Style

OkayAfrica

Feb. 21, 2018 08:47AM EST

Video: Walé Oyéjidé of Ikiré Jones Breaks Down the Incredible Costume Design In 'Black Panther'

Black Panther's costume designers drew on a number of African influences to bring Wakandan style to life.

There are a lot of amazing things about Black Panther, and the incredible fashion throughout the film is certainly one of them.

When it came to styling and costume design, the movie drew inspiration from various African cultures and looked to black designers, like Ikiré Jones creator, Wale Oyéjidé to provide unique pieces that exude Wakandan excellence.

In a new video for OkayAfrica, the designer breaks down the stellar looks in the film, created by Ruth Carter—the veteran costume designer behind both Malcom X and Selma.

From Igbo masks, to scarification, to Maasai shukas and intricate Zulu headwear, the film is full of glaring references to the vast and rich culture on the continent.

Watch Oyéjidé break it all down in the video below.

ikire jones wale oyejide wakanda forever visual design ikiré jones walé oyéjidé oka... black panther costume design wakanda costume design black panther desgin elements video marvel youtube.com

Popular

Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Qatar Museums

Influential Louis Vuitton And Off-White Designer Virgin Abloh, Dies at 41

The popular Ghanian-American designer had been battling a rare form of cancer in private for several years.

The fashion industry has lost a talented, unique, and boundary-pushing influence this weekend.

41-year-old Ghanianian-American designer Virgil Abloh has died after a 2 year battle with a rare form of cancer, a statement from his associates LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said on Sunday. Abloh, founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White, and artistic director of men's wear at French fashion house Louis Vuitton leaves his wife Shannon, and 2 children - Lowe and Grey. Chairman and CEO of LVMH Bernard Arnault said in a statement, "We are all shocked after this terrible news. Virgil was not only a genius designer, a visionary, he was also a man with a beautiful soul and great wisdom." "The LVMH family joins me in this moment of great sorrow, and we are all thinking of his loved ones after the passing of their husband, their father, their brother, or their friend," he added.

After the news broke on Sunday, Abloh started trending on Twitter, with fans of the designer remembering his influence on music, art, and fashion. The 1990s saw Abloh DJ and the creative director once told The Guardian in a 2016 interview, "When the phone is off, I play my favorite songs really loud for myself, and I'm not talking to anyone. I'm not managing anything. It's just like a time when I can listen to music… I'll be DJing after I'm done designing or doing anything else." Virgil got his hands into designing album artworks after strumming up a friendship with American rapper Kanye West before becoming the creative director of West's DONDA Creative House. More recently known for his creative streetwear brand 'Off-White' the designer became popular among fashion-conscious youngsters and will forever be immortalized.

A statement posted to Abloh's Instagram explained that "Virgil chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture"

Friends, fans, and colleagues took to social media to share their well-wishes for Virgil as he transitions to his next destination.

RIP Virgil Abloh \n\nThe first African American to ever be an artistic director for Louis Vuitton in the brand\u2019s entire 167 years of existence.
— NUFF (@NUFF) 1638124518

My heart is broken \n\nVirgil you were a kind, generous, thoughtful creative genius \n\nyour work as a human and your work as a spiritual being will live forever \n\nSending love and light to your wife, children, family and day ones\n\nyou\u2019re with the Master now, shine\n\n,\nP
— Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell Williams) 1638124715

rest in peace to virgil abloh. thank you for giving us these iconic album coverspic.twitter.com/3M6DY1jrsb
— \ud83d\udd96 (@\ud83d\udd96) 1638124391

Just a year after Chadwick, Virgil Abloh, another influential Black force, has been taken from us due to a private cancer battle. The resiliency these men must have had to deal with such difficult situations in complete silence, working all the way to the very end. Devastating.
— Anyway, Britney (@Anyway, Britney) 1638125236

Rest in Power Virgil pic.twitter.com/FvZW8YNeY7
— Omar Sy (@Omar Sy) 1638126234

popular.

How Relocating to Ghana Helped Reinvigorate Jewelry Designer Aisha Asamany's Work

Moving to Ghana gave Aisha Asamany's luxury jewelry brand, inspired by Adinkra symbols that traditionally project strength, fearlessness, love and power, renewed verve to tell personal stories of her growing clientele.