It is a crisp, cloudless winter morning. Resembling Alice in her Wonderland adventures, I too am following something intriguing. However, there is no sign of a smartly attired white rabbit with pocket watch. Instead, a crowd of elegantly clad fashionistas are heading toward Folli Follie’s Regent Street store for a glimpse of the latest ‘Alice’ collection.

On arrival, I am pleasantly surprised to find the shop interior is indeed a vision of wonderland. A beautiful mixture of sketches depicting Alice’s adventures, alongside a vast array of jewelled delights create a grandiose feast for the eyes like no other, whilst elaborately decorated cupcakes and sugary treats aplenty confirm this launch is a proper tea party.

Folli Follie have taken the concept of ‘Alice’ as the modern woman; carefree and adventurous, enthusiastically adapting to the changing and challenging environment of today’s world, and projected her character into a highly fashionable compilation of ‘grunge luxury’ designs, where futurism, flora and fauna meet with a vengeance.

After viewing the assortment of glamorous silver and yellow plated Folli Follie classics, I make a beeline for the nouveau Wonderland selection, consisting of ceramic creatures which adorn necklaces and rings galore. Each intricately constructed silver pendant - whether cat, rabbit or parrot, has an interchangeable chain allowing the recipient to accessorise for any occasion.

Alices’s Adventures in Wonderland inspired the attractive patterns printed on canvas bags, clutches and purses in an array of colourways. Clearly illustrating the fantasy trend adorning the catwalk of late, a sophisticated womanly approach to a favourite childhood tale has been cleverly created.

Other accessories, including kitsch leather bow key rings and a rainbow of enamel bracelets truly emphasise Folli Follie’s core values of ‘affordable, fashionable luxury’, as fiction becomes a reasonably priced reality. For my part, purchasing a chic white enamel and bronze dial watch means never being late again, and it is certainly right on time for the fashion crowd!

It seems highly appropriate that, just as Alice’s adventures were based upon lessons embedded in our memories, the charm of Folli Follie’s collections will certainly remain in my conscience (and on my wish list) for a long while to come…

The Alice collection is available from March 2009 in Folli Follie’s UK stores, and can be viewed online at www.follifollie.com

Zoe Stephens