The fashion of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is perhaps the most beloved film of Marvel's Phase 4 so far. The necessity of rewriting the film due to the tragic death of lead actor Chadwick Boseman, as well as the cultural weight that the first Black Panther film had at the time of its release, created tremendous anticipation around its sequel. The result was more than satisfactory, with a film considered among the high points of Marvel Studios production in terms of script, direction, acting, and world-building. The costumes are an integral part of this world-building, with their Afrofuturist style telling as much about African cultural heritage as about Wakanda's technological advancement. But while much of the costumes seen on the film's protagonists are original creations by Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who took up and studied the decorative motifs and costumes of African tribes such as the Maasai and the Ndebele - many of the other costumes were created by collaborating as much with adidas as with a range of designers such as Mugler, Hervé Léger, and especially couturier Iris Van Herpen.

While the most famous brand that is mentioned throughout the film is Fenty Beauty, in one of the dialogues between Shuri and Okoye, the nods to the world of fashion are many. The costumes of the underwater world of Talokan and their ruler Namor were made with the advice of Dutch couturier Iris Van Herpen, contacted by Carter given her familiarity with reinterpreting shapes inspired by underwater life. Specifically, Iris Van Herpen created the dress that Shuri wears when she is in Talokan, a very light white silk robe closed on the torso by an elaborate neckpiece made of green and orange pearls that wrap around the shoulders; but also the red dress that Namora, played by Mabel Cadena, wears in an underwater scene made with silk organza feathers. Both dresses, as well as Tolokan's costumes, harken back to the world of the great Mesoamerican civilizations and especially the Mayans. Interestingly, Namora's dress was produced for the film but not used because it was too delicate for underwater scenes-a faithful but more water-resistant reproduction was used during filming.

Iris Van Herpen's organza gown for Namora

Iris Van Herpen's neckpiece for Shuri

Shuri's custom-made adidas tracksuit

Back on the mainland, however, the characters' everyday outfits become simpler, but no less elevated. Beating everyone in terms of wardrobe is the character of Okoye, the warrior played by Danai Gurira, who for her trip to America wears a square-shouldered jacket by Mugler and a pair of black glasses by Louis Vuitton (raising the question of what the Dora Milaje's salary is) while Shuri, who accompanies Okoye, wears a tailored tracksuit by adidas with sleeves that extend during a high-speed motorcycle chase resembling a cape. For the scenes in Wakanda, however, when she is in her workshop with the new character Riri, Shuri wears a gray suit by Hervé Léger - while Riri wears an orange set with metallic elements.