Alice in Wonderland @ Printemps (Paris, France)

If, like me, you've been looking forward to one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year, you'll most likely have already drooled over the various editorials, movie set photos and anything else remotely related to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. When I heard that French department store Printemps had collaborated with a few of the biggest fashion designers, allowing them to decorate a window, create outfits and interpret their version of Alice as they saw fit, I knew we were in for a treat. I saw sketches of the windows a while ago, but thought it would be better to share the real thing. These windows went up this week and will be on display until March 14.

(All quotes were taken from style.com and as usual, images can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Bernard Willhelm

The first window on the street. Gotta love those socks...

Christopher Kane / Nicholas Kirkwood

“I think my favorite Alice character is the March Hare. You can see I’ve made his watch rather prominent. This was a different design process for me, because I’m not usually so applicative—typically, I’m thinking about line, silhouette. But this time, I figured, why not just pile as much as I can on top?” —Nicholas Kirkwood

The shoes that stole the show... note the small watch on the left foot (top image; style.com).

I will say that the Kirkwoods were as spectacular as I though they'd be, although a little tricky to photograph. These shoes were made on commission for Printemps and were not available for sale. Since the store window version is the only pair in the world, I was determined to catch every detail... which resulted in me smacking my forehead against the glass several times as I crouched on the street floor. Very elegant (and sadly not the first time this has happened).

Ann Demeulemeester

“I’ve always been intrigued by cutout silhouettes. They are so intriguing, so poetic—the shadow of a soul. They tell everything about a character and they are open to be filled with one’s own imagination.” —Ann Demeulemeester

One of my favorite designs... the thigh-high boots were very cool, as were the cutouts on the dress. The figures represent both Alice and the Mad Hatter.

Charles Anastase

“I went to John Tenniel’s original illustration of Alice for inspiration. She’s seated at a table having tea, and her dress looks much more asymmetrical and theatrical than that boring Walt Disney version. It was also an auto-reference to my collections, as Lewis Carroll’s work has been one of the main inspirations of my label since its creation. Alice Liddell, the real little girl with long dark hair who inspired Carroll, is one of the very few icons that I have. The pictures of her are a constant inspiration for me.” —Charles Anastase

Another beautiful piece. The giant bottle reads 'Buvez moi - Drink me'.

Chloé

“Running around careless and free in a romantic dress, falling down the rabbit hole, chasing time in a dreamlike state of mind, meeting unexpected characters with many tales to tell—sounds like many a girl’s night out!” —Chloé design team

The cute pleated dress was probably the most wearable creation. Macarons on the left made to look like pebbles courtesy of Ladurée.

Alexander McQueen

I love McQueen and even though this isn't a dress I would wear, I couldn't take my eyes off the ruffle detailing on the trumpet sleeves.

Manish Arora

One of the funkier pieces, the playing cards were made of the same foam material as the dress and featured small crystals which don't come across in the photos.

Maison Martin Margiela

“Alice’s silhouette is a blue upside-down dress with cage sleeve, as if she walked through the mirror and her dress completely reversed. A long ball gown has been reworked, upside-down, into a minidress. The bustier in taffetas becomes a pleated miniskirt. The petticoat in plonge becomes an asymmetrical draped top. The skirt in ‘plumetis’ tulle becomes a veil. A cage sleeve of whale-boned velvet ribbon is embroidered with pearls, crystals, and recycled jewels.” —Maison Martin Margiela

Margiela's Alice & the Mad Hatter. Another favorite of mine. I thought the concept behind the upside down dress was brilliant. It also prompted me to tilt my head upside down standing in front of the window. Again... not very elegant.

Haider Ackermann

“My favorite character is the Duchess, who at first seems nearly as unpleasant as the Queen of Hearts. But she’s the antagonist of the queen, and at the end was only respectful and friendly, despite her tremendous ugliness. When I was designing this piece, I was seeing Alice running, escaping through the forest destroying her shiny dress.” —Haider Ackermann

The giant bunny, made out of fake roses almost stole the limelight...

In addition to the window displays, Printemps had the Alice theme going on in-store as well. Smaller versions of the plastic mushrooms could be found next to mannequins on the 2nd floor, but another collaborator stole the show: Ladurée, didn't just provide the yummy macarons in the Chloé window... they also hosted their own Alice in Wonderland tea party in the basement of the store. Shoppers could indulge in sweet delicacies while sipping hot tea and marvel at the four floor-to-ceiling shelves that were crammed with books, macarons, bags and other bits and pieces. The tea room itself featured a mix of chess board and grass floors, surrounded by fake greenery sculpted into animals.

The giant 'Mad Hatter' shelves, spanning several storeys were crammed with goodies and featured images from the upcoming movie (left). Another oversized tea pot could be found dangling from the ceiling (right).

The 'Alice' shelves.

Some of the tempting desserts (left), books and figurines on display (right).

Care to join the tea party? The tea room in the basement viewed from the top (left) and ground (top right). The very dangerous dessert counter (right).