Legendary Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Set To Get Star On Hollywood’s Walk of Fame

All the stars are aligned!

Legendary costume designer Ruth E. Carter is set to get a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, The Root reports.

Carter made history in 2019 as the first Black person and Black woman to win an Academy Award for Costume Design for her work on the 2018 Marvel film “Black Panther”. With over three decades of work under her belt, Carter is known for making films come to life. She has an impressive resume that includes her work on Stephen Spielberg’s “Amistad” and Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”. She also received an Oscar nomination for movies like “The Five Heartbeats”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Selma”, and the 2021 film “Coming 2 America“. 

She has received numerous accolades for her work, including a 2018 Career Achievement Award from the Costume Designers Guild Awards and a more recent fashion line in partnership with H&M. 

“Motion Picture Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame via a virtual star ceremony,” a post from the Hollywood Walk of Fame read.  

Carter confirmed the announcement during the February Fashion Week kick-off at the Black Design Collective x Runway 360 Global Showcase. Nominees were chosen in 2019, with each person having five years to schedule a ceremony. Carter took to social media at the time to share her excitement, saying, “All the STARS are CLOSER! Especially those on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! I raise my star, thankful for my life, to embrace the people who know my journey and are very proud of me and my work. And now that history is made, I raise my star as I am forever grateful!” 

While the ceremony will be virtual with people on-site and socially distanced, fans and supporters can still celebrate the iconic designer by visiting the SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta. The exhibit “Ruth E Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design” is on display until September 12th, featuring 40 years of designs with over 60 costumes designed by Carter throughout her career. 

The Wakanda costume designer recently spoke about her inspiration behind melding Afrofuturism and fashion in her work, saying, “I define Afrofuturism in a very humanistic way…When you see a protest march like Black Lives Matter, it’s people being empowered to change their future. It ties into systemic racism and abolishes that mindset. Afrofuturism is about trying to make a difference for tomorrow, trying to make a change.”

Carter’s costume designs over the years, from Zamunda to Selma, do just that, giving a tangible look and feel to the characters. She is always honoring the story while bringing an innovative feel to it that makes the work leap off the screen. 

For her near four decades of service, this honor is well overdue. The ceremony will stream on February 25th, 11:30 am on www.walkoffame.com.

Congratulations, Ruth!

Photo Courtesy of AMPAS/Jeff Lipsky