Costume designer Paul Tazewell visited Kent State’s campus Thursday, Sept. 18, during “An Evening With Paul Tazewell,” discussing with fashion writer and alumna Aleah Wright what viewers can expect for the costumes in “Wicked: For Good.”
After receiving an Oscar for his work in “Wicked,” a large portion of his discussion with Wright focused on his thought process behind the initial costume designs and how they will evolve in the second film, showing the characters’ growth.
Tazewell, himself, is no stranger to the world of “The Wizard of Oz,” having created costumes for Buchtel High School’s “The Wiz” at 16-years-old, using his mother’s sewing machine.
Then in 2015, he once again “eased on down the road,” designing costumes for “The Wiz Live!”
Each of these experiences prepared him to enter John Chu’s re-imagined Emerald City.
“It’s always changing because the players are always,” he said.
Tazewell prioritized keeping the archetypes from “The Wizard of Oz” movie, which can be seen in Elphaba’s predominantly black wardrobe, and remaining faithful to the stage adaptation.
“That in itself was a huge undertaking,” he said. “I think that both Nathan [Crowley] and myself and John, we all stepped up to the plate and we knocked it out, I think.”
Viewing his designs as a way to tell stories and express character emotions, Tazewell said conscious choices were made to create a contrast between Elphaba and Glinda’s growth, while embedding nostalgia for “The Wizard of Oz.”
“My main intent was to show, to provide a reality for these two young women that aligns with where they are emotionally and what creates that emotional arc,” he said. “Their emotional arc doesn’t stop, it’s really, in many ways just begun.”
To make these arcs pronounced, Tazewell drew from nature to contrast Elphaba and Glinda’s personalities.
Elphaba’s costumes feature a black color palette with detailed layers and ruffles, creating a texture similar to the Earth.
The Earth texture creates a contrast when Elpahaba takes to the sky during “Defying Gravity,” which Tazewell said was a big moment for her character and growth.
Both Elphaba’s and Glinda’s costumes during the scene are reminiscent of the ‘30s, the same period when “The Wizard of Oz” was released.
The ‘30s inspiration can demonstrate how, before defying gravity, Elphaba felt constricted by her Earth surroundings and gained freedom in the sky.
For Glinda’s costumes, Tazewell utilized shifting fabric and ombre to create a bubble-like effect, representing how “the sensibility of Glinda” was more air-born.
Her bubble dress received a pink makeover to further invoke a bubble image. Plus, Tazewell was able to layer the dress’s pink fabric to create an ombre.
This bubble imagery and Glinda’s flowy costumes can represent the character’s initial naivety, having her head in the clouds and prioritizing image over authenticity. This then provides further contrast against Elphaba’s down-to-earth, caring personality.
From the opportunities “Wicked” presented him, Tazewell remains grateful and optimistic for what will come next in his career.
“Being asked to approach the world of ‘Wicked/ The Wizard of Oz’ and to now be embraced in the culture of ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ‘The Great Wizard of Oz,’ it’s absolutely life changing,” he said. “I hope that it continues.”
Tazewell is looking forward to showing viewers how Elphaba and Glinda have changed since their first introductions and days at Shiz with “Wicked: For Good,” preparing to hit screens Nov. 21, 2025.
“I hope that everyone embraces the second part, ‘Wicked: For Good,’ and is swept up in what happens to these amazing women and how they continue with their lives,” he said. “That is what’s beautiful about this story as well, is they’re very, very real emotions.”