When Paul Tazewell was hired as the costume designer for Badhe knew this would be the opportunity of a lifetime. “The fantasy aspect and the way our director, Jon Chu, wanted to tell the story opened up a wide opportunity for creativity,” says the prolific Tony and Emmy-winning designer who was nominated for an Academy Award for Steven Spielberg’s film Westside story.

The opportunity of a lifetime is a tall order for Tazewell, who has been designing costumes for 30 years and working in every medium from Broadway shows to films, TV and opera. His credits include Hamilton, Suffs, Ain’t Too Proud, MJ, Death Gets Her, The Wiz! Live, Jesus Christ Superstar Live! in concert with John Legend, and so on.

The highly anticipated film from Universal Pictures tells the backstory of the witches of Oz. There’s Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) forging a complex, multi-layered connection before and after Dorothy enters. And Tazewell was commissioned to create more than 1,000 costumes with the help of more than 70 people with a wide range of skills. in eight workshops at any time.

Tazewell sees himself as a kind of conduit between actor and character. The outfit, where the actors test out their costumes, plays a key role in helping them build who they become. “For me, the fitting room is a sacred space, where people can be vulnerable,” says Tazewell. “We’re figuring out how the actor visually sees himself as the character he’s going to play. And I’m here to help them get to that place, by providing visual options to help them take on these roles. He added that both Erivo and Grande were not only wonderful to work with and dedicated to the film, but they always wore something fabulous to the fittings.

The experience of working on Badwhich will be released in two parts, the first part on November 22, 2024 and the second in November 2025, was transformative for Tazewell. “The vast expanse of the world we created gave me the opportunity to expand creatively in a huge way,” says the designer who worked on the project for two years. “I am forever changed by all the amazing talent involved in making this film, from the outstanding costume makers to the epic cast.”

From Elphaba’s asymmetrical power hat to Glinda’s dreamy bubble dress, Tazewell shared some of his favorite looks from the film and their backstories.

Elphaba’s Power Hat:

“Elphaba’s hat is one of the most iconic elements. It is based on our cultural icon of the witch’s hat and refers to the Wicked Witch of the West. I was able to transform it into something with a strong story element.

When I started figuring out what it was going to be, part of the idea was inspired by John Chu saying he wanted to start the film with a long shot on the hat and he would go into that. From afar it is a triangular formation that could be a mountain or architecture. You only know exactly what you see when you are on top of it. That was part of the inspiration for texturing the surface and part of the shape. It is not a perfectly pointed symmetrical hat, but has been given more personality. Also, the hat carries power for Elphaba and her self-realization. When she puts on the hat, she transforms.”

Elphaba’s dress when she meets the wizard:

“Elphaba’s Emerald City dress features micro-pleated chiffon applied in a flowing wave pattern. When you are far away, it almost looks like it is velvet. As you get closer you see that it is a textured and flowing wave pattern that wraps around her body, while the silhouette remains very pristine overall. It has strong shoulders, a drawn waist and flows into the skirt that moves in space. I really love this piece and am so happy with how it came out.

Glinda’s dress as she floats into Munchkinland:

“Glinda’s pink bubble dress is a technical feat of dressmaking. I worked with our tailor in London to create a pink iridescent sculptural shape that would lie on iridescent and translucent fabrics that float. It speaks to the bubble she rides into Munchkinland at the beginning of the film. All elements involved were very involved.

The original inspiration for the pink bubble dress was inspired by the iconic Glinda from the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, designed by Adrian and worn by Billie Burke. I’ve carried over the same distinctive pink that I used throughout the rest of Glinda’s color story. It was also important to mirror the silhouette of that dress in the bubble, with the silhouette I created for our own iconic Glinda.

I wanted to achieve the sculptural quality with a clean silhouette that required specific support from below without adding weight. Underneath, a light crinoline petticoat was designed, adding the spiral shapes of layered starched net and silk organza to create the sheer surface of the skirt and bodice. Each of the coils has support on the inside to ensure it keeps its shape. Each of the shirt spirals is individually printed with a swirling bubble pattern which is then covered in a discreet print and embellished with crystal beads and iridescent sequins. The bodice is studded with swirls of beads and crystals and finished with a butterfly neckline that accentuates Ariana’s beautiful shoulders and neck.”

Glinda’s crown:

“The bubble dress is finished with the bubble crown which I absolutely love. It is silver covered with diamanté. The crown refers to the spiral and cluster of bubbles as it wraps around Glinda’s head.’

Nessarose slippers:

“Another one of my favorite pieces are Nessarose’s silver and diamond slippers, which I am giving her as a gift. It refers to the tornado of The Wizard of Oz. The heel swirls up, crystallizes and then wraps around the foot with spiral waves encapsulated in the feet of Nessarose (Marissa Bode). It is an iconic piece that reflects the ruby ​​slipper and the importance we attach to it. Then it turns into something that directly references the original silver shoe in the novel. The shoes are in line with the original story and the film.”

Glinda’s dressing gown:

“I had the opportunity to design all aspects for the Glinda and Elphaba characters, and one of them was nightwear. As I thought about what it would be for Glinda, I decided to look at the glamor of Hollywood and then think about how I would evoke that within the world of Glinda’s sensibility. With that, I delved into my spiral images as reflected in the rounded shapes on the shoulders and hem, and combined that with the ruffles as a hint of the pink dress in the original Wicked Broadway production. We completely redesigned it as a polka dot net dressing gown and a custom embroidered silk charmeuse teddy bear. I finished that off with satin slippers with a curled toe.”