Ruth E. Carter

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.

Carter won 2 Oscars for Costume Design for Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, making history as the first African-American in that category. She also made history being the first African-American woman to win multiple Oscars in any category. A 4-time Academy Award nominee also for Malcolm X and Amistad, she has 50 feature film credits including Do the Right Thing, The Butler, Selma, and Marshall and received the 2019 Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award.

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

Television

*'' Being Mary Jane'' (2013–2019)
*''Roots'' (2016)

Awards and nominations

* 2002: American Black Film Festival, Career Achievement Award"Actor Mekhi Pfifer and Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Honored at American Black Film Festival"
'' Jet'', July 22, 2002.
* 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

Bibliography

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References

Further reading

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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Ruth E.
1960 births
Living people
African-American designers
American costume designers
Artists from Springfield, Massachusetts
Best Costume Design Academy Award winners
Hampton University alumni
American women costume designers
21st-century American artists
21st-century American women artists
21st-century African-American artists
20th-century American artists
20th-century American women artists
20th-century African-American artists