TED Talks Daily | Paul Tazewell: Wicked's Costume Designer on How to Tell Stories with Clothes

Episode Date: November 18, 2025
Guest: Paul Tazewell (Oscar-winning costume designer for Wicked, Hamilton, West Side Story)
Summary Prepared By: TED Talks Daily Summarizer

Main Theme & Purpose

This powerful episode features Paul Tazewell, the Oscar-winning costume designer for the film Wicked and other iconic productions (Hamilton, West Side Story). Tazewell dives into the art and intention behind costume design, explaining how clothing tells a parallel story, influences audience perceptions of heroism and villainy, and serves as a subconscious language in storytelling. He examines the dualities, stereotypes, and provocations embedded in costume choices, both challenging and reinforcing cultural narratives. A brief Q&A with TED's Monique Ruff Bell follows his talk, exploring the evolution of costume design in upcoming productions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Subconscious Language of Clothing

• Perception through Costume

  • Tazewell compares his work not to fabric and sequins, but to "perception" and storytelling.
  • Costumes influence whether we are drawn to characters or respond with suspicion – all before they speak.
  • "My language is clothing. Through silhouette, color and texture, I shape how you see someone before they speak a word." — Paul Tazewell [04:40]

• Costume's Power to Signal & Shape Bias

  • Clothing establishes who is hero or villain, expressing emotional arcs and evolving with storylines.
  • Costumes even "tell lies" and illustrate growth or conflict.

Major Works and Their Costume Narratives

Hamilton: Reframing History Through Modern Eyes

• Challenge: Tazewell was asked to portray the Founding Fathers "through today's lens," specifically with a diverse cast.
• Techniques & Symbolism:
  • Neutral tones for ensemble allow diverse skin colors and voices to dominate.
  • King George III shown in exaggerated regality, emphasizing the divide between old world and new.
• Visual Storytelling:
  • Jefferson dressed as a "rock star" in loud purple, referencing pop culture to provoke and energize history.
  • Key quote on contrast:

    "That visual duality, modern bodies in period shape, versus one man preserved in all his pomp, is what makes the story...so compelling." — Paul Tazewell [07:28]

• Finale Symbolism: Both Hamilton and Burr stand "together, both in black capes, equal in power, equal in tragedy, balanced not in life, but in history's memory."

West Side Story: Dismantling Stereotypes

• Us vs. Them Narrative:
  • Jets shown in denim and sneakers, embodying blue-collar toughness.
  • Sharks in vibrant, Latin-inspired textiles, expressing aspiration and heritage.
• Blending Instead of Separating:
  • In the gym scene, costume colors "bleed together," visually mixing identities beyond simplified opposition.
  • "Even in conflict cultures mix, the borders are never as fixed as we pretend." — Paul Tazewell [09:32]
• The Deeper Antagonist:
  • Tazewell suggests the city's systemic forces are the real enemy, not the gangs' superficial differences.

Wicked: Questioning the Visual Language of 'Wickedness'

• Challenging Familiar Cues:
  • Iconic "good vs. wicked" visuals: Elphaba's black and green, Glinda’s pink and glitter.
  • Tazewell reframes: Elphaba as misunderstood, Glinda not always as kind as she appears.
  • "I wasn't designing stereotypes — I was designing questions." — Paul Tazewell [12:20]
• Personal Connection:
  • As a Black, gay man, Tazewell finds resonance in stories of “othering” and marginalization.
  • "Wicked isn't just about a witch. It's about anyone who has ever been judged without speaking a word." — Paul Tazewell [12:54]

Design as Commentary

• Memory & Culture in Objects:
  • Clothes capture makers’ fingerprints, ambitions, and biases — “They shape our identity. They create culture.”
• Final Provocation & Hope:
  • "Design is never neutral."
  • The idea that ‘wickedness’ itself is designed:

    "Because wickedness can … be designed. And if it can be designed, then maybe together it can be redesigned." — Paul Tazewell [13:50]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I can telegraph an entire emotional arc in the fit of a jacket. The fraying of the hem, the way fabric breaks down under stress." — Paul Tazewell [05:29]
• “Costume allowed me to underline that truth. The beauty wasn't in the separation. It was in the blend.” [10:52]
• “Why put so much care into costumes? Because clothing carries memory... These things are our costumes, too. They shape our identity. They create culture.” [12:45]

Q&A with TED's Monique Ruff Bell

[14:01] Bell: Will there be evolution in costumes for Wicked for Good, matching character evolution?

[14:17] Tazewell:

“Absolutely. ... To create a reality, even within the world of fantasy, is what helps people relate to the story.”

[14:36] Bell: Where will we see your magic after Wicked for Good?

[14:41] Tazewell:

“Oh, gosh, who knows? ... Look to Broadway first and then hopefully again on the big screen.”

Timestamps — Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|---------| | 04:12 | Paul Tazewell’s talk begins – defining the subconscious power of costume | | 06:12 | Hamilton: Reimagining history and visual dualities in costume | | 08:30 | West Side Story: Dismantling stereotypes with color and textile | | 11:12 | Wicked: Questioning villainy and ‘othering’ through costume | | 13:40 | Conclusion: The cultural power and possibility of redesigning “wickedness” | | 14:01 | Q&A: Evolving costumes and future projects with Monique Ruff Bell |

Tone & Style

Tazewell’s tone is reflective, provocative, and poetic, inviting listeners to examine their own assumptions about good, evil, and the “costumes” we all wear. The episode flows with vivid descriptions, cultural awareness, and a call to empathy and complexity—mirroring the transformative spirit of his design work.

For those interested in how clothing and design shape not just the stage but our collective perceptions and values, this talk is a fascinating meditation on the unseen language all around us.