The Who What Wear Podcast

Episode: Paul Tazewell Returns! The Wicked: For Good Costume Designer on the Significance of Silhouettes and Creating Reality Within a Fantasy

Date: December 3, 2025
Host: Tara Gonzalez (Senior Fashion and Social Editor, Who What Wear)
Guest: Paul Tazewell (Costume Designer, Wicked: For Good)

Episode Overview

In this episode, costume designer Paul Tazewell joins host Tara Gonzalez to discuss his work on "Wicked: For Good," the second installment of the film adaptation starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Tazewell delves into his creative process, exploring how costume reveals—or conceals—the identity and growth of the iconic witches, Glinda and Elphaba. He reveals inspirations, hidden nods to past interpretations, and the practical as well as symbolic choices underlying his fantastical designs. The episode also touches on his historic Oscar win, the collaborative relationship with actors, and an upcoming costume design exhibit.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Costume as Character Evolution

Elphaba’s Journey & Power

• Setting the Stage: "When we pick up with Wicked for Good, we are about a year after Elphaba jumps through the window with cape and hat and broom in hand and sings defying gravity. This is that climactic moment where she is really taking hold of all her power, all of her self confidence..." (01:49)
• Design Choices: Tazewell describes evolving Elphaba into a heroic, empowered figure with sweeping coats and trousers, "dramatic shoes and a broad brim pointed hat," echoing and expanding on classic witch archetypes. (01:49-03:45)
• Purpose: The look balances her vilification (by the world of Oz) with her actual savior-like nature. The "organic but self empowered woman that she's matured into." (01:49-03:45)

Glinda’s Constrained Perfection

• Transformation in Oz: "For Glinda, we realize how she has become, you know, a bird in a cage. I mean she's become a propagandist figure of goodness...dressed impeccably in an elegant kind of Hollywood glamour." (01:49)
• Hollywood & Royal Cues: Tazewell draws from Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Marie Antoinette to create Glinda’s persona of alluring fantasy femininity—"sweeping skirt," "bell shaped silhouette," and "sparkling bodice...encrusted with glass beads and crystals." (07:42)
• The Symbol of the Bubble: Both a literal transport and a sartorial symbol of her detachment and idealized image. (01:49, 07:42)

2. Exploring Silhouette, Perception, and Power

• Elphaba’s Archetype Challenged: Tazewell reformulates the recognizable black silhouette to convey power—"a coat that has texture that feels organic, which aligns her with nature," and a swaggering hat reminiscent of the original 1939 film, but reimagined. (04:08)

• Quote: "[The boots] accentuate this idea of power, this idea of athleticism, this idea of being a savior really, for the group of animals." (04:08)

• Societal Perception: The citizens of Oz "only look as far as the surface," misreading the empowered silhouette as threatening—mirroring themes of prejudice and misunderstanding. (04:08)

• Contrast with Glinda: Her perfection is intentionally "almost too perfect," with intentionally artificial qualities—"layer upon layer of tulle and all of the sparkling and glitter and foiling that we're doing in all of her clothes." (07:42)

• Quote: "I was tapping into the idea of Hollywood glamour...the fragile nature of how femininity was presented in that period." (07:42)

3. Notable Costume Moments

Glinda’s Wedding Dress

• Inspired by royal weddings, yet edited for vulnerability—"a very simple, asymmetrical sweetheart neckline...focused on her and her face and her expression and where she is in that moment." (10:07)
• Underdress & Sheer Overlay: A lavender lace peignoir with butterfly patterns, recreating symmetry between Glinda and Elphaba in a key emotional scene (11:40).
• Quote: "It was a little wink to the popular peignoir that she wears pink...But this is the serious version of that." (11:40)

Where Do the Clothes Come From?

• Glinda: "Her clothing is bespoke and she has access to anything… access to the best tailors and beaders of Emerald City." (14:19)
• Elphaba: Draws from her practical, Munchkinland-maker roots; upcycles old garments, crafts or even magics her own; look for upcycling and recycled motifs. (14:19)

Intimate Vulnerability:

• Elphaba’s handknit underwear and robe, crafted to evoke her forest home and reveal her comfort in her own skin—"it's almost as if she's wearing her surroundings within her lair." (14:19)
• Quote: "You actually engage with her skin very directly. I mean, you see that she's fully green. You see that she is very proud of her skin tone, really." (14:19)

4. Final Looks: Resolution and Growth

• Elphaba sheds her "wicked witch" uniform for something "softer...that suggests a very clear evolution."
• Glinda moves toward authentic leadership, returning to her classic pink bubble dress but wielding it now with true self-possession. (18:34)

5. Reimagining Oz: Dorothy, the Tin Man, and Iconic Imagery

The Tin Man’s Transformation

• Based on original book illustrations—household items assembled to form the Tin Man, with real (not CGI) costumes and prosthetics for maximum tangible realism. (20:50)
• Quote: "Everything is tangible, everything is analog. You can actually touch it and relate to it...a world that feels as real as possible." (20:50)

Talking Animals

• Designed and built as functional costumes, considering the animal anatomy—"if you were to get dressed, how would this actually work? They're talking animals, they're wearing clothing, but it's still grounded." (23:51)

Silver Slippers, Not Ruby

• Shoes reference the original book ("The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"), not the 1939 film, for both creative and legal reasons.
• Quote: "The heel creates a tornado...the imagery that wraps around the foot is like the winds of a tornado...a witty way to tell that story." (24:37)
• Maintains striped socks motif and blue bobby socks for Dorothy, nodding to classic film imagery in new ways. (24:37)

6. Breaking Barriers: Oscar Win and Its Impact

• Tazewell reflects on becoming the first Black man to win Best Costume Design at the Oscars (and only the second Black person after Ruth Carter). (26:52)
• Quote: "You know, we're paving ground for others that look like us...it's so very important. It defines what I prioritize as I move through life." (27:20)

7. Collaboration with Cast

• Emphasizes partnership with Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
• 3-hour fittings, 3 times a week, were key: "It's when I'm engaging in an intimate way with how they want to play the role so that I can make sure that it aligns with all the decisions that they're making..." (29:08)
• Quote: "Those capes, there are amazing silk and velvet capes that we created that only Cynthia could throw them around in the way that she does. I mean, she's a master..." (29:08)

8. Cultural Impact & Fandom

• Celebrates seeing fans reinterpret film costumes and seeing Grande and Erivo incorporate character-inspired looks into their public appearances. (31:44)
• Quote: "They are expressive through clothing, and it's just an honor to have the adjacency of the two of them that are so smart about how they dress themselves..." (32:02)

9. Upcoming Exhibit

• Tazewell’s exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago opens January 19 and runs through Labor Day.
  • Will feature work from "Wicked," historical context, and explorations of the line between costuming and fashion. (33:26)
• Goal: "To raise up and shine a light on the world of costumes so that we value collectively the world of costumes and what they bring to the art of storytelling." (33:26)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Elphaba and Perception:
  "It is how I balance that. Creating her as an attractive person who happens to like black versus someone who is vilified. So it allows for them to see a silhouette and make their own interpretation of it..." – Paul Tazewell (04:08)

• On Glinda’s Strategic Femininity:
  "That is her secret sauce is...she presents a persona that's very enticing for the Ozians. I'm using those silhouettes in a very intentional way..." (07:42)

• On Craft & Reality in Fantasy:
  "Everything is tangible, everything is analog. You can actually touch it and relate to it, and it allows for the audience to immerse themselves into this world that feels as real as possible." (20:50)

• On His Oscar Win:
  "I am so honored to join Ruth in that...we're paving ground for others that look like us and otherwise to see us as an inspiration." (27:20)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:49 – Paul Tazewell describes Elphaba and Glinda’s new arcs and looks
• 04:08 – Balancing perception vs. reality in Elphaba’s silhouette
• 07:42 – Glinda’s calculated perfection and design inspirations
• 10:07 – The symbolism and design of Glinda’s wedding dress
• 14:19 – Where the witches’ clothes “come from” within Oz
• 18:34 – Significance of the final looks for Elphaba and Glinda
• 20:50 – Bringing Dorothy, Tin Man, and other classic characters to life
• 24:37 – Why the slippers are silver, not ruby; balancing homage and originality
• 26:52 – Tazewell’s historic Oscar win and its importance
• 29:08 – Collaborating intimately with Erivo and Grande to craft character
• 33:26 – Details on Tazewell’s upcoming costume design exhibit in Chicago

Tone & Takeaways

Paul Tazewell’s conversation is thoughtful, technical, and celebratory, blending deep respect for tradition with bold creativity. He honors black achievement in costuming and emphasizes the emotional, narrative power of clothing in film. The episode offers both behind-the-scenes insight for fashion fans and a moving testament to the power of visual storytelling.

For further info:

• See Tazewell’s costumes in "Wicked: For Good" now in theaters
• Visit his exhibit at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, opening January 19 (through Labor Day)