Goal Launches ‘Depraved’ Garments By Film’s Costume Designer Paul Tazewell [INTERVIEW]

Main as much as the large display screen launch of “Depraved” on Nov. 22, an unique assortment by Paul Tazewell, the movie’s costume designer, will land at goal.com at 7 a.m. ET Thursday and Goal shops on Sunday.

The 30-piece clothes line for adults and youngsters was designed by Tazewell, who acquired an Academy Award nomination for “West Aspect Story,” and received a Tony Award for costume design for the Broadway manufacturing of “Hamilton.” His different Tony-nominated reveals embrace “The Colour Purple,” “Within the Heights,” “Memphis,” “A Streetcar Named Need, “Ain’t Too Proud,” “MJ” and “Suffs.”

Within the “Depraved” movie, Ariana Grande performs Glinda, a well-liked younger lady who later turns into Glinda the Good Witch, and Cynthia Erivo performs Elphaba, a misunderstood younger lady born with inexperienced pores and skin who later turns into the Depraved Witch of the West. The film is being launched in two components: one this yr, and the second on Nov. 21, 2025.

Tazewell’s designs are geared round these two most important characters, supplemented by further “Depraved” merchandise. Friends can be immersed within the magic of Oz by means of the retailer’s “Depraved”-themed shows and shop-in-shop and digital experiences.

In line with Tazewell, his Goal designs are reflective of what he created for the “Depraved” movie.

“It captures the spirit of the look of the movie, whereas creating seems which might be acceptable for streetwear. Folks received’t be strolling round in costumes,” Tazewell mentioned in a Zoom interview. “That’s the problem if you’re managing a design that’s set in a fantasy world. How do you reinterpret that for every day clothes?”

Tazewell mentioned they captured a few of the patterns that have been within the movie. “The Shiz uniform stripe seems loads, and there’s a swirl knit sample that’s instantly lifted from the costume design. It’s a black and grey cardigan.”

The black stripe cardigan relies on the Shiz College uniforms from the movie. There’s additionally a “Depraved” “W” sweater for adults, together with children’ clothes, graphic T-shirts and a “Sky Is the Restrict” hoodie. Retail costs vary from $8 to $35.

The Glinda and Elphaba clothes breaks into two camps: sheer materials for Glinda and extra grounded and darker seems for Elphaba.

For the Glinda merchandise, Tazewell sought to seize an airborne feeling. “We try this together with her costumes impressed by the unique Nineteen Thirties movie [‘The Wizard of Oz’] however we additionally used numerous web and organza that has some transparency so it has that feeling of airborne and having the concept of the bubble that she arrives in,” he mentioned.

There’s a maxidress that may be paired with a sweater or brief hoodie with iridescent pearls on them. “For the kids, there’s just a little celebration costume that’s pink and has sparkles embroidered diagonally throughout the underside and a swirl lower flounce,” he mentioned. There’s a pink model and a lavender bubble costume with butterflies and one with butterflies within the print, a serious theme with Glinda.

“For Elphaba, as a result of her palette is darkish, we now have a whole lot of black,” Tazewell mentioned. “With Elphaba’s look, I faucet right into a extra natural and textured high quality in her clothes. We’ve been in a position to seize that in a celebration costume that pairs with the Glinda clothes as nicely. It has inexperienced sparkle glitter that applies to the skirts as nicely for the youngsters.

“I might in all probability say my most favourite is the cardigan that’s referencing the Shiz uniform sweater. It’s the identical sweater we now have on Elphaba so its very near my coronary heart,” Tazewell mentioned.

So what does he anticipate will resonate extra with children: Elphaba or Glinda?

“It will depend on the persona of the child. That’s what’s so great in regards to the line general. There may be an inclusive high quality about the entire clothes,” he mentioned. In truth, he mentioned he had on a inexperienced sweater that was achieved in ladies’s sizing, however it’s acceptable for a person to put on as nicely. “It’s very gender inclusive,” he mentioned.

Rounding out the road are sweatshirts and T-shirts with the “Depraved” emblem and “Defy Gravity,” which is a operating theme. There’s additionally the swirl patterning and the Flying Monkeys as virtually an Escher print throughout sweatshirts, he mentioned.

Jill Sando, Goal’s govt vp and chief merchandising officer of attire and equipment, house and hardlines, mentioned, “The magic of Goal’s method to model is that it reveals up in the entire methods individuals wish to have fun and categorical themselves, which is what makes Paul Tazewell’s assortment for Goal so particular.

“This unique assortment is about serving to youngsters and adults embrace fantasy in a wearable manner — with ‘Depraved’-inspired attire, equipment and sneakers which might be on-trend and reasonably priced at a second that’s so related in tradition. Serving to to make wonderful designers like Paul Tazewell extra broadly accessible is a superb instance of Goal at our greatest,” Sando mentioned.

Tazewell mentioned he “had a blast” designing for the movie and Goal. “The general technique of designing each movies that lasted for 2 years was a lifetime expertise. To have the ability to carry that into and share it with a bigger neighborhood is de facto thrilling,” he mentioned. Tazewell labored on the Goal assortment for about 5 months. He by no means had the chance earlier than to collaborate with an organization like Goal, which has achieved many collaborations with corporations like Disney over time. “This collaboration might be some of the in depth that I’ve ever seen, which opens as much as different merchandise as nicely akin to blankets, throws and pillows, together with nugs and the Mattel doll,” Tazewell mentioned.

The “Depraved” merchandise is focused to the youngest demographic, however it can additionally attraction to adults. “It’s a family-oriented story, and the primary focus and theme is inclusivity and self-empowerment,” Tazewell mentioned.

Goal may even carry “Depraved” merchandise by corporations akin to Lego and Mattel which go into all the main retailers, bringing the full at Goal to 150 inventory protecting items of “Depraved” merchandise.

Tazewell mentioned the road he created could be worn any time of the yr. “That’s the great factor. It isn’t restricted to Halloween. Whereas someone might select to put on it from Halloween, the main focus was to make it wearable for vacation put on, to put on it to high school and to be self-expressive. It’s extra acceptable for varsity garments and loungewear,” mentioned Tazewell, noting there are sweatsuits for younger women and men, together with slippers. “There are all kinds of clothes acceptable for any time of day,” he mentioned.

So how intently does it resemble the costumes he designed for the movie?

“They’re reflective of, however circuitously a replica of, the movie seems,” he mentioned. “Anybody buying the clothes, the garments can have some extent of reference such because the sheer web skirts and clothes and the butterfly costume, these have the spirit of Glinda’s clothes with out being a direct copy. They’re additionally in the identical coloration palette and have the identical high quality,” he mentioned.

The garments can be bought by means of the vacations, however received’t go into spring. However with one other movie popping out subsequent yr, it might open up one other collaboration. It’s one large story, divided into two components.

“I might love if they’d take into account that. We’ll see if that occurs,” he mentioned. He mentioned it will be nice to characterize a few of the different seems and characters.

As a dressing up designer, Tazewell mentioned it’s laborious to beat the “Depraved” expertise.

“This sort of movie provides you the chance to actually explode and create a world that’s actually magical,” he mentioned. “To have the chance to design the clothes for it’s the place my coronary heart lives,” he mentioned.

Tazewell mentioned each Goal and Common representatives approached him about designing a set. “We have been working fairly intently to formulate what all of the seems could be, creating preliminary improvement and making ultimate decisions.”

Tazewell mentioned he hasn’t designed a style line earlier than. Most of his work has been for dwell efficiency or movie. An upcoming challenge is designing the costumes for the Broadway present, “Demise Turns into Her,” whose previews start Oct. 23 and can open Nov. 21. The present stars Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Christopher Sieber and Michelle Williams.

Reflecting on the general Goal expertise, he mentioned, “This was a tremendous alternative to enterprise into style as nicely — designing for style or designing towards development and what’s marketable. You’re tapping into the market and what individuals will really put on. It was vital to pivot the design concepts towards one thing that was far more marketable and might be on a regular basis put on. It has a broader attraction for that motive,” he mentioned.

“Halloween is simply sooner or later. We’d like for everybody to really feel comfy sporting this at any time,” he mentioned.