Photo: Universal Pictures/Everett Collection
Any garment can make someone feel sexy, and at first glance, it seemed like a cardigan made Elphaba feel her hottest when she wore it with Fiyero as they confessed their attraction in Wicked: For Good. A few weeks after its premiere, Cynthia Erivo explained how the garment served a purpose deeper than just keeping Elphaba warm. “I just wanted to present an opportunity to see this character where everybody, at this point in the film, have seen Elphaba as the strong, fighting woman who is the Wicked Witch as someone who could actually, when on her own, be the opposite, when comfortable enough to be so,” Erivo shared with Deadline at an Airbnb event hosted at a recreation of Elphie’s retreat. “That’s what that was. I just wanted something that removed the armor for a second, while, yes, showing you a more sensual, more connected side of her. The aim was not to turn her into a sexual object, but instead a softer human being worthy of being loved and having an intimate moment with someone.”
Wicked costume designer Paul Tazewell further explained how the cardigan served as a “robe” in a world where Elphaba didn’t have access to Victoria’s Secret. “She’s got a loom in her treehouse, where she’s weaving her own clothing. She’s manifesting all these things from the elements that are around her, and the sweater is just in keeping with that,” Tazewell told NPR. “Now indeed, you could say, well, why wasn’t it a black, slinky peignoir? But where would she get … that? Well, why would she even have it?” Maybe one of the sequels can be about Elphaba learning about textiles.
