Costume design for the “Wicked” movie was led by Tony-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, who tapped into the deep visual precedent for characters including Ariana Grande’s Glinda and Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba.
“I love fantasy work as a designer,” says Tazewell. “I also love period work. And this ends up being a combination of both.”
The iconic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz” and musical stage production of “Wicked” both inspired Tazewell’s approach to the costume design onscreen. “Wicked” takes place before Elphaba becomes the villain known as the Wicked Witch of the West, with the majority of the story set at Shiz University. Portrayed by Erivo in the film, the green-hued character wears clothing inspired by designs found in nature, from Fibonacci patterns to the organic textures of mushrooms and tree bark.
Other characters in the film include Shiz headmistress Madame Morrible, portrayed by Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz — who plays a larger presence in the second part of the film, set to be released next year — love interest Fiyero, Elphaba’s wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose and Shiz classmates like munchkin Boq.
In this video, Tazewell describes his approach to the costumes in the “Wicked” film, now out in theaters.
