Costume Designer Ruth E Carter on Her Regal African Outfits for Coming 2 America

 Ruth E Carter may be a Hollywood legend thanks to her Oscar-winning work on Black Panther, but the costume designer has lent her magic touch to projects ranging from Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989) to Ava DuVernay’s Selma (2015) through the decades. Earlier this year, she became the first African-American costumer to have a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Her latest triumph: developing the lavish clothes for Eddie Murphy’s blockbuster sequel Coming 2 America, now available to stream on Amazon Prime. Below, Carter talks Vogue through the process of developing Zamunda’s Ankara-filled royal wardrobe.

When did you first watch ‘Coming To America’?

I watched the original film when it came out in the movie theatres in 1988. I had just moved to Los Angeles, and I wanted to be a costume designer, but for the theatre. When I saw the costumes in Coming to America, though, I just thought, “Wow, how do you do a film that size?” It amazed me, how Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall played all of those characters so well, and the scenes in the ballroom felt like an Old Hollywood production. In terms of the clothes, I always remembered the shapes of the dresses – especially the big skirts. We’d all seen Ankara used in fashion before, but never in a way that felt quite so grandiose.

How did you begin modernising the royal aesthetic for the former Prince Akeem and his family?

I wanted to show a modern Africa, and to dress these characters in looks that felt appropriate 30 years on from Coming to America, ones that could work on a red carpet today. For Lisa (Shari Headley), who goes from Queens to being the Queen of Zamunda, I incorporated some east Indian looks. In the first movie, there are saris used throughout, so I put her in one at the dinner table, and brought in some wonderful pieces made by [Indian designer] JJ Valaya. It felt essential to highlight that Zamunda has been influenced by other cultures rather than being a total bubble. In terms of KiKi Layne’s wardrobe as Princess Meeka, I had her wear a lot of athleisure pieces, to help viewers understand she’s keen to rule the country and that she’s also athletic and fashion-forward – a true warrior. I also felt like the cruelty-free aspect was important, so we 3D-printed the lion’s head for Akeem to wear on his shoulder with a scarf that was embroidered with the mane of the lion.

How is your take on royal style different from the original film’s costume designer Deborah Nadoolman Landis?

In the original movie, the framework is somewhat British, but because we know so much more about African royalty today in all of its diversity, I wanted to open it up and make it feel less rigid. Just have a little bit more fun with it. Coming to America’s depiction of royalty is highly structured – we show royalty that is much more inclusive.

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