Costume Designer, Paul Tazewell is well-versed in the fashion world creating whimsical costumes for the recent blockbuster film Wicked. Now he is partnering with big box retailer Target to bring a magical apparel collection inspired by the movie. This moderately priced 43-piece capsule collection includes outwear, children’s dresses, shoes, and accessories. Many of the pieces are versatile and can be worn to the screening or throughout the year, especially during the fall time. Plus, you can layer several of the separates like the bubble skirt with the fleece sweatshirt or the pullover sweater with jeans to create different outfits.
Shiz-Inspired Cardigan
Speaking with Paul Tazewell for Essence he said “Many of the clothes needed to be wearable, so I chose a color palette that was reflective of the movie using dark green reminiscent of Elphaba with custom lettering along with pink to showcase some of Glinda’s style”. One of the standout pieces that I purchased from this collection is the Shiz-inspired cardigan. This features the Wicked letter logo in gold with the faces of Glinda in pink (played by Ariana Grande) and Elphaba in green (played by Cynthia Erivo) embroidered on the chest. This cozy knit uses a striped design with ribbing along the waist, wrist, and button front. The sweater has a medium weight to it with a napped, fuzzy texture.
I wore the graphic cardigan out to Art Basel events in Miami and received several compliments on how well it looked on me. This feels like a collector’s piece and one that I had to have and actress Cynthia Erivo would agree with me. She revealed in a Cosmopolitan feature that she also purchased Paul’s Shiz sweater from the collaboration. “The cardigan is probably my favorite because of how cozy it is,” says Erivo. Sizes range from an XXS to 1X and since it’s a wide-cut I highly recommend sizing down one. This can easily be a staple in your wardrobe and can be worn with black jeans or a pink skirt making it the workhorse of your closet.
For outwear, Paul Tazewell incorporates fleece sweatshirts, crewnecks, and cardigans that lean on using soft, breathable textures with a relaxed fit. When it comes to the bottoms many of the pieces look very playful and airy. My two favorites are the pink and green bubble skirt and the tiered tulle skirt that echoes the spirit of Glinda. Plus, you have the matching sweatsuit sets. This makes putting an outfit together easy and takes the guesswork out of what to wear in your closet.
The Collection
The Target Wicked collaboration also had a wide variety for children. This includes PJ sets, cosplay dresses, and outerwear for your little ones. Plus, the accessories like the ballet flats pair well with the fairy princess dresses and the slippers with the sweater sets.
The line includes an abundance of different graphic tees especially for the boys. Some of the t-shirts feature embroidered Wicked pocket patches and custom lettering of defining musical numbers like Defying Gravity. For women, you have racerback tanks with Arianna in her bubble dress and short-sleeve tops with Cynthia in her Wicked Witch ensemble.
“Designing for the mass market versus creating costumes entails a much different process. Several of the pieces for the collection needed to be multifaceted, so you could wear a Wicked shirt on an airplane or lounge in it at home” says Tazewell. Overall, the limited edition Target Wicked line has been well-received with stores selling out of many styles.
