After traveling with a film promotion team and making appearances at movie premieres, malls and theaters, Ozian outfits and accessories worn by the cast of 2024’s Wicked have settled in at the Arlington Museum of Art.
The museum is the first to display Universal’s collection from the award-winning film with its “Wicked Threads: The Artistry of Costume in Oz” exhibit through April 27.
Director of exhibitions Kendall Quirk said it felt like “sheer luck” whenever Universal agreed to display the costumes as a long-term loan, including staple pieces from the film.
As part of the museum’s mission to provide accessible art to everyone, Quirk said the facility holds a space for free exhibits. Recognizing the excitement surrounding the film, the Wicked exhibit was next.
“This is a big name. Something that’s recognizable for people,” she said. “While we do have our Disney exhibition, that has an admission fee. To have something that’s equally as exciting, but to be able to make it accessible is what’s the best part about this.”
The exhibit gives fans the chance to see their favorite character’s most iconic Ozian looks off the big screen while celebrating the artistry behind each design.
Costume designer Paul Tazewell was selected by director Jon M. Chu to create the Ozian fashion. Tazewell’s hands have touched costumes across films, television and Broadway for over three decades.
“It’s celebrating the costume designer and it’s celebrating the story that has been around for almost a century now and has come up in different iterations, showing that it can still remain fresh and exciting,” Quirk said.
“Wicked” opened on Broadway in San Fransisco’s Curran Theatre in 2003. Just a year later, the musical went on to win three Tony Awards. Stephen Schwartz, the mind behind the music, wrote songs for both the Broadway show and the 2024 film.
Through six costumes, Tazewell tells his own tale of Oz through carefully calculated fashion choices. Each outfit is strategic in its composition with different color palettes that drive the style and creation of each character’s look.
“How they really showed a lot of detail with these costumes to tell the story is really impactful,” Quirk said.
Boq’s Ozdust Ballroom outfit is displayed next to Nessarose’s Shiz University uniform. Both costumes highlight the character’s origins, from Boq’s orange and red tones hailing Munchkinland to Nessarose’s uniform repping school colors.
“With the Boq costume, there are these really heavy pleats on the sleeves and on the pants. That’s not something that I noticed in the film,” Quirk said. “When we were dressing that mannequin, it was really exciting to see details that you didn’t see on a screen.”
Positioned in front of a wall painted a shade of “Sassy Grass” green, Elphaba’s mannequin wears the hat Glinda “Galinda” gifted her in the film and the dress she wore during her embark and triumph in Emerald City. Floating next to her is the broom Cynthia Erivo rode while singing the film’s final song “Defying Gravity.”
Lewisville, Texas, residents Stephanie Rosas and San Rodriguez initially came to see the Disney exhibit, but Rodriguez, who grew up listening to the Wicked musical as a kid, said it was important for her to see the outfits in person.
“It’s really cool to see all the details that went into it, because when you watch the movie, you don’t really see all the intricate details,” Rodriguez said.
Rosas said seeing the costumes and props makes the films feel more real. She would like to cosplay and recreate Elphaba’s dress and dive into craftsmanship to make her broom.
“I want to try and incorporate as much real wood and actual nature to it,” she said. “The big part of Elphaba’s nature is animals and nature.”
Showcased in front of a wall painted a shade of “High Maintenance” pink, Glinda’s mannequin wears her infamous bubble dress, covered in tulle, sparkles and sequins. Ariana Grande caught the audience’s attention with the outfit singing “No One Mourns The Wicked” at the start of the film.
Glinda’s wand and shoes accompany the dress, completing her look.
Although Glinda’s bubble dress is only shown for a short time, it is one of the most loved and admired pieces. So much so that Rodriguez said she plans on recreating it for a renaissance fair.
Next to Glinda is Prince Fiyero’s Ozdust Ballroom outfit. The piece is made up of geometric, military-like patterns and a royal blue fabric that represents Fiyero’s status in Winkie Country.
Covered in different shades of green and an assortment of lines, the Wiz-O-Mania Narrator’s costume resembles the elegance and complexity of Emerald City.
Being an artist in high school, Rodriguez said she loves going to museums, seeing the effort artists put into their pieces and the different ways art can be interpreted.
“I feel like I need to pay for this, because so much work and so much love went into these outfits,” she said. “It’s insane now that I’m thinking about it and seeing something that is from a franchise I really loved as a kid.”
@amandaLaldridge
