Martin Izquierdo, Visionary Costume Designer Behind Iconic Theatrical Wings, Dies at 83

Martin Izquierdo, a theatrical costume designer celebrated for creating the striking feathered wings that gave a ghostly presence to the spiritual messenger in the Pulitzer-winning play 'Angels in America,' died on June 25 at his Manhattan home. He was 83.

His partner, costume designer John Glaser, confirmed that Izquierdo’s death was due to cardiovascular disease.

In the opening of 'Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,' the first part of the two-part play, the angel makes a dramatic entrance by crashing through the ceiling of a New York apartment occupied by a gay man battling AIDS, heralding the start of a monumental event.

Izquierdo’s inventive design and flamboyant imagination—enhanced by technical ingenuity—enabled performers Ellen McLaughlin on Broadway and Emma Thompson in the HBO adaptation to convincingly float approximately nine meters above the stage, framed by brilliantly backlit wings. These wings became an iconic element of the production, integral to its 'astonishing theatrical landscape,' as described by critics.

Born in Mexico, Izquierdo arrived in the United States in the 1940s as a young undocumented migrant recruited for agricultural work in California.

Though he never obtained citizenship, Izquierdo pursued his passion for art, initially painting theater sets before transitioning to costume design. In 1978, he relocated to New York City, where he established his own studio and dedicated nearly 40 years to creating costumes and accessories for film, theater, music, and fashion.