In Case You Missed It, Ruth E. Carter’s Free Costume Design Masterclass Is Back
PLC Detroit reopens enrollment for the free online course by adidas and ePLC, inviting creatives to explore the two-time Oscar winner’s approach to Afrofuturism and storytelling through costume
In case you missed it the first time, it’s back — and it’s free!
Pesole Lewis College of Business and Design(PLC Detroit) has reopened enrollment for the Ruth E. Carter Masterclass by adidas and ePLC, giving aspiring creatives an opportunity to learn from the two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer. The self-paced online course welcomes beginners alongside more experienced creatives, with assignments based on each participant’s skill level.
If you've imagined creating looks for the screen, wondered how to turn cultural research into a character’s wardrobe or wanted to explore a creative interest, this is a chance to start without a tuition bill.
Carter’s extensive body of work spans more than three decades, with costume design credits that include “Black Panther,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” “Malcolm X” and “Sinners,” among many others. Her costumes help tell audiences who a character is, where they come from and how they move through their world.
The masterclass opens a window into the thinking behind that work.
Through four video modules, Carter shares her approach to Afrofuturism, character development, research, visual storytelling and creative problem-solving. Participants explore how culture and imagination inform costume design, then apply those lessons through sketches and final renderings.
A beginner can work at a beginner’s level. Someone with more experience can take on intermediate or advanced assignments. That structure gives participants a way to develop their ideas from where they are.
“Costume design is storytelling. It requires research, cultural respect, and the courage to continually evolve your craft,” Carter said.
The course also offers an opportunity for direct feedback. The top three course completers will be selected in November to receive a live feedback session with Carter, a virtual certificate of completion and access to the exclusive Creator Club community.
For an aspiring designer, hearing how Carter responds to their work could help them see their ideas more clearly and understand what to develop next.
The online course continues Carter’s collaboration with PLC Detroit and adidas. Carter, a Hampton University graduate, is also PLC Detroit’s first artist-in-residence.
“Today, we invite aspiring creatives worldwide to learn from Ruth E. Carter through our online platform, ePLC,” said Dr. D’Wayne Edwards, president of PLC Detroit. “Her groundbreaking career inspires us to open doors for the next generation to shape the future of design.”
PLC Detroit is Michigan’s only historically Black college and the nation’s only design-focused HBCU. Through ePLC, its online learning platform, this course brings Carter’s lessons to creatives beyond the campus.
Participants must complete all four modules, upload the required sketches and renderings, and earn a perfect score on the final assessment, which can be taken multiple times. The next review of completed work takes place in November 2026. Participants should complete the course by then to be considered for the November review.
Don't overthink it. Bring your curiosity, choose your skill level and begin.
Enrollment is free at the Ruth E. Carter Masterclass by adidas and ePLC course page.
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