Paul Tazewell used his own magic to create the incredible costumes in “Wicked.”
But making one iconic outfit — worn by Ariana Grande’s Glinda the Good Witch — was not an easy feat for the 60-year-old costume designer.
“I would say that the bubble dress that we first see Glinda in was probably the most challenging and time consuming because it required so much engineering so that it would appear to float on Ariana’s body,” Tazewell told The Post in an exclusive interview.
Ariana Grande as Glinda.
For the Tony and Emmy Award winner, it was important to perfect Glinda’s bubble dress, which Grande, 31, debuts toward the beginning of Universal’s two-part film.
“We wanted for it to retain a buoyancy that would be reflective of bubbles and all that was kind of captured in the air,” Tazewell explained. “And then the embellishment and the layering of the different sheer fabrics, orchestrating what all that would be.”
He added, “There was a significant amount of research and development and figuring out how to make sure that there was support underneath. It was just all the way around figuring that out.”
Tazewell also named which of Cynthia Erivo’s on-screen dresses was hardest to create.
“For Elphaba, I would say that it is the Emerald City dress that she wears when she first goes to visit the Wizard. Because again, it is one that has a very intricate puzzle of undulating chiffon, pleated chiffon, that is laid on to it,” he said.
Tazewell continued, “The delicate hands of the makers who were able to craft that, I took a significant amount of time and figuring out what the overall shape would be and how it would best move and the kind of underpinnings that were needed for that as well.”
“And that’s just for this film,” Tazewell added, noting that he made more costumes for Grande and Erivo, 37, for 2025’s “Wicked Part 2.”
“There are so many other costumes and the trajectory of what their characters become into the second film,” he said. “With that, there are costumes that are just as amazing as the one that are in the first film as well.”
While it’s been Grande’s dream to play Glinda since she was 10, Tazewell told The Post that the pop star and Erivo never overstepped during the costume creation process.
“Both Ariana and Cynthia are huge fashion icons. They love clothing. They always look amazing,” he said. “It was very evident that the clothing was going to be very important for them.”
“That said, they didn’t have any preconceived notion of what they were going to be wearing, which allowed for me to present what my ideas were. And those ideas were developed first with Jon [Chu], so it was clear that I was creating images of these characters that were in line with how he wanted to tell the story. And then as soon as they arrived, we sat down and went through what I had designed and what their emotional arc was and how I imagined that they would carry through the two films.
They had some suggestions that were just in keeping with what their own sensibility was. Say with Ariana, she always loved for her arms and shoulders to be open. She wanted to have that kind of vulnerability. And it was very direct and a pretty simple process to shift the design towards what would feel better for each of the actors,” Tazewell explained.
Of all his “Wicked” costumes, Tazewell said the two that were hardest to make are also the ones he’s most proud to see come to life on the big screen.
“I love the Emerald City dress for Elphaba and also the bubble dress for Glinda. They’re all my babies,” he said. “It’s a cliche, but when you get into it, have the idea, you draw it out, you choose the fabric, you collaborate with the tailor to make it be the perfect thing, you work with all the people that have hands that are crafting and tailoring.”
“And it’s hard to separate myself from any of those moments. They’re all special.”
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