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How do you make a gown appear lighter than air - as if it's "defying gravity"?
This was the question on Paul Tazewell's mind as he set off to design one of the most iconic looks for Jon M. Chu's film adaptation of Wicked. The task? Glinda's bubble dress. About 20,000 beads and 225 hours later, he achieved the impossible.
"I know it sounds ridiculous, but it felt really lightweight and just kind of like a bubble itself," Ariana Grande, who plays Glinda in the film, said in a Variety interview. "It feels like the perfect representation of what Glinda's magic is, which is her ability to take darkness and figure out how to make it light."
The dress, which is currently on display alongside other Wicked costumes as part of Melbourne Fashion Week's Wicked Wardrobe Exhibition, exemplifies the genius behind Tazewell's work - work that earned him an Academy Award last year. He doesn't just design beautiful garments, he tells nuanced tales through silk, taffeta, lace and chiffon.