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IS THERE A PARTICULAR MOVIE THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A COSTUME DESIGNER? As I became a costume designer, there are some movies that I felt stood out to me as great costumes, and I

followed those designers. [The 1984 film] _Places in the Heart_ and [the 1991 film] _Fried Green Tomatoes _— those films [made me] say, _I want to do costumes like that._ Before she won her

first Oscar for best costume design, people didn't realize how many movies Carter had already worked on. Hampton University Theater Department; courtesy of Ruth E. Carter DID LIFE

CHANGE FOR YOU IN 2019 AFTER YOU WON YOUR OSCAR? Yeah, it did, in a lot of ways I didn’t expect. A lot of people didn’t realize that I had done so many films and had been nominated twice

before [for Spike Lee’s 1992 film _Malcolm X_ and Steven Spielberg’s 1997 film _Amistad_]. They wanted to know about my whole career, and so I traveled, did a lot of lectures at universities

— which was really interesting and fun to talk to students and see how they perceive me. I was behind the camera, and I didn’t realize how completely cloaked that is. People said they

didn’t realize that I had done so much. I thought everybody knew, but of course they didn’t. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING? I’m still making art. I’m painting. I paint a lot

in my off time. I draw. I take classes. I love to take classes on art. I love to go to museums and look at other art that I feel like I could do if I could just stop at the costumes for a

second — I could actually do something in the arts that’s also about visual art. If I’m not making art, I’m probably taking a yoga class or walking my dog. I have a Havanese — a really smart

terrier breed. His name is Coqui, like the Puerto Rican frog. He runs the show, for sure.    WHO’S ON YOUR ‘TO-DRESS’ WISH LIST? Oh God, Riz Ahmed. Riz is an amazing actor. I can see his

thought process in everything that he does, including his costumes. So I’m excited that I could one day dress him as a character. In terms of females, Keke Palmer [and] Julia Garner.     

WHAT’S YOUR PERSONAL STYLE? It depends. When I’m just casual, I’m usually just in sweats and a sweatshirt. I’m usually looking for stuff that’s comfortable to wear to work, because it’s a

very physical job. I can’t even wear heeled boots to work. If I wear that, it’s like people are always asking me where I’m going. And I’m, like, _here_. I have to be in black Nikes and a

James Perse T-shirt. When I’m dressing up, I like the style of [fashion designer] Rick Owens — I like the androgyny, but I don’t mind sexy. I love to create my own style. I did a lot of that

during the awards season — made up things that I felt like I would like to wear, because when you’re full-figured it’s hard to find things that are unique. I’ve been modifying a lot of

stuff that I already have and turning it into new stuff. I have fun doing that.