How Cynthia Erivo Delivered Her Most “Wow Factor” Wicked Look Yet

Something Wicked is indeed coming! Anticipation is at an all-time high for Jon M. Chu’s adaptation, which opens on November 22nd, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. Over the past month, the two stars have been circling the globe to promote the movie-musical—with stops in Australia and California and with many more to come.

“It’s been really beautiful to be able to be with fans and watch their reaction to the film,” says Erivo of the epic press tour, which has been filled with plenty of major method-dressing fashion moments as well. “It’s felt like our little secret for so long, so to be able to share it with the world finally feels like a massive relief. There’s been such wonderful feedback to the film—and there also seems to be a really emotional reaction to the film as a whole, which is more than we could ever wish for.”

It’s Erivo and Grande’s special friendship, however, that has truly stolen the show: Whether they’re coordinating their high-fashion red carpet looks, or delivering tender interviews together, their close bond has been sweet to see. It s been a dizzying tour—and even bigger project—which is why Erivo feels especially grateful to have a friend by her side throughout the process. “We’re not alone in this—we can both experience this as a pair,” says Erivo, who marked the Los Angeles premiere of Wicked last night alongside Grande. “We can consult with each other and talk with each other through all of this. And that we can do basic best friend things like turning up and looking at our outfits, and realizing that we re in sync and realizing that the friendship runs deeper than we ever knew.”

Photo: @jonathanjacobs_

Speaking of outfits: At the Los Angeles premiere, Erivo certainly delivered one of her best Elphaba-inspired looks yet. Working with stylist Jason Bolden, the star chose a green vinyl Louis Vuitton gown with a feathered stole to match. “The LA carpet [look] for me is a such a wow factor—the color, the fabric,” says Erivo. “It just feels electric—[it lets] my character truly own the color green in such big, bold way!” While Erivo has worn many green numbers throughout the press tour, she says there was something fresh and original about this latest choice. “My stylist Jason had an idea about asking Louis Vuitton about vinyl, which normally isn’t the first go-to when it comes to a carpet,” she says. “I thought the fabric choice was strong and divine, which is how I see my character. We’ve also worked with LV on a vinyl look before that created a wow factor, so I guess we wanted to try our hand at that again and see what the reaction would be this time.”