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Ruth E. Carter
Ruth E. Carter by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Carter in March 2018
Born (1960-04-10) April 10, 1960 (age 64)
Alma mater Hampton University (BA)
Occupation Costume designer
Years active 1982–present

Ruth E. Carter (born April 10, 1960) is an American costume designer for film and television. She is best known for her collaborations with Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Ryan Coogler. During her film career, Carter has been nominated four times for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, for her work on Lee's biographical film Malcolm X (1992), Steven Spielberg's historical drama film Amistad (1997), and winning twice for Coogler's Marvel superhero films Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She was the first African-American to win and be nominated for Best Costume Design and the first Black woman to win multiple Academy Awards in any category. Her other film credits include Do the Right Thing (1989), What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), Love & Basketball (2000), Serenity (2005), The Butler (2013), Selma (2014), Marshall (2017), Dolemite Is My Name (2019), and Coming 2 America (2021).

Early life and education

Carter was born on April 10, 1960, in Springfield, Massachusetts, in a single-parent household. Her mother is Mabel Carter, and she was the youngest of eight children. At nine years old, she began attending the Boys & Girls Club. Using her mother's sewing machine, Carter learned from the organization how to read and design simplicity patterns. She graduated in 1978 from Technical High School, Springfield, Ma. In 1982, Carter graduated from Hampton Institute, later renamed Hampton University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre Arts.

Career

After graduating, Carter returned to her hometown, working as an intern for City Stage's costume department and then the Santa Fe Opera. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles to work at the city's Theater Center. While working there, Carter met director Spike Lee, who hired her for his second film, School Daze (1988). She continued working on his subsequent films, including Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), Jungle Fever (1991), and Malcolm X (1992).

Aside from her work with Spike Lee, Carter also designed costumes for Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997) and several of John Singleton's films, such as Rosewood (1997) and Baby Boy (2001). She further designed costumes for the American television drama series Being Mary Jane on BET Networks, created by Mara Brock Akil and starring Gabrielle Union.

Carter worked on the superhero film Black Panther (2018), directed by Ryan Coogler. Deriving from Afrofuturism, her costumes were inspired by many traditional African garments, including those of the Maasai and Ndebele people. She traveled to southern Africa to draw aesthetic inspirations and received permission to incorporate traditional Lesotho designs into the film's costumes. At the 91st Academy Awards, she won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, making her the first Black woman to win the Academy Award in the category.

In 2021, Carter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the film category.

In 2023, Carter won her second Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). During her acceptance speech, Carter dedicated her win to her mother, who had died during the prior week at the age of 101. Also in 2023, the North Carolina Museum of Art hosted an exhibit displaying more than sixty of Carter's original garments.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Director
1988 School Daze Spike Lee
I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Keenen Ivory Wayans
1989 Do the Right Thing Spike Lee
1990 Mo' Better Blues
1991 House Party 2 Doug McHenry
George Jackson
Jungle Fever Spike Lee
The Five Heartbeats Robert Townsend
1992 Malcolm X Spike Lee
1993 The Meteor Man Robert Townsend
1993 What's Love Got to Do with It Brian Gibson
1994 Cobb Ron Shelton
Crooklyn Spike Lee
Surviving the Game Ernest R. Dickerson
1995 Money Train Joseph Ruben
Clockers Spike Lee
1996 The Great White Hype Reginald Hudlin
1997 B*A*P*S Robert Townsend
Rosewood John Singleton
Amistad Steven Spielberg
1999 Summer of Sam Spike Lee
2000 Price of Glory Carlos Ávila
Love & Basketball Gina Prince-Bythewood
Shaft John Singleton
Bamboozled Spike Lee
2001 Baby Boy John Singleton
Dr. Dolittle 2 Steve Carr
2002 I Spy Betty Thomas
2003 Daddy Day Care Steve Carr
2004 Against the Ropes Charles S. Dutton
2005 Serenity Joss Whedon
Four Brothers John Singleton
2009 Spread David Mackenzie
2012 Sparkle Salim Akil
2013 Teen Beach Movie Jeffrey Hornaday
Oldboy Spike Lee
The Butler Lee Daniels
2014 The Best of Me Michael Hoffman
Selma Ava DuVernay
Da Sweet Blood of Jesus Spike Lee
2015 Chi-Raq
2016 Keeping Up with the Joneses Greg Mottola
2017 Kidnap Luis Prieto
Marshall Reginald Hudlin
2018 Black Panther Ryan Coogler
2019 Above Suspicion Phillip Noyce
Dolemite Is My Name Craig Brewer
2021 Coming 2 America
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Ryan Coogler
2025 Blade Yann Demange

Television

  • Being Mary Jane (2013–2019)
  • Roots (2016)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1992 Academy Awards Best Costume Design Malcolm X Nominated
1997 Amistad Nominated
2018 Black Panther Won
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Won
2015 Costume Designers Guild Awards Excellence in Period Film Selma Nominated
2018 Excellence in Fantasy Film Black Panther Won
2019 Excellence in Period Film Dolemite Is My Name Nominated
2021 Excellence in Contemporary Film Coming 2 America Won
2016 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited Series Roots Nominated
2018 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Costume Design Black Panther Won
2019 Dolemite Is My Name Won
2021 Coming 2 America Nominated
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Won
2018 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Costume Design Black Panther Won
2019 Dolemite is My Name Won
2022 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Won
  • 2002: American Black Film Festival, Career Achievement Award
  • 2015: Essence, 2015 Black Women in Hollywood Award at the 8th Annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon
  • 2019: Costume Designers Guild, Career Achievement Award
  • 2019: Suffolk University, Honorary Degree - Doctor of Humane Letters
  • 2020: SDFCS Awards, Best Costume Design, Dolemite Is My Name
  • 2020: Satellite Awards, Best Costume Design, Dolemite Is My Name
  • 2023: FashFilmFete, Costume Design Career Achievement Award in Film

See also

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