Ruth Elaine’s story really begins in
Springfield, Massachusetts, where she
and her five brothers and two sisters were
raised by their mother, Mabel Virginia, the
woman to whom Carter dedicated her
Oscar. “You’re the original superhero,”
she said of her mom, who turns 98 this
year. “As a kid growing up in the ghetto,
you have a bird’s-eye view into the lives
of all kinds of people who have interest-
ing stories. For me, working in costume
design is about having many characters
in mind to draw from when re-creating
the experience.”
Carter’s latest work can be seenthrough the seventies-era Eddie Mur-
phy–led dramedy Dolemite Is My
Name, which streams on Netflix and
hits select theaters next month. “Cos-
tume design means working as a sto-
ryteller and an apparel artist,” she
says. “You’re thinking of the story and
color palettes, you’re working with
the set, and you’re exploring charac-
ters—whether they’re homeless, an
aunt, a grandmother, a sister or a
cousin—and making their personality
come out in what they’re wearing.”
When asked about the source of her
staying power, Carter answers easily.“I have a strong sense of responsibility—to
myself, to my life, to others. That’s what
pushes and motivates me. I feel like this is
what I’m supposed to do—and I can do it.”
As for defining success, she takes
a second to ponder before respond-
ing. “Part of the artist’s mind is that you
always feel like you can go back and
make things better, that you don’t know
where to stop,” she says. “To me, suc-
cess is about how good you feel at the
present moment. It’s about receiving
love from the people and being open
to experiencing that level of positivity.”
Spoken like a true legend.DO THE RIGHT
THING 1989
Her second of 13
films working
alongside Lee.MALCOLM X
1992
She garnered
her first Academy
Award nomination.SCHOOL DAZE
1988
Carter’s big break
came with this
Spike Lee gem.SELMA
2014
Her first nod for a
Costume Designers
Guild Award.BLACK PANTHER
2018
Carter’s history-
making finery still
inspires.WHAT’S LOVE GOT
TO DO WITH IT
1993
Carter made rock ’n’
soul look so good.From left: Carter
steps back into
1970’s glam
for Dolemite Is
My Name, dress-
ing Da’Vine Joy
Randolph to the
nines. The costume
designer works her
magic on set with
Eddie Murphy.THIS WOMAN’S WORK
A look back at Carter’s cinematic contributions, all of which have been filtered through one truth she still holds dear:
“I always wanted to tell stories about the African-American experience.”CL
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