Black Panther fans were in awe of the stunning fashion cues designer Ruth Carter brought to Wakanda’s afrofuturistic world. Her designs combined traditional and contemporary African styles, featuring intricate beadwork and other adornments to pay homage to tribal traditions.
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) enters the United Nations to represent Wakanda and sets the stage with an elegant royal purple halter gown featuring gilded gold detailing. This outfit perfectly conveys Ramonda’s status as an influential diplomat.
The Dora Milaje
The Dora Milaje, female royal warriors who protect King T’Challa, are an integral part of Wakanda’s culture and history. Chosen from each tribe in Wakanda and trained away from their families at the royal palace, these women embody Wakanda’s royal values and history.
The Dora Milaje have been an iconic element in Black Panther comics since 1998, yet we only got to see them come alive on screen with the movie adaptation. Their unifying mission to protect T’Challa has made them vital components of Marvel Cinematic Universe and they’ve proven their strength during major battles like Avengers: Endgame.
When T’Challa first arrives in Wakanda, he recruits the women of his Dora Milaje and assigns them a mission: protect the country from external threats. To do this, they use spear-fighting as well as weapons like vibranium arms and shields gifted from Wakanda to help them battle enemies within their area.
These warriors are strong, fearless and uncompromising in their pursuit of protecting T’Challa from harm. They take up their duties without hesitation or hesitation – willing to strike first or do what it takes in order to protect him.
Their outfits are an example of Black Panther Wakanda fashion combining indigenous influences with modern elements. The red uniforms of the Dora Milaje draw inspiration from Kenyan tribes and incorporate sacred geometry patterns common throughout Africa. Their tabards and harnesses are intricately beaded with charms that symbolize good fortune, protection, and power.
At the conclusion of Black Panther, viewers get to witness Dora Milaje engage in an epic battle against Thanos that showcases their incredible strength and power. These women are unafraid of intergalactic threats and possess the capacity to triumph against anyone.
No surprise that Wakanda’s women are strong, but also fierce and unapologetic about it. Ruth Carter worked hard to bring this important aspect of the film alive onscreen through her meticulous visual effects work.
The Queen of Wakanda
Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), one of the most powerful women in Marvel universe, inspires and commands true leadership. She has an immense connection with her people and provides comfort for everyone in Wakanda.
Despite her noble status, Shuri remains vulnerable to outsiders. After being kidnapped for many years, T’Challa, King of Wakanda, rescues her and gives birth to Shuri – her daughter.
When T’Challa passes away, the Wakandans are left without a King and protector. They grieve the loss of their beloved Queen who symbolized strength and power, learning to live without her. This leaves a void in the world but also allows for her daughter to assume the mantle and become the new Black Panther.
Carter emphasizes Queen Ramonda’s strong and intentional aesthetic, which “demonstrates her great strength.” This includes an antique silk thread gown designed by India-based designer J.J. Valaya as well as a stunning headpiece featuring filigree details.
The design of her headpiece also pays homage to her tribal roots, featuring a “weave-like quality” that mimics the weave in her hair. Additionally, it is made out of “Nyete,” an element similar to sand found only in Wakanda.
Ramonda’s outfit is stunning, from her beautiful headpiece to the intricate detail on her earrings. Crafted out of gold and metal that matches her hair, these adornments add a special touch.
Another striking element of her costume is the purple tracksuit she wears when visiting Riri Williams at MIT. This collaboration between Adidas and SEED serves as proof that Carter consistently pushes design boundaries with her creations.
As you can see, Carter was very experimental with texture and tone during the creation of her costumes. She used silk screening to add dimension and pattern while painting on fabrics – leading to some truly unique looks.
The Border Tribe
The Border Tribe are a group of warriors responsible for protecting Wakanda’s borders. They dress up as farmers and act as a deterrent against any potential invaders, breeding white rhinoceros for various purposes – another reason they make such effective guards of Wakanda’s borders.
W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) is the head of security for the Border Tribe and an important friend to T’Challa. He engaged in battle against Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and the Dora Milaje near the end of Black Panther, but ultimately yielded to Okoye (Clarissa Kirsten).
Carter’s look for Black Panther was inspired by African tribal dress, particularly the Himba people of Namibia who wear red ochre body paint with leather headpieces. Additionally, Carter donned a grass skirt inspired by Dogon people of Mali and carried wooden breastplates with forearm guards.
W’Kabi was also able to incorporate several traditional African elements into his costume, such as the Basotho blanket he wears. This type of blanket has long been worn by tribal people in Lesotho – a mountainous country that experiences snowfall during wintertime.
Carter says she sought out authentic African items to incorporate into her designs for the movie. This was an effective way of showcasing African culture within the visuals. Carter traveled to Lesotho and other African regions in order to capture these authentic pieces for use in her designs.
She relied on a visual bible created by production designer Hannah Beachler to understand the different tribes of Wakanda and their distinct dress and style. For instance, the Merchant Tribe’s look was inspired by Tuareg ethnic Berber peoples of the Sahara while Mining Tribe took inspiration from Himba tribes of Namibia.
In addition to their dress, the Jabari Tribe of Wakanda also have their own distinct tribal style. Situated in a mountainous region of Wakanda, they adhere to an entirely different culture than other tribes within the kingdom and follow an old-fashioned way of life that doesn’t recognize T’Challa’s rule.
The Jabari tribe also has a female leader who wears an impressive Tuareg-inspired robe. Her outfit is adorned with Ethiopian crosses and an intense warrior belt, plus she dons stunning gold earrings inspired by the Fulani tribe of West Africa.
The World of Talokan
Talokan is an entirely new dimension to the Marvel universe that the MCU is only just beginning to understand. It’s Namor’s subterranean city beneath the ocean’s surface. Although this concept seems far-fetched, its foundations in South American cultural history and some scientific fact offer it some plausibility.
Talokan (or “Talokanil,” as it’s known in the Marvel Universe) was created by a mutagenic plant referred to as “Vibranium,” which altered some Mesoamerican people from breathing only air to only water and forced them into hiding deep underground. While remaining secluded, they also developed advanced technology that enabled them to survive under water.
In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the MCU’s first film with a main villain (Tenoch Huerta), King Namor of Talokan introduces Shuri (Chadwick Boseman) to their underwater city and their advanced technologies – such as an invention that allows their warriors to fly. She becomes mesmerized by their underwater city and learns about Talokan’s advanced technologies – including one device that allows their warriors to fly.
Carter says she wanted the moment to feel real, so she reached out to designer Iris van Herpen – known for her ability to incorporate ocean imagery into her designs – to craft pieces that would both function and look stunning underwater. It’s an inspiring feat.
Finally, the introduction of Talokan into the Marvel Universe adds more depth than Atlantis ever could and serves as an intriguing counter to Wakanda. Furthermore, it gives the MCU an opportunity to add diversity by including two countries with distinct cultures but similar fears about the outside world and a desire for vibranium.
In an interview with io9, Marvel executive Nate Moore revealed the film will continue to explore the Talokan in future films and is confident they’ll be major players in the MCU going forward. This development raises many questions; we look forward to learning more about these incredibly intelligent and advanced people and their subterranean home.
