Paul Tazewell, the exceptionally gifted costume designer, has etched his name into the annals of Oscar history by being the first Black man to secure the award for Best Costume Design for the film, Wicked.
A previous Oscar nominee for West Side Story, he has already won an Emmy for The Wiz Live and a Tony for Hamilton. In the competition for the prestigious golden statue at this year’s Academy Awards, he beat fellow costume designers Lisy Christl for Conclave, Linda Muir for Nosferatu, Janty Yates and David Crossman for Gladiator II, and Arianne Phillips for A Complete Unknown.
Tazewell has had an outstanding awards season, winning the BAFTA, Critics Choice, and Costume Designers Guild awards. He was recognized as one of “Variety’s 2024 10 Artisans to Watch” in costume design, and received the Variety Artisan Award for costume design at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
Unlike other Oscar categories that have been recognized since 1929, the Academy Award for Best Costume Design wasn’t established as an official category until 1949. Tazewell is the second Black individual to win in that category overall. He now stands alongside the great Ruth E. Carter, who made history at the Oscars when she won for her costume design work on Black Panther in 2019. She also won again in 2023 for the sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
In his acceptance speech, Tazewell recognized the significance of the moment, stating, “I’m the first Black man to receive the costume design award…I’m so proud of this.” He expressed his gratitude to the U.K. team for their “beautiful work” and also thanked Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the leading ladies of Wicked, saying, “My Ozian muses, Cynthia and Ariana, I love you so much.”
Tazewell created over a thousand costumes for the film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Among his most memorable designs are Glinda’s bubble dress and Elphaba’s black dress.
For inspiration for the looks, he naturally started with the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz and thought about why Elphaba, played by Cynthia Erivo, wears black. He believed that while the black color makes her stand out in the bright world of Shiz University, he also said that it symbolizes her sadness over her mother’s death during childbirth. However, he faced a challenge in improving his selection because black material inherently does not reflect light, making its textures hard to see. “Much of the fabric’s detail gets absorbed into the color,” he explained.
To create the eye-catching surface detail in the green-hued character’s legendary black costume, he utilized felted fabric, gauze and chiffon. He drew inspiration from natural designs, such as Fibonacci-like plant growth patterns, tree bark, and the organic shapes found on the pleated undersides of mushrooms. He expressed that it was all about “interpreting that into fabric and texture.”
For Glinda’s most iconic look – the bubble dress worn by Billie Burke – Tazewell wanted to pay tribute to the original ensemble. He selected a softer, warmer shade of pink that became a unique design in its own right. Like the original, the new version featured a structured bodice that was hand-beaded and embroidered, expanding into a bell shape. But, Tazewell also aimed to maintain a translucent and glassy appearance, stating, “It gives us a lighter-than-air quality.”
As he accepted his trophy on Sunday night, he remarked, “This is absolutely astounding. Thank you, Academy, for this very significant honor. I’m the first Black man to receive a costume design award for my work on Wicked.”
It wasn’t immediately clear if the audience knew Tazewell would be making history as the first Black man to win in this category, but when he announced it, Lena Waithe, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande and others sprang to their feet, quickly leading the rest of the audience into a standing ovation.
Bravo, Mr. Tazewell!
