RUTH CARTER X HM COLLECTION

Last Saturday I had the honor of interviewing Ruth Carter about her latest movie, Dolemite Is My Name. We also touched upon Black Panther, the movie that saw her make history by becoming the first African American to win an Oscar for best costume designer.
 
Now Ruth Carter, who made the announcement during Black History Month, is making her designing magic available to the masses with the launch of her collaboration with H&M . The capsule collection which will be focused on 80s inspired streetwear includes t-shirts, hoodies, as well as bucket hats. 
 
Carter said, “This Black History Month I’m super excited to announce my collaboration with @hm. With the accessibility of H&M I intend to spread some love and inspiration to all who want to express themselves creatively. All the RUTHLESS ones, in pursuit of ART and TRUTH, like I’ve been with costumes, will find representation here.
 
This is for YOU. 
I’m asking you to
TRUST YOUR VOICE! 
SPEAK your TRUTH! 
BE your TRUTH!
And, THAT’S the TRUTH Ruth!

Carter’s Friend, TJ walker’s brand, Cross Colours can be seen as a reference point. However Carter has found inspiration from historical significance as well, as she sought The Black Liberation flag as a point of reference. The flag, Created by the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League in 1920 can be seen as a recurring feature on the designs. Growing up Carter was surrounded by family members who would wear black, red and green, as they spoke through fashion as a way of declaring their empowerment and freedom.
 

This inspiration can be seen in each piece of the collection. With powerful words such as “Truth”, serve as a reminder of the heart of the collection. The adversity and racism Carter has faced and the walls she has knocked down along the way. 

As with designing the costumes for Dolemite Is My Name, when Carter told me, “I just wanted to like the clothes”, this was obviously just as important for this collection, but as well as liking them, she wanted them to be a reminder of the struggles, truth and to serve as a reminder to “Trust your voice”.
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With this collection Carter is breaking records once again. H&M have previously collaborated with a string of high profile designers including Alexander Wang, Karl Lagerfeld and Versace to name just a few, however this is the first time the Swedish brand has collaborated with a costume designer. During our previous interview I asked Carter if she felt there had been a shift, embracing designers who are minorities and she said, “Yes, it’s slow though.” Adding, “We have a responsibility to the change as much as the change has a responsibility.” True to her word, Carter is certainly taking on that responsibility as she once again creates another first and in doing so, hopefully paving the way for others to follow.

The Ruth Carter x HM collection launches on February 13th online and in select stores in the US.
For more information visit www.hm.com