How Ruth E. Carter, PLC Detroit, and adidas Turned a Partnership Into a Power Move
- Phyllis Caddell
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
RUTH E. CARTER MASTERCLASS by ADIDAS l ePLC: The Oscar-winning costume designers’ unique approach to Afrofuturism
Some partnerships are transactional. Others signal where culture is headed.
The collaboration between Ruth E. Carter, Pensole Lewis College of Business & Design (PLC Detroit), and adidas is the latter.
Together, they have launched the RUTH E. CARTER MASTERCLASS by ADIDAS l ePLC, a free digital costume design program through PLC Detroit’s ePLC platform, giving emerging creatives around the world access to the creative philosophy and methods of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated costume designers. On the surface, it is an educational offering. In reality, it is a strategic cultural moment.
Because when a Black woman icon, an HBCU built for innovation, and a global brand align around access, the message is bigger than fashion.
The message is: the future should be shared.
Ruth E. Carter Is Teaching More Than Design
Ruth E. Carter is the two-time Academy Award-winning and five-time Academy Award-nominated costume designer celebrated for her work on "Malcolm X," "Amistad," "Black Panther," "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and "Sinners." With a career spanning more than three decades and over 70 credits across film, television, and theatre, Carter has become one of the most influential visual storytellers in cinema. Her work has helped shape the cultural identity of some of the most powerful films of our time.
Now she is offering that wisdom to the next generation. That commitment to mentorship is not new. According to Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, president of PLC Detroit, the relationship began with a masterclass in which Carter guided four PLC students in designing dresses for her awards ceremonies. In 2025, she deepened that connection by collaborating with PLC alumni on the Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation STU/DEO by adidas.
Carter—an HBCU graduate of Hampton University and PLC Detroit’s first artist-in-residence—leads a four-part video course offering insight into storytelling and costume design. The curriculum centers on her approach to Afrofuturism, blending culture, imagination, and storytelling to demonstrate how design informs character and world-building.
“Afrofuturism has always been about expanding our imagination—about seeing ourselves in worlds that honor our past while designing the future. Costume design is storytelling. It requires research, cultural respect, and the courage to continually evolve your craft.” --Ruth E. Carter
She is not simply teaching students how to design garments. She is teaching them how to imagine without limits.
PLC Detroit Understands What the Industry Needs
Some institutions educate for attendance. PLC Detroit educates for arrival. As the nation’s only design-focused HBCU, PLC Detroit has positioned itself as a disruptor in education—one that recognizes talent in places traditional systems often overlook. Its model blends cultural relevance, practical skills, and direct connection to the industries students want to enter.
Hosting this course on ePLC means geography no longer limits access.
Students in Detroit, Atlanta, New York, and across the world can learn. That is what modern education should look like.
adidas Chose Substance
Brands often speak about creativity as an aesthetic. This partnership treats creativity as infrastructure. By supporting a free learning experience tied to one of the most respected names in design, adidas is investing in pipeline development rather than surface-level messaging.
That choice matters because industries change when new talent is cultivated—not just advertised to.
Why This Resonates With Women
There is also something deeply affirming about seeing a woman operate at the highest level of her field and still make room for others. Ruth E. Carter’s success is not limited to awards or acclaim. It is also reflected in her willingness to transfer wisdom, expand access, and show young women what authority can look like.
Real leadership is not measured by volume. Sometimes it is measured by how many doors you leave open behind you.
The Deeper Impact
This collaboration reminds us that the future of fashion and design will not be built by talent alone. It will be built by access.By mentorship.By institutions willing to innovate.By brands willing to invest.By leaders willing to teach.
That is why this moment deserves attention. It's not just a course launch.
It's a case study in how power can be used well.
Where Vision Meets Opportunity
The next generation needs more than inspiration—it needs access, guidance, and real pathways forward. The PLC Detroit x adidas x Ruth E. Carter course offers exactly that, giving emerging creatives an opportunity to learn from one of the industry’s most influential visionaries. For those ready to sharpen their voice, expand their imagination, and step confidently into their future, enrollment is now open through PLC Detroit’s ePLC platform at plcdetroit.com/eplc-ruth-carter/