Celebrated Hollywood Costume Designer to Speak at Bowie State

‘Black Panther’ Designer Ruth Carter to Engage with Students & the Public

MEDIA CONTACT: Damita Chambers, dchambers@bowiestate.edu, 301-832-2628 mobile

(BOWIE, Md.) – A two-time Academy Award-nominated costumer designer, who most recently worked on the film “Black Panther,” will visit Bowie State University for a free public lecture about her 30 years in the industry on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6 p.m. Register for your free ticket.

The event, sponsored by Bowie State’s visual communications and digital media arts (VCDMA) program, the BSU Entrepreneurship Academy[BROKEN LINK], and Rix Studios, features Ruth Carter, who has provided costume design for more than 60 films and television projects. The VCDMA program includes a fashion design concentration, which provides hands-on experience for students to develop their work in a state-of-the-art fashion studio on campus. As part of her talk, Carter will interact directly with fashion design students.

Carter earned nominations for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for director Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X” in 1992 and director Steven Spielberg’s “Amistad” in 1997. In all, she has been the designer for 14 of Lee’s films, starting with her first film experience with “School Daze” in 1988, while she was a student at the University of Southern California. She has gone on to work with other influential directors, including Lee Daniels and John Singleton.

Through her career experience, Carter’s designs have been infused with a historical and futuristic vision of black identity and culture. She has created designs representing multiple periods and genres, developing iconic and memorable styles. The recent blockbuster success of the Afrofuturist superhero film, “Black Panther,” has propelled her designs into the mainstream popular culture, transcending the film itself. 

Bowie State’s event celebrates Carter’s extraordinary contributions to costume design and provides a rare opportunity for students and the public to engage with her.

###