Oscar, Tony and Emmy award-winning costume designer, Paul Tazewell, returned to Kent State Thursday, Sept. 18, to visit with students at the School of Fashion. Later in the evening, a public conversation was held in Cartwright Hall. 

Tazewell made history at the 2025 Oscars, becoming the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for his work on “Wicked.” He was also nominated in 2022 in the same category for “West Side Story.” 

Tazewell first visited the campus in 2017, where he spoke to students of Kent State’s School of Theatre and Dance and at E. Turner Stump Theatre.

The Akron native’s appearance on campus was a part of the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series, presented by Kent State University’s College of the Arts in collaboration with the College of Architecture and Environmental Design. 

The evening began with Kent State University Museum Director, Sarah Spinner Liska, welcoming Tazewell to the stage, where he humbly spoke about his roots, passions for performance and costume design that led him to work on various productions from Broadway, film and television. Tazewell graduated from Buchtel High School and was involved with the performing arts program, as well as the Goodyear Theater. 

Tazewell’s ambitions then led him to New York City, where he attended Pratt Institute and later transferred to The University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts and obtained a Master’s of Fine Arts in costume design from New York University.

The public conversation was moderated by Aleah Wright, a Kent State School of Fashion alumna and freelance beauty and fashion writer. Tazewell answered questions ranging from costume design, his aspirations for originally wanting to be a performer and his experiences of working on sets for different projects. 

During a media panel, Tazewell thoughtfully answered questions from local reporters and student media, including what advice he would offer to aspiring costume designers hoping to follow in his footsteps.

“I think that it is always the acceptance that it’s going to be hard work, and that it is not necessarily going to come easily, but with that, to hold to your passion and to continue to investigate why you’re passionate about what you’re driven to engage with,” Tazewell said.

He also affirmed that staying true to your talents and engaging with collaborative communities can cultivate those strengths in a positive way. 

Tazewell’s visit to the university fulfilled the role of both an inspiration and a mentor to students, emphasizing the importance of talent through authenticity and dedication to one’s craft. His presence demonstrated the significance of knowledge beyond the classroom and creative expertise.  

The Kent State Museum currently holds Elphaba’s and Glinda’s original costumes from “Wicked” from the NBC Universal Archives & Collections. The display is open to the public through Nov. 9 in the museum’s lobby.