The Carter Tour

Photos and Article by: Bill Allen

The Ruth E. Carter Afrofuturism in Costume Design exhibition is currently touring national museums, showcasing some of Ms. Carter’s extensive work and celebrating her groundbreaking contributions to fashion and film.

Ms. Carter learned her craft early, experimenting on her mother’s sewing machine in Springfield, Massachusetts. A proud graduate of Hampton University, she began her career working on several television programs, including the acclaimed Roots (1977 mini-series). In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles to work for The Theater Center, where she gained recognition among film producers and directors.

Director Spike Lee hired her for School Daze (1988), and she also contributed to Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo’ Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Malcolm X (1992). Her costume design credits extend to Steven Spielberg’s Amistad (1997), John Singleton’s Rosewood (1997), and Baby Boy (2001). In recent years, director Ryan Coogler enlisted her talents for Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). For Black Panther, Ms. Carter traveled to Southern Africa, drawing inspiration from traditional garments of the Maasai, Ndebele, and other African nations. She obtained authorized permission to incorporate traditional Lesotho tribal cloth patterns into the costumes, giving the film’s Afrofuturism aesthetic a rich, authentic dimension.

A pioneer of Afrofuturism, Ms. Carter combines historical and contemporary clothing with futuristic creativity. Her work on Black Panther and Wakanda Forever has earned her four Academy Award nominations, including two wins—the first Black woman to win two Oscars for costume design. She has over 50 film credits, received the 2019 Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award, and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021.

Looking ahead, Ms. Carter is a nominee for the 2025 Academy Award for her work on Sinner, which may also contend for Best Film of the Year at the upcoming Oscars on March 16.

The Ruth E. Carter Afrofuturism exhibit is currently on display at the African American Museum in Philadelphia. The next location will be the American Revolution Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia. Additional venues for 2026 have yet to be announced.