CMU School of Drama


Thursday, December 08, 2022

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Costume Designer on Queen Ramonda’s Wardrobe

The Hollywood Reporter: Early on in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) makes her grand entrance into a United Nations council meeting. Now ruler of the highly advanced African nation after the death of her son T’Challa (the late Chadwick Boseman), she wields fashion as diplomacy in a royal purple and gold halter gown, accented with a regal collar matching the gilded panel on her isicholo, the traditional hat for a South African Zulu married woman. Ramonda delivers sharp, precise words for the white Western nations, rapacious for Wakanda’s vibranium, and shames them on the global stage.

2 comments:

Hadley said...

I love this inside look at the costumes of black panther. I absolutely adored Queen Ramonda’s costumes in the first movie and although I have not seen the second movie yet I am so incredibly excited about it, especially after this article. The idea of partnering with a 3D printing artist is genius and beings the best kind of futurism and technology to the traditional garments and accessories that the queen wears in this movie. I also adore the first statement that she makes by showing up in a royal and traditional dress to the international conference. It is an absolute power move, and a vibe that seems to be continued through the movie by the costume designer. I will forever love a powerful woman using her appearance and clothing to make a statement and show her power. I can't wait to watch this movie now knowing all of the little details that went into these costumes.

Sophie Rodriguez said...

This movie was incredible, and Queen Ramonda’s wardrobe was amazing. Out of all of the characters I was looking at her the most due to her costumes. All of the collars that she wore were absolutely beautiful, and her hats and headpieces were gorgeous. I love the idea that Wakanda is this futuristic and ultra-modern country, but the Queen’s wardrobe was rooted in cultural tradition and historical attire. In this movie she is not only a Queen, but she meets with other World Leaders, and seeing her attire for those meetings was interesting – her attitude, confidence, and attire, and jewelry, displayed her as a powerful and strong leader. Her silhouettes looked familiar if one thinks about royalty, and royal attire throughout the World. I also think it is so interesting how 3D printing is used to create so many pieces for her; it is awesome that this technology is being used so frequently in films and TV.