Traveling Thursdays: Madame Tussaud’s

If you easily get “starstruck,” the best place to visit is Madame Tussaud‘s. Some of the wax statues are a little off, but most of the time they are scarily accurate and realistic. Tussaud's has become very commercial, encouraging tourists to pose with the statues as if they were really interacting with the celebrities. Naturally, the more controversial statues (such as Michael Jackson) have constant surveillance nearby. These first images are from the Tussaud's in Hollywood.





You almost expect to see smoke swirls coming from Bette's cig:



Gloria is definitely ready for her closeup:







A few from the museum in Vegas:









And from New York City:



The Marilyn here is not quite as good as her West Coast counterpart:









Those of you that have seen the visual feast of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” (and also live on the west coast) will enjoy seeing the upcoming exhibit at LA’S Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.



Timed In Coordination with the June 1 Blu-ray™ & DVD Release, Disney’s Alice In Wonderland Exhibition Unveils Original Costumes From The Film As Well As “Edgier Side of Alice” Inspired Clothing & Products by Sue Wong, Tom Binns, Avril Lavigne and FIDM Alumni. The exhibition is free to the public and opens on Thursday, May 27 and will run through September 30, 2010.

From the press release: Fans of the film and fashion alike will find a new appreciation for the craftsmanship, artistry, and design behind the making of the costumes and merchandise at this particular exhibit that is comprised of three distinct parts: (1) Original costumes from the film designed by two time Academy Award® winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (Best Achievement in Costume Design for Memoirs of a Geisha in 2005 and Best Costume Design for Chicago in 2002), (2) The Edgier Side of Alice inspired clothing and products from DCP and designed by a variety of celebrities, designers and fashion icons (e.g. Sue Wong, Tom Binns, Avril Lavigne, etc.), and (3) Alice inspired gowns created by FIDM designer graduates with FIDM Fashion Mentor and Instructor Nick Verreos.

Colleen Atwood’s work portrays a reinvention of the madcap look of “Alice in Wonderland” for the 21st Century. Featured on display will be her original costumes from the film, including Johnny Depp’s original Mad Hatter fighter garment, a few of Mia Wasikowska’s Alice dresses and Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen Dress, as well as costume sketches, hats and props from the film.

In addition to the original costumes on display, there will be modern-day “Edgier Side of Alice” inspired clothing, jewelry, accessories and collections designed by fashion icons such as Sue Wong, Tom Binns and Avril Lavigne. This display by Disney Consumer Products illustrates its collaboration with these renowned designers in order to create an interpretive line that brings the allure and mystery of the film and characters to life.

FIDM will also play an active role in the exhibition. In collaboration with Disney’s fashion team, the college challenged six Designer grads to partake in a FIDM SuperLab project led by Nick Verreos (Star of “Project Runway”, Graduate and Instructor at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising and NIKOLAKI Owner/Designer). Since the ALICE IN WONDERLAND film is all about discovery, FIDM Fashion Designers were challenged to discover their talents in the world of Alice by designing and producing couture gowns inspired by six iconic characters in the film. Garments are couture glamour meets the red carpet – unconventional, unexpected, Alice in “Underland” – where nothing is what it seems! Their creations will be on display for all to see alongside Colleen Atwood and DCP’s collections.

Exhibition Gallery Hours & Details:
Admission to the exhibition is free of charge to the public and opens on Thursday, May 27 and runs until September 30, 2010. Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. FIDM Museum & Galleries Is located at FIDM/Fashion Institute Of Design & Merchandising, 919 S. Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90015. For more information about this exhibition, please visit FIDMmuseum.org or call 213-623-5821.



See more Madame Tussaud’s photos at my main website.