Designer research - from vouge photo shoot

 This is a set of photography works by photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vogue in 2003, featuring Russian model Natalia Vodianova. But the little twist is — besides Natalia as ‘Alice’, she had extra company, 11 top couture designers, each featuring as a character in Lewis Carroll's masterpiece ‘Alice in Wonderland’ The designers designed all the dresses Natalia is wearing.

The  way  Annie Leibovitz has  photographed these and the use of clever Photoshop really makes me feel like I'm part of wonderland and if I look too deep into the photo I might just fall in to.

Curiouser & Curiouser

 Beyond nonsense verse and coming-of-age fables, Lewis Carroll's true passion was photography, especially photographing young women. Olivier Theyskens, in the guise of Lewis Carroll, captures model Natalia Vodianova as Alice Liddell. Natalia wears a Rochas iridescent blue-flower ruffle dress specially designed by Oliver Theyskens.

I really like how this photograph looks, the black and white  makes it look aged and it could really have been from the time Lewis Carroll was a photography fanatic. The dress even though its completely different from Alice original light blue pinafore dress still looks very ‘Alice in Wonderland’ as the ruffles look elegant and fun at the same time.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Faster, faster, faster she fell! chasing Tom Ford’s, the white rabbit. As Alice disappears down the never-ending dark hole in Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurents gauche sky-blue silk-satin dress. Tom ford served as creative director for Yves Saint Laurent from 1994 to 2004.

I really like the turquoise colour of the dress and the elegant flow of the silk-satin as it blows up on the bottom edges as Alice falls down the rabbit hole.

 Drink me...

How was Alice to know the little bottle would make her grow to such a large size? as Helmut Lang watched from the wall, she curled her legs up and hoped the designer’s organza minidress wouldn’t be crushed by her startling new size. The dress from Helmut Lang was made-to-measure special piece just for the photo shoot. The Helmut Lang brand was acquired by Prada in 2004 with Helmut Lang leaving his own label in 2005.

Advice From The Caterpillar

Dressed in Marc Jacobs’s ruffled chiffon minidress, “Alice found herself engaged in an infuriatingly roundabout conversation with a mushroom-dweller. where am I? she wondered…and how have I gotten here?”

The use of oversized mushrooms and the slightly dazed look on Marcs face creates the idea of

him actually being the Hookah smoking caterpillar we know from Alice in Wonderland.

Pig & Pepper

It was a strange-shaped little creature, and held out its arms and legs in all directions, “just like a starfish.” Chanel haute couture embroidered satin jacket with a draped satin skirt and cream thigh length leather boots.

The light blue of the dress reminds me of the Disney version of Alice but with the thigh length leather boots this really isn't anything from a Disney movie.

The Cheshire Cat

“would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” Alice asked sweetly of the cat with a grin as devilish as anything she had ever seen. “that depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” replied the cat. Alice this time is dressed in a blue silk-jersey draped dress by Gaultier Paris.

Tweedledum and Tweedledee

“if you think we’re alive, you ought to speak,” said the one marked dee. Alice, in a Viktor & Rolf multilayered silk dress, stared as the tweedle duo spouted nonsensical tongue twisters. Rolf Snoeren, left, and Viktor Horsting wear matching suits and bow ties of their own design.

I really like this photo, the fun suits of Viktor & Rolf and the strange look on Natalia's face could really be something from an Alice in Wonderland movie.

The Mad tea Party

“no room!” the march hare and mad hatter shouted. “no room!” but Alice sat down, desperate for some biscuits after a long day of living backward. Christian Lacroix haute couture dress with painted and sculpted mink dickey over a lace top and frilled lamé skirt. Stephen Jones (right), wears a custom-made hat of his own design. Christian Lacroix, as the march hare, is at far right wearing a version of the iconic mad hatter hat.

Who Stole The Tarts?

“my name is Alice, so please your majesty,” the young girl, draped in Dior couture, said softly. “you make me giddy!” screamed the queen. Alice is dressed in a Dior haute couture gown by John Galliano with hand-painted polka-dots. Galliano as the queen of hearts, wears a Dior haute couture coat and is accompanied by his king, Alexis Roche.

This is my favourite modern take dress for Alice, the puffy structured base of the dress is so fun and the life size pink flamingo adds even more fun to the photo and the Dior ensemble.

 

The Mock Turtle’s Story

“what is his sorrow?” Alice, in atelier Versace, asked the gryphon. “once,” sighed the mock turtle, “ I was a real turtle.” atelier Versace layered silk-tulle and chiffon-organza dress lined in lace. Donatella Versace and Rupert Everett are in also wearing Versace

Through The Looking Glass

wrapped in ocean-blue Balenciaga couture, Alice perched on the mantel, longing to escape into the shadow world, as her little black kitty purred nearby. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière crystal pleated chiffon dress and grey ankle boots was shot on location at the château de corbeil-cerf.