Paul Tazewell, who is the costume designer for Wicked, got ideas for Elphaba’s famous black dress from mushrooms, which you might not expect. Tazewell got the idea for this after watching a documentary about mushrooms. He is known for his great work on Broadway and in movies like Hamilton and West Side Story. He liked how the natural texture and range of colors in different mushrooms made him think of ways to use these things in — Elphaba’s costume.
Tazewell designed the looks for the much-anticipated movie adaptation of Wicked, which stars Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Because Elphaba has green skin, she is often pushed to the edges of society, so Tazewell wanted to give her a look that showed how deeply she connects with nature. Elphaba finds comfort in nature even though she is picked on by her own family for being an animal rights activist. Because of this Tazewell thought that her character would look like the natural beauty of mushrooms.
The goal was to make a dress that felt “natural and grounded,” which would contrast with Elphaba’s strong ability to defy gravity. In an interview with Variety, Tazewell talked about how the texture and design of Elphaba’s dress came from holding mushrooms and looking at their pleated gills. To make it look like the underside of a mushroom—he used a mix of felted fabric, gauze, and chiffon. The dress’s flowing, layered style calls to mind the soft, natural beauty of nature while still looking strong and royal.
Tazewell wasn’t just interested in Elphaba’s dress. The costume designer for Ariana Grande’s role as Glinda wanted to pay homage to the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. He looked at Billie Burke’s original Glinda dress for ideas, but he chose a softer, warmer shade of pink. Glinda’s bubble dress felt light and airy because it had a structured, hand-beaded bodice and see-through fabric. Tazewell also used an ombre design, where the pink got darker near her face. This gave the dress a fun swirl pattern that looked like bubbles rising through the fabric.
The costumes for both Elphaba and Glinda were carefully thought out to show who they were and also pay homage to the past. Tazewell gave Elphaba a unique —earthy look by drawing inspiration from nature. This look shows how she is connected to the world around her while also being a contrast to her amazing powers.
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