www.indiewire.com: There’s not a total divide between the world of film and theater costume design, but they are different disciplines. Sometimes that can be freeing when designing for the theater, which doesn’t require the base level of naturalism audiences usually expect from something shot on camera. But then the detail work that a camera can capture — specific fabrics, patterns, how just the right color reads onscreen — can be an essential component of film storytelling.
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One of the things I love most about costuming is how you can convey character and motivation to the audience without them even realizing. By incorporating mushroom motifs into Elphabas costumes (achieved through dark colors, micropleating, and overlaying different fabrics atop one another) designer Paul Tazewell subtly denotes Elphaba’s connection to the natural world. Her costumes are only mushroom inspired—there is a clear influence, but they don’t scream fungus—but some unconscious part of our brain still recognizes that connection and makes us associate Elphaba with nature. Tazewell also uses these pleating and ruffling techniques to convey relationship. Where as Elphaba’s wardrobe has tons of dark, dense pleats, Elphaba’s is full of bright, frilly pleats. It helps represent how they present differently but have similar values at their cores. Tazewell’s experience is mainly on the stage where you wouldn’t be able to appreciate these small details, so seeing how he adapts his designs to fit the conventions of film is really impressive.
I have read so much about this movie already and I just want to say that I am so excited to see it in theaters. I read about the scenic design which seems absolutely amazing so I was super excited to see that there was this article about the costume design for the new WICKED movie. I think that it is super interesting and incredible that Paul Tazewell, the costume designer for WICKED based some of the Elphaba designs for Cynthia Erivo off of mushrooms, and the interconnectedness of mushroom systems which is really amazing and actually super cool. These costumes look absolutely stunning and beautiful so I really look forward to watching this movie. I am so excited to see all of the design aspects come together and make this make believe world come to life. Design is so cool and beautiful, and this costume design is so smart and meticulous and it really shows through his past and present work.
Reading about this work, I am consistently gladly surprised at the level at which costume designers think to be able to achieve their creative vision in that the choices they make entirely guide the audience on how to feel about a particular character based on their clothes, yet the decisions they make are almost unnoticeable to the audience, only collectively creating the effect they want on the audience. In particular I am referencing the discussion around the patterning for Elphaba’s costumes wherein the designer was inspired by mushroom patterning from a documentary and decided to incorporate these patterns into the dress to provide a more ‘nature’ like feel for the character while not directly taking these ideas and making it such that they are instantly recognisable or tacky. This attention to detail and care for the design and character is what differentiates a great designer from one that just gets the job done.
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