I first read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland when I was 8, and periodically reread it throughout my childhood. When I was young, I just loved the utter nonsense of all the different scenarios Alice found herself in. As I got older, I appreciated the clever plays on common phrases and logic. And, of course, the atmosphere of Wonderland captured my imagination. Throughout my growth as a creative, the whimsical and exaggerated world of Wonderland has proved an endless source of inspiration for me.
Planning a fashion feature can be daunting. Finding the right theme to fit the right products within the right timeframe with the right team of people is a huge task, and finding inspiration is crucial to begin the process. A comment from our editor one day about restaurant and bar The Rabbit Hole being a cool place to shoot instantly sparked ideas from our whole team.
We quickly settled on an Alice-inspired tea party shoot featuring over-the-top, stunning jewelry and accessories. I’m a huge fan of oversized rings, unique necklaces, and statement pieces, so combining those elements meant there was no shortage of inspiration when planning this shoot.
Eight-year-old me constantly pretended to be in Wonderland. High school me often drew or painted pictures related to Alice’s adventures. On the day of our shoot, as I was surrounded by an amazing creative team and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry (and a security guard) I felt like Wonderland was finally a reality in a beautiful setting.
Our April style issue is full of stories featuring people and businesses who found unique inspiration and turned it into something wonderful. Whether vintage fashion inspires Greenville native Sarah Johnson in her Anthropologie line, a fabulous collection at Hale’s Jewelers inspired by pendant lighting, or a local couple inviting inspiration to their new studio, Good Art Co., creators will always find new and interesting foundations on which to build their work. I hope you find inspiration within these pages and go turn it into something beautiful.
