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BLACK PANTHER
3D printed Costume for Queen Ramonda character in Black Panther Film
Designed by JULIA KÖRNER | JK Design GmbH in Collaboration with Ruth E. Carter/ Marvel 2018
The kingdom of Wakanda in the film tells the story of a fictional place where advancements in technology and innovation are taking place. The costumes of the character Queen Ramonda were meant to exemplify the combination of traditional African culture and the most high-tech fashion. The costumes were developed with the most cutting-edge technology of additive manufacturing. Ruth E. Carter, whose vision of Wakanda’s culture and aesthetic, drew from various elements of traditional African cultures as well as technology to create an amazing visual tapestry in the film.
Based on the initial costume design sketches by Ruth Carter, we developed a series of African-inspired 3D patterns and designed the Zulu Hat and the Shoulder Mantle so that it had corresponding elements in the pattern. It was important that the fashion pieces did not look hand-crafted and incorporated the technological look of something generated parametrically by algorithms by a computer. Therefore, we used visual programming software to develop the geometries for the pieces and experimented with the material intricacy and behavior.
In actually fabricating the costume props, we worked with Belgian company Materialise, with whom we have frequently collaborated over the past 10 years. The technology we used was laser sintering, a powder-based 3D printing technology that enables the highest level of freedom of design as no supports are needed. The costume props were made from PA 12, a polyamide material that provided us with a high level of accuracy, flexibility, and strength. The material is also well suited for skin contact, making it ideal for fashion and costume designs.
The detail and structure of Queen Ramonda’s 3D printed costumes was realized in part thanks to her frequent collaborator Kais Al-Rawi.
Julia Koerner for 3Ders.org March 9th 2018
Images provided by MARVEL / DISNEY / Black Panther Costume Design Ruth Carter 2018
ACADEMY AWARD 2019
Winner Best Costume Design
CRITICS CHOICE AWARD 2019
Winner Best Costume Design
COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARD 2019
Winner Excellence in Sci Fi / Fantasy