Essence USA – August 2019

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 seen

through 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.”

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ESSENCE.COM I 69 I SEPTEMBER 2019