Paul Tazewell: I design costumes for film and live theater productions such as Broadway plays, ballets, and operas.
Core Art Standards: VA1, VA5, VA7
CCSS: R3, R5, R6
How do Tazewell’s designs support the characters’ personalities?
Universal Pictures.
STANDARDS
Oscar-Winning Wardrobe
Costume designer Paul Tazewell talks about designing winning looks for Wicked
Scholastic Art: What is your job?
SA: You recently won an Oscar for best costume design for Wicked. How many costumes did you design for the film?
Universal Pictures
Paul Tazewell
PT: More than a thousand! We filmed Wicked and the sequel Wicked: For Good, in theaters November 21, 2025, at the same time, so I designed the costumes for Elphaba, Glinda, and all the other characters for both films simultaneously. We set up a huge costume shop with more than 70 costume creators in eight different workshops. There were beaders, embroiderers, knitters, weavers, hat makers, tailors—I was in heaven being able to access all that talent! The entire process took about two-and-a-half years. We made costumes all the way through the filming of both movies.
SA: Was it challenging to design both Wicked films at same time?
PT: Every day was full of questions— ones I was asking of myself and my designs. There were also questions from all the different costume makers. I love adding details that say something about the characters. So there were always questions to be answered about fabric choices, buttons, embroidery, patterns, jewelry, hats—even what kind of shoe leather should be used. This kind of attention to detail defined the costume design for both films.
SA: What was your working process?
PT: I read the scripts multiple times and then met with the director to get a feel for the visual look for the films. After that, I researched and created a library of images that spoke to me. For Wicked, I explored images that fit a fantasy world—things like kaleidoscope patterns and swirling colors. I was also inspired by nature because of its connection to the characters. Referencing previous related productions—the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and the Broadway play Wicked—was also important to my process.
SA: How did you get your start?
PT: In middle school I fell in love with theater and the community it created. I learned to sew when I was in fourth grade, so I ended up designing and making costumes for many of the productions I was in. My junior year of high school, I designed a production of The Wiz. Then I studied costume design in college and graduate school. One of my formative breaks was working as a costume designer for the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. After that I moved to New York to design for Broadway.
SA: Can you tell us about your costume designs for Wicked: For Good?
PT: We have a lot of really fun looks! One thing audiences will see is the evolution of both Glinda and Elphaba. Glinda transforms within her elegance, while Elphaba undergoes a major transformation. You will see Elphaba’s look become more heroic and iconic, with a very strong and dramatic silhouette.
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