Natalia Vodianova 'Alice in Wonderland' by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue US December 2003

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. Dior Haute Couture by John Galliano hand-painted polka-dot dress. Galliano, as the Queen of Hearts, wears a Dior Haute Couture coat and is accompanied by his King, Alexis Roche.

In 2021 American Vogue looked back into one of its most artistically-stunning and complicated fashion photo shoots since its founding in 1892.

Writer Laird Bottelli-Persson reviewed the creation of fashion stoyr ‘Alice in Wonderland’, published in December 2003 via the sixth episode of In Vogue: The 2000s podcast.

Vogue links into Apple, and with 65% of AOC readers also being on Apple/Mac, we follow their lead.

Grace Coddington styled the uber-complex fashion shoot that involves a cast of mostly-male designers — many in the images. Helmut Lang, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Olivier Theyskens, Rolf Snoeren and Viktor Horsting, Tom Ford.

DRINK ME...: How was Alice to know the innocent little bottle would make her grow to such a 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 height. Dress from the Helmut Lang made-to-measure Studio. 

Model Natalia Vodianova played ‘Alice’ in images by Annie Leibovitz [IG]. In particular, it seems that John Galiano had a great time.

Coddington shares that Mary Poppins was headed to Broadway and into the December 2003 holiday issue.

Grace herself was not a fan of Poppins always wearing black in a Christmas issue, but EIC Anna Wintour — who never wears black — assured Grace that she would see the light and find a new approach to the December 2003 fashion story.

Wintour had full confidence that Grace’s innate fashion vision would prevail — and it did. AOC shares this fashion story for the first time.

ADVICE FROM A CATERPILLAR: Clad 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 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 Versace.

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.

CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER: Beyond nonsense verse and coming-of-age fables, Lewis Carroll’s true passion was photographing moody young beauties. Olivier Theyskens, in the guise of Carroll, captures model Natalia Vodianova as Alice Liddell. Natalia wears a Rochas iridescent blue-flower ruffle dress specially designed by Theyskens.

DOWN THE RABBIT-HOLE: Faster, faster, faster she fell! Chasing Tom Ford’s White Rabbit, our Alice disappears down the never-ending dark passage. Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche sky-blue silk-satin dress.

THE MAD TEA PARTY: “No room!” the March Hare and Mad Hatter shouted. “No room!” But Alice plunked herself down, desperate for some biscuits after a long day of living bakward. Christian Lacroix Haute Couture dress with painted and sculpted mink dickey over a lace top and frilled lamé skirt. Stephen Jones wears a custom-made hat of his own design. Lacroix, as the March Hare, is at far right.

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 our Cat, Jean Paul Gaultier. Blue silk-jersey draped dress by Gaultier Paris.

PIG & PEPPER: It was a queer-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 leather boot pants. The Chanel designer wears Chrome Hearts necklaces and belt.