CR 081: Ruth E. Carter on Working with Spike, Presenting to Spielberg, and Costuming ‘Sinners’

The Oscar winning costume designer discusses her astounding career and her record-breaking Oscar nomination for “Sinners.”

Ruth E. Carter, photo by Jaxon Photo Group

In the 1980s, Ruth E. Carter was working toward a career in theatrical costume design when a friend introduced her to an up-and-coming filmmaker by the name of Spike Lee. The two hit it off, and Lee convinced Carter to design the costumes for his second feature, School Daze. Fast forward 38 years, and Carter is now one of the most sought-after costume designers working today. With more than 70 credits to her name, she has contributed her talents to a mind-blowing array of projects, including Do the Right Thing, Malcom X, Amistad, Selma, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. An exhibit of her work, “Afrofuturism in Costume Design,” is currently on display at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, and a collection of her stories and sketches was published as a gorgeous coffee table book, The Art of Ruth E. Carter, in 2023.

Most notably, she is a trailblazer. In addition to being the first Black costume designer to receive a star on the Hollyw…