The 'Wicked' Costume Designer On Dressing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
Wicked is the film on everyone’s lips right now — and whether you’re new to the musical or a long-time fan, it’s hard not to be captivated by the fantasy world created by director Jon M. Chu for the new on-screen adaptation of Stephen Schwartz's hit Broadway show.
Fashion plays a huge role in creating that world, courtesy of costume designer Paul Tazewell. He created almost 50 looks for the lead characters — 25 looks for Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, 24 for Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo — across Part One and Part Two, he told me as we sat below a giant installation of The Wizard amid the oak-panelled walls of department store Liberty London, which partnered with the film for a special takeover of its windows in the lead up to Christmas.
'My intent as a costume designer is to character create, and create a backstory for how characters choose what they're going to wear, whatever moment it is,' he says. 'It's especially important for Wicked, which has great emotional depth.’ Tazewell grew up with the 1939 Wizard of Oz film, watching it each Easter since the age of four. 'It is emblazoned in my memory. And therefore, the icons and images from the film, it's part of my bank of visual knowledge. It was joyous and simple to tap into,' he says.
ELLE UK caught up with Tazewell to hear all about how he brought the Wicked wardrobes of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to life.
You have a background in theatre – is designing for film wildly different?
I would say the same creative muscles are used, if you will, for both. My intent as a costume designer is to character create, and create a backstory for how characters choose what they’re going to wear, whatever moment it is. It’s especially important for Wicked, which has great emotional depth.
The themes really speak to me directly as well, and the character of Elphaba most specifically, because it is about the marginalisation of a person of colour, a person who's different. I've managed that throughout my life, emotionally. And so to see that represented from a fantasy point of view was really beautiful. Then to see it played by someone who is a person of colour, it's just astounding — and I think so timely for where we are right now and in the world in general.
How did you approach designing for Wicked the film?
When I was approached to design Wicked, it was important for Jon Chu to create a completely original look, and to not copy what the broadway show is, but to actually give us a fresh world of what Wicked is. I was actually inspired greatly by the 1939 film. You see that represented in the bubble dress; I wanted for it to feel like the same kind of Glinda dress in the pink, and then use that throughout her colour story. Same for Elphaba in her iconic wicked witch silhouette, with the hat and the dress. It is informed by what Margaret Hamilton wore in the film.
The tricky thing about designing Wicked is that there's such a huge fanbase for the Broadway musical, and there's a huge fan base for the Wizard of Oz film. That means that the audience is going to come into the theatre with a lot of assumptions around how they see these characters. I think it was important to acknowledge that because I wanted to create a world that was engaging, and then they could feel that they were a part of. I think by using nostalgic imagery, it helps to give a familiarity to the world without recreating what was actually part of the Broadway musical.
What was it like working with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande? How did your working relationship with them function?
It was absolutely a two way process with each of them individually. And I prefer it that way. Their arcs of their wardrobes throughout both films was set out before they actually came to start rehearsal. But then, in those first couple of those days, we sat down together with Jon Chu to talk through the designs and what I was planning for for each scene to get their way in on how they're starting to see this character.
Both of these beautiful women are huge fashion icons in themselves. They love clothing, and that was part of the joy of being able to dress them: they know how to wear clothes. They're not afraid of them. Cynthia can whip around a cape like no one else!
Tell me about Elphaba’s ‘Defying Gravity’ costume.
Texture defines all of these costumes. It's the texture of the underside of a mushroom; what was inspiring about that was her connection to nature, the timelessness and beauty of nature as well. Her advocation for animals. Also, her power: the fact that she can defy gravity. She can control gravity, she is connected to the natural elements. I wanted to imbue that in all of looks.
That's all micro-pleated chiffon that's laid onto a gauze base, and then underneath there's a spider web of lace, and then there’s a purple taffeta under that. It becomes iridescent with a purple haze, which just gives the black a bit more life. All of that is engineered so that it moves in just the right way when she's around the Emerald City.
And Glinda’s bubble costume?
The first inspiration was Billie Burke in the Glinda dress — that was the choice of pink, which is a very warm, soft pink. It's one of my favourite tones of pink. I wanted to tap into the overall silhouette that we remember from the film, but change it in a way that was more specific for Ariana and our vision of Wicked.
The image of spirals were very important. Nathan Crowley, the production designer, uses it in the scenery as well, it's the whimsy of it. Spiral shapes layered up creates the overall princess silhouette, then figuring out how we were going to embellish [it with] all of the crystal, the bugle beads and sequins, all of it was to carry the image and the iridescence of a bubble and the sparkle that could feel magical.
There was an amazing fabric artist that did all the spiralling bubble imagery that is laid onto the surface of the organza, and then you also see the ombre of pink that runs underneath as well. It was topped off with an amazing crown that was inspired by bubbles swirling around the top of her head.
It’s clear a lot of thought, care, time and budget went into creating these costumes. Why is it so important? What do you think fashion brings to a film?
I've loved costumes since I was four years old. I fell in love with Cinderella, and the idea of dresses and sparkle, and creating magic with clothing. It wasn't until I adopted it as a profession that I really investigated what my connection to costumes is. I realised the power that I have in creating character. What is the effect of seeing someone for the first time, step on stage or the screen, and what they're in? How does that set the mood? How does that define the world that they’re surrounded by? That's an unspoken storytelling. It directly defines who that character is.
The Liberty x Wicked Christmas campaign will run until December 23. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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