Anna Nässtrom

With Tim Burton´s interpretation of the famous fairy tale, the 155 year old story has been given a new life with a colorful Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and a small but very nasty Red Queen played by Helena Bonham Carter. All around us, design has picked up on Tim Burton´s surrealistic and original style and you can see this influence in fashion as well as in interior design and even gastronomy. The spirit of Alice in Wonderland is all about imagination and dreams!

Alice in Wonderland is a symbolic trip about finding who you are in a surrealistic and crazy world. Animals are talking, a magic potion can make you grow bigger or smaller, soldiers are represented as playing cards and not one living soul seems to be sane. These elements are very inspiring since they let your creativity flow without limits.

The grandma trend is back and it is now reinforced by the eternal tea parties of Mad Hatter and White Rabbit. Pastry houses such as the French traditional "macaron" bakery La Durée have used this to their advantage and have launched special Alice in Wonderland campaigns with beautiful macaron boxes and imaginary window decorations.

In interior design it is mostly the non realistic dimensions that are significant. Look at the big Miffi lamp from Coctail Deluxe for example or the high black table with tree branches in it from Display. The fairytale inspiration is very much present in the original hat lamps from Jake Phipps and the umbrella lamps from Daniel Franzen. They are more than trendy at the moment!

This year you should decorate with dreamy colors, light pastels and __________________________________________________________________________

romantic forms. We want to be curious and discover new things on our adventures through life. This is very well represented in Alice in Wonderland. You also see a lot of mirrors everywhere, the more the merrier. The mirror can be seen as a symbol to a fantasy world that is hiding behind the glass.

I find that the biggest Alice influence is in fashion. You could see a lot of light blue pastels and romantic girly outfits on the catwalks this spring. Chanel and Diane von Furstenberg are just two examples. The blog ax80.com describes Diane von Furstenberg´s spring / summer collection by saying "As Alice wonders further into that wonderous place, she was introduced to a world of flowers and butterflies of great color".

All this said, the Alice in Wonderland trend is not for the faint of heart. In Alice´s world anything can happen and therefore you can wear whatever you want without fear of other people´s criticism. There are a few trademarks to follow though, if you want to be one with the fairytale... Use crazy accessories, the more colorful and layered, __________________________________________________________________________

the better. Think of top hats, big ribbons and bows in your hair and little clocks on pendants. Look for a cute, floral dress. If you feel like being a bit less girly, go for polka dots instead. Heart patterns are also important in Wonderland. Mix the heart symbol with polka dots or stripes. Think of the style of the Red Queen. Lace is one of the most important features in Alice´s style. Anything with lace on it works.

Last but not least, think girly! Ballet pumps, tutu skirts and pastel colors are the secrets! Especially pastel blue works like a charm! And don´t forget to use crazy accessories like teapot earrings or a necklace with a cake pendant. Alice in wonderland is a very dressed fashion trend, so don´t hesitate to wear a tuxedo or a nice ballet skirt with festive high heels.

The good part with this trend is that there is something for everyone! So get inspired and make a part of your everyday life into a fairytale!