Ruth E. Carter

“During Black Panther, I came to the table with a knowledge of history, and I did research. Even with the latest technologies in costume design, there’s still that root of storytelling where you should ask— what is the raised print, and how do we express that in this African motif? In many ways, I brought myself into Afrofuture.”

-Ruth E. Carter, episode 341 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

For over three decades, legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter has created the looks of our most era-defining films. Today, we’re celebrating those pieces chronicled in her new book, The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture.

At the top, we discuss the current labor movement in Hollywood (5:03), Carter’s upbringing in Massachusetts (8:50), and a formative Langston Hughes poem (12:56). Then, she reflects on her early years in Los Angeles (19:45), the night she met a lifelong collaborator in director Spike Lee (21:52), and the process of making School Daze (25:49), Do the Right Thing (29:06), and Malcolm X (37:42).

On the back-half, Carter describes her innovative work on the Black Panther films (50:40), which earned her two Academy Awards (54:33), the enduring influence of her mother, Mabel Carter (1:03:10), and how she continues to tell the story of the Black experience through design (1:04:35).

School Daze, 1988
“Da Fellas”
26:50

Do the Right Thing, 1989
Radio Raheem Love/Hate Jewelry
30:34

Do the Right Thing, 1989
“The hottest day of the summer”
33:15

Malcolm X, 1992
Spike Lee and Denzel Washington wearing Zoot suits
40:19

Malcolm X, 1992
The softened color palette in Mecca
41:40

What’s Love Got to Do with It, 1993
Angela Bassett as Tina Turner
46:20

Black Panther, 2018
Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda
53:40

• • Show-notes:

    • Order her new book The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther.
    • See her film work in School Daze, Do the Right Thing, Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X, What’s Love Got to Do with It, B.A.P.S, Amistad, Black Panther, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
    • Learn about her traveling exhibition Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design.
    • Read the poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes.
    • Watch the Air Jordans scene in Do the Right Thing.
    • See Ruth’s 2018 Oscar acceptance speech for Best Costume Design.
    • Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
    • For more talks, hear our conversations with Tessa Thompson, Ke Huy Quan, Tom Hanks, Nikki Giovanni, Kehinde Wiley, and Toyin Ojih Odutola.
      
    • Order your Talk Easy mug in cream and navy or our vinyl record with Fran Lebowitz.

    Illustrations by Krishna Shenoi.

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