red Queen crystal earrings at disneystore.com are $96.
The home shopping site QVC has a more affordable selection of jewelry items, including Kirks Folly pieces featuring rabbits, cats, hats and other Wonderland-inspired characters and objects. Earrings are $26.50, a charm bracelet is $70. Similarly, in its stores and online, Urban Outfitters has an assortment of T-shirts and gift items, $10-$24.
Alice is also invading the beauty world with such products as nail polish colors from OPI. Colors include “Off With Her Red!” a bright red; “Absolutely Alice,” featuring blue glitter; and “Mad as a Hatter,” a black and multicolored glitter.
For the woman who isn’t about to wear a necklace laden with teapots or a sparkle nail polish, there is the simple treat of seeing the movie’s costumes, created by Academy Award winner Colleen Atwood. Viewers first find Alice in a pale blue frock, a style long associated with the book and earlier movie versions of the story.
“As the story progresses, Alice gets clothes made out of different elements of the world she’s in,” Atwood said in the movie’s production notes. “She shrinks and grows and loses her original dress and ends up in her under-dress, which shrinks and grows.”
At the Red Queen’s castle, where she grows to 8 feet tall, Alice wears a big, puffy red dress made out of curtains. When it’s finally time to battle the dreaded Jabberwocky, she gets to trade all the froufrou for sleek silver armor. And the vorpal sword.
Suzanne S. Brown: 303-954-1697 or sbrown@denverpost.com
Places to find Alice-inspired fashion:
Places to find Alice-inspired fashion:
urbanoutfitters
