Award-winning costume designer Paul G. Tazewell to be honored at FashionAFRICANA’s inaugural gala
A costume is more than a piece of clothing to Paul G. Tazewell.
The fabric is a part of the character.
“I love the process, and I love collaborating with people,” said Tazewell, who has been designing costumes for Broadway, regional theater, film and television, dance, and opera productions for more than 30 years. “I hope I have honored the story (of the show) and each of the characters as honestly as I could.”
Tazewell is being honored this evening at the “Experience AFRICANISM,” FashionAFRICANA’s inaugural gala celebrating Black and African designers, artists, and more at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, Downtown Pittsburgh.
FashionAFRICANA was founded in 2001 by Demeatria Boccella, of Demeatria Boccella Productions, a producer and curator of style, culture and design.
It’s a multimedia event series and educational platform that explores Black beauty, culture and history through fashion and art.
“Our inaugural gala is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of the African Diaspora and the many contributions of Black creatives to arts and culture globally,” said Boccella, who is producing the gala. “We are thrilled to have such an incredible group of host committee members who are committed to promoting and celebrating Black creativity.”
Pittsburgh fashion designer Kiya Tomlin is the honorary chair. The evening will showcase and honor the richness and vibrancy of Black culture. There will be African–inspired fashion, live entertainment, and a curated beauty experience.
A VIP reception begins at 6:30 p.m. The main event is at 8 p.m.
There will be contemporary dance and music performances and a dance party.
Imane Ayissi, a Paris–based Cameroonian fashion designer, will make his debut in the U.S.
Artist Charly Palmer’s work appeared on the cover of Time Magazine for the “America Must Change” issue.
Palmer will join Tazewell in being recognized at the event.
“I want to be seen as someone who has made a difference,” he said. “I am grateful for this honor.”
Tazewell is best known for his work on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original Broadway production of “Hamilton.” Both the show and Tazewell won Tony Awards for the blockbuster.
He also won an Emmy Award in 2016 for NBC’s “The Wiz! Live.”
Tazewell, who lives in New York City, has a connection to Pittsburgh. The costumes he designed for the NBC television broadcast of “The Wiz Live” were displayed in 2016 at the August Wilson Center, Downtown. He collaborated with Boccella on that exhibit.
“My costume designs for ‘The Wiz Live’ is work that I will forever be proud of,” Tazewell said at the time. “I am so excited that people will have the rare opportunity to see my work in person at this exhibit, where they will see the fine craftsmanship and detail of these beautiful costumes up close.”
There is so much work that goes into making costumes, Tazewell said so to be able to showcase them in such an exhibit gives people a view they don’t get watching a production on stage or on television or a movie screen.
Tazewell has had the passion for theater and film since an early age. He designed costumes for his first full musical, “The Wiz,” as a junior at Buchtel High School in Akron, Ohio.
The high school’s performing arts program teacher, Arnold Thomas, who was also the director of the summer musical, invited Tazewell to design costumes for “The Wiz” and subsequent shows for the high school and the summer musical theater.
“I so appreciate Arnold Thomas trusting me with dressing the cast,” Tazewell said. “It is about bringing the costume to life. That experience was a huge learning process, and it was definitely life-changing. I come from a family of educators, and we value education.”
Tazewell has worked with The Metropolitan Opera, The Bolshoi Ballet, The English National Opera, Theatre du Chatelet, The Public Theater, The National Theater, The Kennedy Center, The Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage, Houston Grand Opera, and the San Francisco Opera.
“It is not just about performance,” he said. “Each path is important to your growth.”
Anytime he has an opportunity to work with young costume designers he does. Because he said he remembers a time being when there weren’t many African Americans in costume design.
While he doesn’t have a favorite costume, he especially likes creating history and period clothing. The process of all costume design is intriguing because he said it’s about blending the ideas of the designer, the director, the writer, the actors and actresses, and everyone involved in a performance.
He has a master of fine arts from New York University and a bachelor of fine arts from North Carolina School of the Arts. He has been a guest instructor at New York University and North Carolina School of the Arts.
From 2003-2006, he held a faculty position at Carnegie Mellon University in Oakland.
Being back in Pittsburgh for this event is special, he said.
“The expression of Africanism is amazing,” Tazewell said. “It is explosive, and I want to embrace its diversity more and share it with a broader community.”
Details: AFRICANISMgala.eventbrite.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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