The unique front cover was inspired by the Harlequin; a print synonymous with the Westwood brand since the 1980’s and has been deconstructed to echo the hazy, kaleidoscopic fantasy world that Alice inhabits in Wonderland. She hopes these additions will underpin the “timeless” elements of the book and “fix it in the present moment”. She has also written the introduction to the book and added several pages about her views on capitalism, the environment, sustainable energy and activism to the new edition.

Her influence can be felt everywhere, from the trippy reaches of 1960s psychedelia to the kitsch whimsy that coalesced around Tim Burton’s 2010 film adaptation. Alice as we normally think of her, "a little girl with a band holding her hair back", according to Westwood.Westwood thinks of Wonderland as a place of conflict: here, Alice’s logic is in tension with that of the characters within Wonderland. It's piffle, stuff and nonsense of the most unfortunate kind, but generations of fans prove it to be the most Marmite of books by holding it in esteem equal to my dismay. This is the penultimate paragraph of Vivienne Westwood’s introduction to the Vintage Classics 150th edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This special anniversary edition of Lewis Carroll's tale fits in with the twisted take on Britishness that Dame Vivienne Westwood is famous for in a magical Wonderland setting.

Westwood has a well-documented history in activism, notably her recent campaigning against climate change. It’s a space where nonsense reigns and transformation (that quality so readily offered by clothing) is par for the course. Aside from her Alice-inspired Autumn/Winter 2011/2012 runway collection , her credentials differ from those who have written an introduction to the work in the past. They make you believe you could be in a parallel world – or that the world we think we know reflects the way we are programmed to see it,” the fashion designer said.They make you believe you could be in a parallel world – or that the world we think we know reflects the way we are programmed to see it. Westwood said: “When you read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, you’ll see the original drawings by Tenniel which help make the book so sensational. The designer has collaborated with publisher Vintage Books to crate the design and introduction for an anniversary edition of Alice in Wonderland, her favourite children's book. These characters and visual cues are so well known that one doesn’t even need to utter the words “Alice” or “Wonderland” to understand what’s being referenced.

Alice’s legacy extends in many directions, but she’s cast a particularly significant shadow over fashion. This special anniversary edition of Lewis Carroll’s tale fits in with the twisted take on Britishness that Dame Vivienne Westwood is famous for in a magical Wonderland setting. But Westwood’s approach to the 150th anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has taken on a form that feels more mature.Alice in Wonderland by English author Lewis Carroll is celebrating its 150th anniversary and Vivienne Westwood is marking the milestone by designing a special cover for the book. It places a moral responsibility on its readers to defy the establishment and, like Alice, notice the inconsistencies in accepted reason. To understand Westwood’s ideas, however, it is best to begin at the end, at the point when her introduction comes to a close. The special edition includes Carroll's other Alice novel, Through the Looking Glass, and original illustrations by British artist John Tenniel.