Ruth E. Carter stands among her iconic creations from films like “Black Panther” and “Malcolm X” in her exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. Photo courtesy of Colin Grey.
MADDY BRODERICK | CULTURE CO-EDITOR | mbroderick@butler.edu
Ruth Carter, the acclaimed costume designer known for her work on “Black Panther”, “Malcolm X” and “Selma”, has made a lasting impact on cinema through her visually striking and culturally significant designs. She made history as the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for her work on “Black Panther” in 2019. Still, her career spans decades with numerous collaborations across various film genres. With over 60 film and television projects, Carter’s accolades include an Emmy nomination, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star and multiple awards for her exceptional contributions to costume design.
On March 22, Carter participated in a talkback at the Madam Walker Legacy Center in Indianapolis, celebrating her career and the impact of storytelling through costume design. In collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the event featured live jazz from Premium Blend and showcased local artists such as Nikki Blaine and Thierry Baptiste. Carter reflected on her insights and passion for creative expression through her talkback with Carolene Mays.
The Butler Collegian had the opportunity to speak with Carter before her highly anticipated talkback and grand opening of her exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. In this interview, Carter reflected on her career, the impact of Afrofuturism on her designs and the importance of inspiring the next generation of artists.
THE BUTLER COLLEGIAN: You began your career in theatre before transitioning to Hollywood, working with legends like Spike Lee early on. What led you from costume design into the film industry?
RUTH CARTER: My love for storytelling and visual arts drew me to costume design, and starting in theatre gave me a strong foundation in character development, which I carried into film. Navigating Hollywood was about persistent networking and saying yes to opportunities like working with Spike Lee, Robert Townsend and Keenen Ivory Wayans, which aligned with my passion for authentic storytelling.
TBC: How did you first get involved in costume design?
RC: I was in summer programs [as a teenager] that put on plays, and I discovered a sewing machine in my bedroom. [It] looked like a desk until I lifted the big leaflet, and inside of it was an old sewing machine where I taught myself how to sew. I had two brothers growing up who were visual artists. One was a pretty accomplished painter, and my other brother was a sketch artist. That love for drawing and sketching was in my household growing up.
When I took those two things and put them together, I was presented with an opportunity to do the costumes for a play by the time I got to college. I thought, ‘Maybe I do have the skill to do this.’ I went to the library and looked up what a costume designer did, and it said that they sketched the characters first and then pulled together the costumes. In my school, there was a costume shop that was unused. I opened the door, and it became my learning lab.
TBC: You worked in many different films, such as “Black Panther”, “Selma” and “Malcolm X”. Black Panther introduced audiences to the idea of Afrofuturism on a mainstream level. How would you define Afrofuturism in your own words, and how does it influence your approach to storytelling through costuming?
RC: By definition, Afrofuture is taking culture and then fusing it with technology. Afrofuturism is about imagining a future rooted in Black culture, identity and resilience. For me, it’s blending tradition and innovation to craft designs that honor the past while envisioning a bold and vibrant future.
I was introduced to Afrofuturism while working on “Black Panther” because the story is about a colonized place with advanced technology. I thought, ‘What an amazing opportunity to create this world.’ But, as I began to understand it better, I realized that when I was on “Do The Right Thing” with Spike Lee, Spike was [already] imagining the future of cinema and seeing these stories being told more authentically. He was using athleisure to tell this story, and he was a pioneer.
TBC: Your designs have helped redefine how Black culture is represented on screen. What impact do you hope your exhibit at The Children’s Museum will have on younger artists of color who may not have considered costume design as a career path?
RC: I find I meet many young people who want to go into fashion, and they don’t know why they want to go into fashion. As I listen to them, I hear they are storytellers and they want to bring their particular aesthetic to a wearable form. Sometimes, I hear that they’re not aspiring to be fashion designers — they really want to be storytellers and costume designers. So, I hope the young artists coming to see my exhibition see another path for themselves.
I hope this exhibition will show them that what’s even bigger than being able to sew or draw … is having an imagination. The imagination to build a visual story is seen in my exhibition, and I hope they see the history, Afrofuture, comedy and color and are inspired to say, ‘Hey, I think I’d like to try that.’
TBC: As a woman in a male-dominated industry, what kind of challenges have you personally faced in your career, and how have you navigated them to become the influential designer you are today?
RC: Thank you for that. I came into the industry and stayed with it through many iterations [and] changes. When I first came into the industry, people were conscious about women looking sexy and making sure we were always seen as these objects as opposed to having a multi-layered dimensionality about ourselves: we’re mothers, we’re wives, we’re career women who have families and are juggling being CEOs or [running] nonprofits.
In the past, I was asked to be narrow in my thinking about how to project the image of women in clothing, and I never subscribed to those images. I was always that girl who could see other women with the eyes of reality, see how different we were and see how some women were just fine not wearing dresses and others were okay with the same sweater on all week. I love that about dressing women; I can paint a picture that isn’t just objectified.
We didn’t have many stories that showed all kinds of ethnicities and cultures working together. I wanted to see how I could make each person interesting and not just a stereotype of their culture, as well as show more stories of friendship and not just romantic relationships. So, as the industry started to understand the relationships between people, especially women, it opened the door for me, but I was already doing it.
TBC: If you were to look back, what advice would you give your younger self?
RC: You’re on the right path. Things may not look perfect and seem challenging, but you will have an impact and one day see that this is leading to where you want to go.
TBC: That’s great advice. Many of the kids at the exhibit will probably walk away feeling the same way.
RC: That would be really great. Often, we think of an idea of what a profession would feel like or what the environment would be like. But I’ve been given a great story to do costumes for and got really excited about it, and then I walk into the room where they want us to work, and it’s a closet. How can I work here when I have four people to bring on board? This place is too small! That’s just a rudimentary example that things don’t always feel [or look] like they’re supposed to. But you can create your own world [and] environment, and then one day, you will get your flowers.
Ruth Carter’s exhibit at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is open to the public through Sept. 7, 2025. Tickets can be purchased through The Children’s Museum website.
