Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (150th Anniversary Edition with Dame Vivienne Westwood)

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Without mentioning either the title or author, you probably already know which book I’m talking about. Even if the comparison between Wonderland and the establishment feels too radical, or too crass, for some, Westwood’s anarchy also “empowers” us to think.

A biscuit won’t solve Alice’s heat and thirst, but the Queen does not conceive that there is anything strange about her offer. A Mad Hatter’s Tea Party scene is created in collaboration with Vivienne Westwood’s creative team for the 150th anniversary edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In 2003, American Vogue staged a memorable shoot featuring Natalia Vodianova as Alice wearing a series of custom-designed blue garments. Alice in Wonderland by English author Lewis Carroll is celebrating its 150th anniversary and Vivienne Westwood is marking the milestone by designing a special cover for the book.Unless noted, some photos may belong to their respective owners and are used under the principle of fair use, according to Section 107. The unique front cover was inspired by the Harlequin; a print synonymous with the Westwood brand since the 1980’s and has been deconstructed to echo the hazy, kaleidoscopic fantasy world that Alice inhabits in Wonderland. Author of Alice’s Adventures: Lewis Carroll in Popular Culture, Professor Will Brooker, describes how “In the 1930s it was psychoanalysis, in the 1960s it was psychedelia, and in the 1990s paedophilia”.

Although various Alices were pictured in other hues in the late Victorian era, it wasn’t until Disney released its vivid animated version in 1951 that the Alice we think of today – complete with blonde hair, blue dress and little black shoes – crystallised.

Westwood also read excerpts from the story to 20 children from various charities, including Shelter, Rays of Sunshine and Kids Company. More recently, photographer Tim Walker – whose entire back catalogue, with its interest in eccentric characters, dreamlike scenarios, and dramatic contrasts in scale, could be read as its own kind of wonderland – retold Carroll’s tale for Pirelli’s 2018 calendar.