Iconic Designer Ruth E. Carter Set To Release New Book Chronicling Her Career In Costuming

This will be a keepsake!

Ruth E. Carter is an iconic costume designer who has left her fingerprints on so many classic Black films during the last three decades. From her work on Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” and Robert Townsend’s B.A.P.S., to her transformation of Angela Bassett in “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” and everything in between, it is rare to find a Black film landscape that Carter hasn’t touched. 

She made history this month as the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards for her work, taking home the Oscars for her design work on Marvel’s 2018 “Black Panther” and the film’s 2022 sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” She has also received a 2018 Career Achievement Award from the Costume Designers Guild Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Now Carter has announced the release of a new book that will chronicle her impressive career in costuming and cement her legacy forever. 

“I’m excited to share the news that my book, THE ART OF RUTH E. CARTER will be on sale…It’s the story of my three-decade long career of creating costumes for over seventy films, told in my own words, complete with photos, sketches, mood boards and more,” Carter wrote. 

The book explores the Black history that is Carter’s costuming work as well as her imprint on Afrofuturism, something she believes in including in all of her work. 

“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 previously told reporters.

Artifacts and costumes from Carter for many of her legendary films will also be featured in the National Museum of African American History & Culture’s new Afrofuturism exhibit, set to open this March 24th. 

The excitement for so much of Carter’s rich legacy being shared spilled over with the announcement of the new book, supporters taking to social media to share the good news. 

“Ruth Carter has a book that…is available for pre-order now. I repeat: Ruth Carter has a book that…is available for pre-order now. This is not a drill,” television and film producer Franklin Leonard tweeted. 

“…Gasps in pre-order,” another user added. 

We too are ecstatic and can’t wait to put this collector’s item on the shelf. “The Art Of Ruth E. Carter” will go on sale this May 23rd, with signed bookplates available at select bookstores. To pre-order your copy now, click here.

Iconic designer Ruth E. Carter set to release new book chronicling her career in costuming/Photo Courtesy of @TheRealRuthECarter/Instagram