A Wicked Time in the West
Do you remember when the Wicked press tour went viral last year? It’s likely that you were in one of two camps at the time: those who thought that the whirlwind “Journey Through Oz” was bonkers, and those who thought that it was brilliant. Personally, I had one ruby-slippered foot in both (yellow brick) lanes.
Whatever you made of the tears and the touching, one thing was indisputable: the fashion in part one of Wicked’s long-awaited adaptation was going to be beyond fantastical if Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande’s commitment to method dressing was anything to go by. If I was an Ozian citizen, I might even say that each and every look was utterly thrillifying.
With the release of Wicked: For Good slated for November, I started to picture the two leads landing back in London for another stylish round of press. Indulge me here, while I imagine a world where the duo takes a break from both the interviews and Munchkinland to enjoy a trip to Knightsbridge in character.
Temporarily renamed the Wicked Witch of Westminster, Elphaba would stroll through Hyde Park to stay and dine at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, where – as Fiyero predicted – her green skin would blend in with the lush backdrop of the dining terrace as the team behind Dinner by Heston Blumenthal whipped up delicious bites – such as the deceptive and ingenious Meat Fruit – beneath verdant, leafy calm.
Glinda, on the other hand, has started her trip feeling rather moodified, and is, therefore, in search of a tasty pastry. For the flakiest fancy, specialty coffee and food boutique, Co. London has the goods, or how about a suitably-girly Pink Hot Chocolate from The Knot Churros? She would later be joined by Elphaba, who would surely sip on a ceremonial-grade matcha? Sidebar here: ‘We need a pastry!’ is the best line in the film and I have been using it ever since, whenever I feel mildly inconvenienced.
Even though Co. London is set in its own hidden oasis on Park Close, slightly away from the buzz of the neighbourhood, it is just around the corner from Harvey Nichols. Leaving her bubble at the door to explore the landmark department store, Glinda falls so in love with the fashion on display there that she becomes a personal stylist and spends her breaks trying on every peach or pink dress in sight. After her shift, she relaxes in the pastel surroundings of Duck & Dry – opting for a gloss at the treatment bar to boost that signature hair swish of hers.
Glinda’s first professional task at Harvey Nics? Pick out the perfect pair of red shoes. She plumps for The Row’s leather ballet flats – expensive, but something of a steal considering one of the four surviving pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz sold for a whopping $28 million. Unlike the iconic (and copyrighted) Technicolor sequined slippers from 1939, the magical shoes in L Frank Baum’s original book were, in fact, silver. Both the recent movie adaptation and the theatre show stay faithful to the metallic origins –making something like The Attico’s pumps or Jimmy Choo’s jellies the next pair Glinda sells.
Lastly, Elphaba Thropp is about to defy gravity by stepping into the Paradox Museum (located right across the street from Harrods) and taking flight in the Zero Gravity Room. With a tagline like “exit reality, enter fun”, who can blame her?
This Halloween, things are getting wonderfully weird as the Paradox Museum London casts its spell over Knightsbridge. Step through the looking glass and into Once Upon a Paradox – an immersive journey where eerie illusions meet enchanted fairytales. Until 4 November, expect spine-tingling tombstones, haunted portraits, bubbling potions and wizardly wonders. Plus, follow clues, track down missing characters and complete your own spooky adventure for a mini prize. Even the Wizard of Oz himself couldn’t explain these tricks of the eye.
Francine Heath is a freelance fashion journalist. She previously held the title of fashion content editor at Net-a-Porter’s Porter magazine, and has written for Vogue, Refinery 29, i-D, The Telegraph and more.
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