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Ruth E. Carter

Ruth E. Carter

Keynote Speaker: Academy Award-Winning Costume Designer; Best Known for Her Work on "Selma" & Marvel's "Black Panther"

Ruth E. Carter Biography

Ruth E. Carter is the 2019 Academy Award winner for Achievement in Costume Design for Marvel’s Black Panther making history as the first African-American to win in the category. Carter wows audiences and dazzles critics alike with costumes inspired by traditional African tribal wear merged with a contemporary look delivering fashion and function, incorporating technology, and creating such authenticity, ownership, and empowerment for the characters and viewers; cementing her as one of the preeminent voices and experts on Afro aesthetics.

A career spanning more than three decades in theater, cinema, and television, Carter’s depth of artistry flowing together with her creative instincts, passion for culture and history, empathy for people, enormous capacity for research, eye for detail, and ability to deliver the director’s vision while infusing her art makes her one of the most sought after and renowned costume designers in the world; earning her over forty film credits including two additional Academy Award nominations for Malcolm X (1993) and Amistad (1998) and an Emmy nomination for the reboot of television mini-series “Roots” (2016).

Carter has collaborated with a myriad of directors and visionaries starting with Spike Lee in School Daze, and working with him on 14 films including Do The Right Thing, which is archived in the Library of Congress, Malcolm X, Mo Better Blues, and Old Boy. She joined forces with Robert Townsend making the iconic Five Heartbeats, with Keenan Ivory Wayans in I'm Gonna Get You Sucka, and gritty Baby Boy and Rosewood with the late John Singleton. Carter also created the costumes and look for the pilot episode of Larry David’s “Seinfeld.”

Her breath of knowledge in African-American history and art was sought after by Steven Spielberg and Debbie Allen and for the incredible Amistad. Carter continued to present outstanding work for period ensemble films in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Ava Duvernay’s Selma and Reginald Hudlin’s Marshall. Carter recently completed work on the first season of “Yellowstone,” a television series starring Kevin Costner and directed by Taylor Sheridan.

Carter’s brilliant bold 1970s urban dandy costume design work was recently seen in the Netflix film, Dolemite is my Name starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Craig Brewer for which Carter won the 2020 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Costume. She can also be seen in Netflix’s Original Documentary Abstract Season 2.

Her work is also featured in Coming 2 America, starring Eddie Murphy and directed by Craig Brewer, which premiered on Amazon on March 5th, 2021.

Carter is the first Costume Designer to cross over into fashion with a Conscious Collection collaboration with H&M featuring Carter’s 90's street inspired look from early films. Carter’s costumes tell stories so intriguing and memorable they influence music, fashion, culture, and film-making and help us to understand ourselves better.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Ruth E. Carter and other top speakers and celebrities.

Ruth E. Carter Videos

Ruth E. Carter | Behind the Oscars Speech
Arts & Humanities Dean's Lecture Series featuring Ruth E. Carter ...
Transporting and Transforming: Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter ...

How do I book Ruth E. Carter to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Ruth E. Carter for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Ruth E. Carter, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Ruth E. Carter or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Ruth E. Carter for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Ruth E. Carter, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Ruth E. Carter are $30,000 - $50,000 for live events and $20,000 - $30,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Ruth E. Carter, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Ruth E. Carter speak about?

Ruth E. Carter is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Creativity, Design, Television & Film, Black Heritage, Diversity, Acting, Social Activism, Lifestyle, Fashion, Motivational, Influential Women, Culture, Women, Women's History Month, Social Justice, Women in Entertainment and Female Leadership.

Where does Ruth E. Carter travel from?

Ruth E. Carter generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Ruth E. Carter?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Ruth E. Carter for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Ruth E. Carter for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Ruth E. Carter or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Ruth E. Carter is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Creativity, Design and Television & Film. The estimated speaking fee range to book Ruth E. Carter for live events is $30,000 - $50,000, and for virtual events $20,000 - $30,000. Ruth E. Carter generally travels from Los Angeles, CA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Nikki Giovanni, Lisa Leslie and Dr. Bernice King. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Ruth E. Carter for an upcoming event.

Ruth E. Carter Videos

Ruth E. Carter | Behind the Oscars Speech
Arts & Humanities Dean's Lecture Series featuring Ruth E. Carter ...
Transporting and Transforming: Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter ...
Ruth E. Carter Commencement Address
Black Panther Special With Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter - Movie Talk

Ruth E. Carter Reviews

  • United Way Greater Atlanta - May 09 2023

  • PUMA North America - Feb 24 2023

  • Ruth Carter is brilliant and personable. From the students to our administrators, she made a great impact!
    Office for Inclusion and Diversity, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Jan 27 2023

Ruth E. Carter News

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