Case Study
Ruth E Carter
Ruth E Carter, the two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer best known for her groundbreaking work on Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has been a client for nearly a decade. We first collaborated when she needed custom pleating for Forest Whitaker while working on the Marvel/Disney Black Panther project.
Her creative vision has always pushed boundaries, and Carter’s body of work (including Malcolm X, Selma, Do the Right Thing) reflects her mastery of story, texture, and cultural symbolism. Ruth E. Carter+2Wikipedia+2
The Challenge
For Teyana Taylor’s Met Gala look in 2025, Ruth wanted something unforgettable. This event pits America’s most talented and experienced designers, and Ruth wanted a stunning design that would showcase her firm’s creativity, utilizing never-before treatments of fabrics that would form Teyana’s gown. “It must be a show-stopper. “
The Solution
She came to our LA studio to feel fabrics, test pleats on our molds, and be involved in every decision. We guided her to our sunburst-chevron pleat option—a design that transforms from a radiant sunburst into sharp zig-zag chevrons. Using a rich, blood-red fabric, the silhouette popped in all the right places. The effect was stunning and yes, a show-stopper!
The Outcome
Ruth E Carter’s design was widely recognized as the Best Dressed of the 2025 Met Gala by Cosmopolitan. It became a talking point in red-carpet coverage, showing how pleating + design + collaboration deliver show-stopping fashion moments. This partnership is a strong example of our craftsmanship, creativity, and ability to bring visionary costume design ideas into reality.
