Costume designer Ruth E. Carter is a master at her craft and has put her creative vision on some of the most powerful films of our culture.

Carter acquired her design skills as a student at Hampton University, and as an apprentice for The Santa Fe Opera. Post-graduation, she worked in theater and a chance meeting with Spike Lee at the L.A. Theatre Center provided her with the encouragement she needed to work in film. That meeting was the start of their longstanding friendship and collaboration on 10 of his films.

In 1993, Carter became the first black person nominated for an Oscar in Costume Design, for the critically-acclaimed Malcolm X. She was nominated again in 1998 for Amistad and, of course, this year for her work on Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther.

The culture is proud. Good luck at tonight’s Oscars!

Update: Ruth E. Carter took home the Academy Award for Costume Design.

Editor’s Note: In honor of Black History Month, we highlight some of the most influential forces in fashion, in no specific order. Their impact on the culture is undeniable – and we use this time to tip our hats off to their Black excellence.