Marissa Bode'sWicked premiere outfits have been filled with clever nods to the land of Oz. She's worn silver shoes in Australia to reference the pair her character, Nessarose, wears on-screen; a timeless black dress set aside for London has flecks of Emerald City green. For the Los Angeles premiere on Nov. 9, she and stylist Alexandra Mandelkorn chose a shimmering gold Aknvas dress with metallic Jimmy Choo heels and Levian jewelry to match—their hat-tip to the Yellow Brick Road. But the most important part of Bode's Wicked premiere style isn't how she's paying homage to the movie. It's how she's representing herself.
Wicked is the first feature film Bode has starred in. She's also the first wheelchair user to play the part of Nessarose, the younger sister to Cynthia Erivo's Elphaba, in any production of the musical. As far as introductions to the movie-watching public can go, it's a monumental one.
Her red carpet outfits are a critical part of that first impression. "Since this is her very first time doing a major press tour like this, our intention was to establish a blueprint of Marissa’s style for the world to see," Mandelkorn says. "As a queer, disabled woman, Marissa has a very unique perspective on the world and we wanted her fashion to reflect that."
In their first conversations, Bode didn't have a single answer to the question of what she gravitates toward, style-wise. "My everyday style is a bit all over the place," she says. "But in the best way—I don't like to choose a specific aesthetic. I like to try a little bit of everything."
So the pair decided not to choose a single lane. Instead, they've used the through-line of a few timeless silhouettes—and the occasionalWicked reference—to get playful with patterns and colors. "While we absolutely love the pink and green theme of the film, and knowing Cynthia [Erivo] and Ariana [Grande] would likely be leaning into those colors, we wanted to establish her own palette," the stylist says. "Bright reds, teal, black, plaids and ginghams, denims, and metallics were our focus for this run." The vision came to life with a mix of established New York designers (like Prabal Gurung and Tibi) and emerging names including Adeam, Dorothee Schumacher, and Staud. "We also wanted to incorporate brands that have done an incredible job with consistent representation on their runways, like Collina Strada," Mandelkorn adds.
Bode's red carpet process also has its practical considerations: "One thing that was really important was focusing on what dresses look good and are flattering on me sitting down in a wheelchair," she explains. Some dresses have a lot of hanger appeal, but don't keep their shape in a way Bode likes when she tries them on. Experimenting with her team, taking test photos in fittings, helps her zero in on the dresses and sets that resonate on and off the rack.
The heart of the matter is choosing what feels the most like her for the given moment. "When I wear stuff, I like to wear it because I like to wear it, not necessarily because of one specific thing," she says. Her golden Aknvas gown let her tap into a fun, shimmery side she hadn't yet explored on the press tour. "I like the balance of being classy and chic, with just a little hint of coolness in there as well." Getting ready at W Hollywood for her Nov. 9 red carpet, she played up the dress's soft, golden glow with a twisted up-do by hairstylist Graham Nation, rosy cheeks and a mauve lip by makeup artist Cherish Brooke Hill, and a bubble bath manicure by nail artist Shelby Hile.
Bode still has a few more stops on the Wicked press tour, including a premiere in New York City. Whichever looks she wears next, "I think a message I want to get across is that just fashion doesn't have to be this thing that should be taken too, too seriously," she says. "I think fashion should be silly and light and playful. I think having fun with that at the end of the day is the most important thing to me."
When Wicked finally arrives in the theaters later this month, Bode wants audiences to walk away from their (first) screening with open hearts. "I'm excited for people to see various reflections of humanity in the film and very real themes that are very prevalent in the world today," she says. "And I think people can learn a lot from those themes as well, watching this film." Her red carpet journey thus far already comes with a message: True personal style is unlimited.
