By Emily Deacon
Tim Burton’s latest blockbuster Alice In Wonderland is due will be released on DVD next month. This extravagant film is influencing designers and shoppers alike as clothing lines take inspiration from the movie’s striking costumes.
Costume designer for the film Colleen Atwood, ensures no teacup or pocket watch is left unturned, building upon Burton’s dreamscape through Victorian style dresses, shabby sheik ensembles and the wondrous accessories.
French fashion house Louis Vuitton is one of many designers transforming clothes and accessories into wondrous creations. Vuitton’s Autumn(Fall)/Winter 2009/2010 collection consisted of overstated rabbit-ear headbands and caricatured clothing as seen in Burton’s film.
Louis Vuitton Autumn(Fall)/Winter Collection 2009/2010.
Designers closer to home have taken up the challenge of recreating the clothing seen in the film, including local clothing company Review.
As stated on their website, Review welcomes their customers to a “Winter Wonderland that lets you play the heroine in your own fashion fantasy.”
The latest line by Review sees all-things-Alice, with items of clothing named after characters in the film like “Alice Lace Top” and the “Tweedle Dee Skirt.”
Review employee Sarah Foster says it’s the overall feel and style of Alice In Wonderland that appeals to customers.
“I think many women simply love how Colleen experimented with Victorian style fashion in the film and also the quirky details that were included, we have tried to mimic that in our Winter Wonderland collection,” said Sarah.
The advertising campaign for Review’s latest line includes models taking photos with rabbits, tea cups, playing cards and pocket watches.
“I think that Review was able to create a line that a lot of women and young girls can relate to as far as fantasy is concerned, there’s something nice about pretending you are in your very own Wonderland through the clothing you wear,” said Sarah.
Monash University fashion lecturer John Gregory says that the old Victorian style of clothing that features in the movie is always of interest to designers.
“I think whole romantic, late Victorian environment that that film is set in that Burton is playing on, is already well established as an area of interest for a lot of designers, especially people who are fascinated with fantasy and romance,” said John.
In addition to the romanticised theme designers like Review and Christopher Kane take advantage of, there is a shabby-sheik look Atwood created for the famous tea party scene in the film.
“That shabby sheik thing, that’s another thing Colleen Atwood was really on to, particularly in the scenes with the March Hare and the Mad Hatter [Johnny Depp] played upon the mad, decadent trashing of the tea party and its table,” John said.
John Gregory also believes it is the fantasy both Burton and Atwood create that influences designers.
“Fashion does engage with fantasy and an almost child-like pleasure in beautiful clothes which in one sense is unrealistic, but fashion allows you to be a kid in that respect and be a bit of a fantasist,” he said.
Atwood ensures the audience is taken on a journey via her costumes designing, where over-exaggeration is the key to unlocking an idiosyncratic world, designers mimic this through their own lines.
“The clothing was just that wonderfully over-done and eccentric in certain ways, which pushed the edges of what you’d expect to see in clothing,” said John.
As designers like Review and Louis Vuitton continue to play on the Alice In Wonderland theme, it seems quite clear that this is one rabbit hole fashion enthusiasts are happy to fall down.
Ishka employee Anika Steel speaks on Alice In Wonderland fashion inspiration.
