Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter — the name behind looks from “Black Panther,” “Selma,” “Malcolm X” and “The Butler” — is to receive the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Vanguard Award for Costume Design.
Carter will be given the award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards’ “Colors Behind the Look: A Celebration of Fashion, Costume Design and Glam” event, taking place a day before the award ceremony on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles.
“I am honored to be named a Vanguard by the NAACP Image Awards,” Carter told WWD in a statement. “I am being recognized as the first in Costume Design, but there have been generations of women of color, who came before me, who went unrecognized for their artistry and craftsmanship and denied the opportunity to work as, let alone dream of becoming, a costume designer. I am humbled to accept this award in their memory and grateful that my work is opening doors for people of color. Thank you to the NAACP for their introduction of the category of costume design among their many accolades for this celebration of black excellence.”
Related Articles
Hosted by celebrity stylist Googoo Atkins, the private affair will feature a fashion show with designs by Kevan Hall, Carl Jones, Rodney Epperson, Isaiah Hemingway and Byron Lars. There will also be a Ruth Carter Costume Exhibit, displaying film costumes by Carter.
You May Also Like
“As a trailblazer and icon for innovators and costume designers alike, the NAACP is excited to honor Ruth E. Carter for continuously using her talents to revolutionize and transcend the world of fashion,” said Karen Boykin-Towns, chairman of the NAACP Image Awards and vice chairman of the NAACP board, in a statement.
In 2019, Carter took home the Oscar for best Costume Design for “Black Panther,” making history as the first African American to do so. With a three-decade career, the costume designer has worked with the likes of directors Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay.
“As the first Black costume designer to win the Academy Award for Costume Design, we commend Ruth for utilizing her platform, as well as the power of visual communication, to share narratives of culture, race and politics,” Boykin-Towns continued.
The NAACP has added two categories, Costume Design and Hair and Makeup, which will be presented at next year’s award show.
This year’s NAACP Image Awards, airing Feb. 26 on BET, is planning a tribute to late fashion journalist André Leon Talley and designer Virgil Abloh.
