Ariana Grande. Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
Paul Tazewell had a clear vision for the Wicked costumes.
Tazewell, 60, exclusively opened up to Us Weekly about his inspiration behind the costumes that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo wore while filming Wicked at the 27th annual Costume Designer Guild Awards on Thursday, February 6.
“I think that it was largely inspired by the iconic 1939 Oscar-winning film, The Wizard of Oz,” Tazewell told Us, referencing the movie that the late Judy Garland, of course, starred in as Dorothy, alongside Jack Haley, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Margaret Hamilton and more.
“It was a mashup of that, the musical on Broadway and just the inspiration of the people that were playing the roles,” he explained to Us.
Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo once again paid homage to their Wicked characters in the most fashionable way. Grande, 31, and Erivo, 37, stepped out in looks that reminded Us of the costumes their Broadway counterparts wore while performing “One Short Day.” The stars wore the gowns while at the movie’s […]
Tazewell continued, sharing that “lots of nature” went into the Land of Oz, “but it was very important for [director] John Chu for us to create a brand new vision” with the characters’ wardrobe. The duo wanted the “audience to re-engage with this wonderful world.”
From Galinda’s glitzy closet to Elphaba’s simple yet exquisite black dresses to the Shiz University students’ impeccably tailored uniforms, Tazewell made sure each characters’ personality shined through their clothing.
Take Galinda (Grande, 31), for example, who stunned in an ethereal pink princess gown in the movie’s opening scene. Her voluminous and glittery confection instantly reminded fans of the original Good Witch of the North (played by the late Billie Burke while greeting Dorothy in the 1939 movie, right down to the silver spangly star wand.
Perhaps Galinda’s most talked-about dress in Wicked was her Ozdust ball dress, which featured super saturated sunset colors for a look that can only be described as magical.
Elphaba (Erivo, 38) also had a number of wow-worthy getups, including her memorable black frock she wore while driving at Shiz, which included intricate puffy sleeves, delicate embroidery and muted buttons lining the front of her corset. True to form, she grounded the look with edgy combat boots.
Pink goes well with green, and it’s even better in duplicate. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande completely embodied their respective Wicked characters, Elphaba and Galinda/Glinda, when it came to dressing for the Saturday, November 9, Los Angeles premiere of the movie musical. Grande, 31, stunned in a custom tea-length, pink gingham Thom Browne dress with […]
This year, Wicked is nominated for Best Costume Design at the 2025 Oscars, which will take place on March 2. Here’s hoping for similarly wickedly-good gowns on the Academy Awards’ red carpet.