At their new Chelsea showroom, the cast was greeted by a plethora of tulle, silk, and ruffles in shades of pink, white, and black. For the gown Nichelle Lewis, a.k.a. Dorothy, wears, they referenced the JG Ballard story The Garden of Time. “The dress has many layers—the first is a caged hoop skirt made of boning, then two layers of ruffled tulle, and the top layer is velvet,” says Richie. “The black velvet references the main character’s garb in the short story.” The Lion Kyle Ramar Freeman’s outfit also references the tale through its color scheme. According to the designers, “the light pink color symbolizes the growth period from The Garden of Time, which represents a flourishing flower garden that is energized and full of life.” Its dramatic trailing cape required 28 yards of fabric, yet underneath it all is a simple double-breasted suit so Freeman can dance all night long at the after-parties.
For the Tin Man Phillipp Johnson Richardon, they made modern-day updates to a 1970s leisure suit, cutting it in ruffled ivory velvet and finishing it off with a posy holder brooch to hold fresh flowers at the lapel. And for the Scarecrow Avery Wilson’s ensemble, they used Tanner Fletcher’s signature pussy bow, exaggerating the design so its lengths drape down to the ground.
Designing outfits for the stars of The Wiz and for Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri was a challenging but thrilling opportunity that they couldn’t pass up. “We loved working with the cast,” say Richie and Kasell. “It’s always fun to collaborate with other forms of creatives. It inspires us to bring theatricality into our work, our shows, and most importantly our messaging.”
