Newly crowned king of Wakanda, T’Challa returns to his nation with the challenging task of protecting his country from a vengeful victim of his father’s mistake.
This fictional and technologically advanced world is the home of bold and extravagantly dressed characters. Costume designer, Ruth Carter mainly took her inspiration from various African cultures that she referred to through the use of traditional and symbolic elements. The costumes are colourful, the use of red, green, turquoise, white and purple create a nice contrast with the dark skin of the citizens of Wakanda. The influence of African tribes was also shown through the use of elements like beads, triangle patterns, neck and headpieces; she says “I really wanted to mix the textures and the patterns, and the vibrancy of the red was very important.”
Some designs also show a hint of Edwardian inspiration, with the use of embroidery and design details.
The traditional elements are subtly paired with a rather futuristic fashion and give the characters a unique and vibrant look. These Afrofuturstic designs successfully help to bring the fantastic world of Wakanda to life.
