Oscar winner Paul Tazewell explains meaning behind costumes of ‘Wicked’

American designer Paul Tazewell shared the thought and emotional depth he invested in designing the costumes for Wicked and its follow-up, Wicked: For Good.

In a conversation with PEOPLE Magazine, the Oscar-winning designer revealed the details and approach he used as he wanted the wardrobe to bring magic to the storytelling and immersive world of Oz.

Tazewell explained that every part had an intention, adding, "I also went to nature, elements of nature that are timeless."

He went on to explain the challenge to unify Oz's regions through the meaning of costume, while still honoring their exclusivity.

He added that "establishing a style, a visual style and a sensibility that was specific to the people of Oz," was key, from Munchkinland to the Uplands, where Glinda hails from, to the Emerald City.

"All of those lands needed to speak together," further adding that the emotional core of Wicked deeply helped his design choices.

He explained that the symbolic transmission was done throughout the sequel, making it essential that the world itself felt authentic to the audience, so that they could truly step into the fantasy.

“I think that the beauty of the story of Wicked is that these are very real emotions that our two main characters are grappling with,” he described.

'The idea of love, the idea of intimacy with Fiyero, are all told allegorically through these fantasy characters."

"I wanted to make sure that we were establishing a world that felt completely real in itself, that you as the audience member can walk into Oz and everything was answered, everything made sense."

The 61-year-old summed up his creative vision and shared his core thought, "It's not a cartoon of the world, it is the world. And that was a great joy for me as a designer."