Elphaba’s Dress in ‘Wicked’ Was Inspired by Mushroom Gills
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor As Paul Tazewell was conceiving design ideas for “Wicked,” mushroom gills served as an unlikely inspiration for Elphaba’s black dress.
The costume designer had stumbled across a documentary about mushrooms. Tazewell says, “I became aware of the beauty of different kinds of mushrooms because of the texture and different colors.” Tazewell was tasked with designing the costumes for “Wicked,” starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda.
The idea to align Elphaba with nature stemmed from the character’s history. Says Tazewell, “She is this little oppressed girl being called out because of the color of her skin and ostracized even within her family.” He added that because of her connection and allyship to the animal community he turned to nature to define what her look would be, and that’s where mushrooms became the inspiration.
Speaking with Variety, Tazewell says the idea was to “create a look and have it spring from a place of naturalness and groundedness which would be a contrast with what her power is and that she can defy gravity.” He adds, “It felt appropriate and how I wanted to represent her.
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