Atwood calls her collaborative process with Burton “a rare gift in the world of film,” and it will come to fruition when hats and selected props from the film are set on display. Even more exciting will be the chance to see Johnny Depp’s original Mad Hatter fighter garment, a few of Mia Wasikowska’s Alice dresses, and Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen dress up close.
Atwood’s inspiration comes from everywhere, she says – “books, art, people on the street” – and she’s received two Academy Awards for her talent, the first in 2002 for Chicago and the next in 2005, for Memoirs of a Geisha.
Like so many designers, she’s fond of black, but tries “to add a little white around my face,” she says. “I wear jeans a lot for work because they are good for a 14 hour day, which is my norm.”
It’s a good thing Atwood admires Burton so much – she calls Alice in Wonderland “a dream project” – because she’s currently working on his next film, Dark Shadows. It’s a gothic horror tale with vampires, witches, werewolves, and ghosts, and is slated for a 2011 release.
