In an exclusive interview, Ruth E. Carter breaks down how the Southern spirit and personal truth shaped her costume design for Ryan Coogler’s haunting Southern epic, Sinners.
By Jordyn Kaila Isaacs
Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan and directed by Ryan Coogler, and featuring Emmy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, ushers in a new cinematic era — one that’s unapologetically Southern, hauntingly seductive, and deeply rooted in Black history.
Set in a mysterious town in Mississippi steeped in folklore and bloodlines, the film blends vampire mythology with ancestral truth, taking viewers on a journey that’s both thrilling and emotionally charged. It’s sexy, alluring, and moving — marked by striking costume design, rich color palettes, and immersive storytelling. Every detail, from the sound design to the performances, feels intentional, layered, and bold. This isn’t just a horror film. Sinners is a cultural reset: a reimagining of what it means to see a film, to feel, and to remember. “Sinners is rooted in truth.
“The music, the blues — it carried the pain, the joy, the escape. It told us who these people were,” said Ruth E. Carter. Carter, known for her groundbreaking costume work in films like Black Panther, Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, and Selma, shared how she draws from her own life — particularly her mother — when designing characters for the screen.
In Sinners, hoodoo priestess Annie, played by Wunmi Mosaku, represents the traditions of African spirituality and Southern Black culture.
“That spirit lives in Annie. She knew everyone’s story — and her compassion became my lens for designing characters with depth,” Carter said.
“Annie’s spiritual beads weren’t just adornment. They were protection. They were ancestral.”
Carter, a Hampton University graduate, drew from personal truth, ancestral memory, and lived experience to guide the film to its fullest.
“Virginia is my ancestral home. I went back and studied it — its people, history, and spirit. That legacy lives in me and came through in Sinners,” she said.
That authenticity didn’t come solely from research — it was deeply rooted in Carter’s understanding of the spiritual traditions that shape Black communities.
“There are so many spiritual layers in Black communities — Christianity, African practices, Santería, hoodoo — and I wanted to reflect that in how Annie carried herself. Her mojo bag, the smoke, the beads – it was all real to me.”
Sinners began filming on April 14, 2024, in New Orleans and concluded on July 17, 2024. Throughout the film, accuracy and visual storytelling — from custom design to character development — serve as the heart of the story being told on screen.
“I studied old photographs — hand-me-downs, bare feet, every patch told a story. Jewelry was a sign of status. Annie wore it as a merchant, Pearlene as a performer. Everything was intentional.”
When speaking with Carter, she emphasized how music — particularly the blues — served as a guide for the film’s design and emotional depth.
“The blues told the story. I listened to it daily — day in and day out. It helped me time travel. The emotion in the music let me feel the pain, the joy, the escape. It shaped everything.”
That musical influence was especially present in the design of Sammy, a blues guitarist played by actor and performer Miles Caton. Carter said every stitch and shade reflected his connection to the land, his roots, and his ambition.
“Sammy is grounded in earth tones because he belongs to the South. His colors — brown, yellow, beige — say he comes from the land. Even his guitar strap wore into his vest. I placed patches where that would’ve happened.”
The multi-decade musical montage scene at the midpoint of the film creates an explosion of color, sound, spirituality, and emotion. With powerful representation of the foundations of African American culture and music, the moment metaphorically pierces the veil between life and death — shaking audiences as the movie comes to life.
“That scene was written so beautifully — everyone who read it asked, ‘Did you read that part?’ We knew we had to get it right. You see African drums, Zulu dancers, breakdancing, a future spirit walking through, LL Cool J-era tracksuits — it was a timeline of Black musical history,” Carter said.
“We even recreated a sweatsuit just like the one LL Cool J wore. We made those gazelles [the glasses] for the DJ. The Bootsy Collins-inspired rock character? That blue coat, the shades — none of that was by accident.”
When asked about her favorite scene in the film, Carter didn’t hesitate. “It would be that,” she said.
“The scene wasn’t about me shining — it was about authenticity. About honoring our full story, from Africa to hip hop, from soul to spirit. The movie shows the journey of our music, our spirit, our style — and for me, that scene was everything.”
