There’s a reason West Side Story remains one of the most revered musicals of all time more than six decades after its original release on Broadway.
Everything about the production is memorable, from the romantic music by the late Stephen Sondheim to the Romeo and Juliet undertones of the play’s tragic plot. And the production’s costume design is equally indelible. You can’t mention West Side Story without thinking of Maria’s delicate white dress and cinched red belt, Tony’s pale-yellow blazer, or Anita flouncing around a rooftop in a vibrant lavender number.
Now it’s 2021, and West Side Story is officially back again, but this time in a grander reimagining courtesy of director Steven Spielberg and with Tony Award–winning costume designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, In the Heights, The Color Purple) at the wardrobe helm. Tazewell’s work for the film centered around the themes of authenticity and community—especially since this version finally rights a wrong from the original 1961 film and casts Latinx actors to play Latinx characters.
“When I was asked to do this production, I knew that Steven [Spielberg] wanted to have a new vision for how he wanted us to tell this story,” Tazewell tells BAZAAR.com. “We arrived at authentically representing the city of New York [and the communities and cultures] that were present at that time.”
Below, we speak with Tazewell about his costume direction for the film, the subtle style differences between the new and original characters, and why accurately representing the cultures depicted is such an important part of the film’s legacy.
West Side Story is one of the most beloved musicals of all time. When it came down to wardrobe for the film, where did you even begin?
I was very familiar with West Side Story going way, way, way back to when I was a kid. It’s been a part of my relationship to musical theater and musical films as well. My research was all about looking at images and photography, and specifically the photographs of Bruce Davidson—mostly black-and-white photographs of New York gangs that he embedded himself with in the 1950s. I had an opportunity to see what the clothes were, and really study what those pieces were and what was their fit, and what were they drawn to stylistically. I also looked at period catalogues, like Sears or Spiegel’s or Montgomery Ward.
Because I’m a modern person, the film was always going to be seen through the lens of a modern person. It was always going to be seen through how I engaged with these photographs. If you really break it down from the original production and what they were wearing, that was their modern-day dress seen through the vision of the designer that was designing that production. I think we did a pretty good job of re-creating that.
Photo by Niko Tavernise
I love that you mentioned authenticity. Looking at the Puerto Rican characters, I felt like I was looking at old photos of my family. You really captured the essence of that culture more accurately than the original film version, especially through the wardrobe. How did you make that happen?
I so appreciate you saying that, because that’s always been very important for me. As a Brown person, as a Black man, I know how our cultures are represented and how my culture has been represented. It’s very important to really understand clothing choices known to be worn by Black and Brown people, working to fit not just into American culture, but largely Caucasian-American culture. I wanted to be respectful of the migrating Latinx community and how they were working to fit in at that time.
They’re styled more formally because it’s aspirational. They’re dressing to attain their own self-respect and the respect of other people. I know that’s true for the Black American community as well—the importance of shined shoes and pressed shirts and leaving the house fully dressed. That’s in contrast to the look of the Jets, who were coming from broken homes and really struggling. There’s also a certain casualness and comfort in being an American and being in New York City—the Jets are the only gang that I put in blue denim, because it’s an icon of America. I felt that that was very important to connect to them.
I wanted for the Sharks to be reflective of men that were holding jobs—though they definitely weren’t wealthy. They were dressing in the best that they had. They wore tailored pants and shoes that were broken in, but more of a dress type, as opposed to a sneaker. I was really trying to push them apart so that it was reflective of the community that they were coming from. Alongside that was the color palette—I kept the Sharks in a warmer color palette, which felt reminiscent of where they had come from and how they were re-creating themselves in New York.
There were some outfits that were easily recognizable this time around, but you also did a couple of switch-ups too. When you think of Rita Moreno, you think of her in the lavender dress for “America.” Now you have Ariana DeBose, who killed the role, of course, and she’s in this lovely, bright, vibrant yellow number. Why did you decide to switch that up?
That was a challenge—because I love that lavender dress. In our film, it’s in a different position when the song is played. For our version, the dress is worn for daytime; we’re on this tour of the city with Bernardo and Anita. Then you have the Sharks following behind them, and we see the relationship of that gang and their girlfriends, and what that community is, and the love that they have for Anita and Bernardo and for each other. I really wanted Anita to be like the sun—to be the center of that community and hold that kind of energy and exuberance that was then reflective of the rest of the neighborhood.
Photo by Niko Tavernise
There are also differing details between Rachel Zegler’s Maria and Natalie Wood’s. What were the little details and pieces that you were looking for to make this new Maria?
Rachel as a figure is very delicate. It was important to set Maria up as this young woman coming from Puerto Rico, trying to find herself and maturing into this new environment. The white dress is reflective of a confirmation dress, and then also stylistically, it’s something that her family has decided is appropriate for her to wear. With the addition of the belt—that was one of the changes from the original productions. When Anita gives the belt to Maria for the dance at the gym, it’s meant to be seen as a token of pleasing her and wanting her to grow and mature. That was a beautiful moment between the two of them.
Then when we see Maria go on her date with Tony, the second outfit looks like a blouse she could have brought over from Puerto Rico. It’s reflective of a traditional peasant blouse and has hand stitching that’s lovingly done, similar to something that her mother or grandmother might’ve made in Puerto Rico. But then, pairing that with a slim skirt makes it seem as if she’s trying to appear more mature and moving away from the white dress that is keeping her in the box. And then, when she adds a little red cardigan, she comes off as a very intelligent Latin woman who has her own mind—and is not afraid of expressing it.
Photo by Niko Tavernise
In a production like this, the music helps tell the story, the characters help tell the story, but so does the wardrobe. What do you think the wardrobe of West Side Story represents?
That’s the thing I love about being a costume designer. I’m designing to create a narrative that is unspoken, and I’m giving clues to the audience in subtle ways—or in very bold ways—to give these characters definition so that it all feels authentic. I hope it all feels true and plausible for the communities whose story we are telling. I also hope it touches people’s hearts, and that people remember the choices that I made, and that this new version of West Side Story will remain in their heads—that the new Anita and the new Maria will carry forward with this new way that we’re presenting the story.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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How Paul Tazewell Created a More Culturally Conscious Wardrobe for West Side Story
Source: Filipino Journal Articles
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