Paul Tazewell is flying high and defying Academy Award records. The Wicked costume designer became the first Black male to win in the category after picking up the Oscar for Best Costume Design Sunday night.
Speaking backstage to the press at the Oscars, Tazewell said, “This is the pinnacle of my career. I’ve been designing costumes for over 35 years. First on Broadway and now in film. There was never a Black male designer that I saw that I could follow; that I [could] see as inspiration. And 1740967364 I realize that it’s actually me.”
Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu, follows the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a young woman misunderstood because of her unusual green skin and tremendous ability of magic power. Gilded by privilege and cunning, Glinda (Ariana Grande) is a popular young woman who desires to wield magic. When the two meet as students at Shiz University in Oz it spawns a rivalry that turns into a profound friendship.
Reflecting on his work in the two part the musical spectacular, Tazewell said, “I was blown away because of how we were working. We were working on two films at the same time. It wasn’t until I actually saw a complete cut that I actually experienced the journey that we had created for audiences. So to experience that, I was beside myself and [it] defines why I am here in costuming.” Tazewell also went on to pay tribute to Ruth E. Carter, who in 2019 became the first Black costume designer to win for Black Panther, and then made another historical feat as the first Black woman to win multiple Academy Awards in 2023 for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. “There are so many female designers that are a huge inspiration to me… Ruth Carter, who has actually paved the way for desires of color.”
