Did you spot JJ Valaya’s designs in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’?

The New Delhi-based couturier talks about working on costumes for Queen Ramonda’s character in the iconic film franchise

When I was watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever mere days after its release earlier this month, I remember thinking how fitting it would be for an Indian designer to create Queen Ramonda’s elaborate costumes. Cut to this Sunday when noted Indian couturier JJ Valaya took to his Instagram to announce his association not just with the film but specifically for the costumes he designed for the character played by Angela Bassett. 

The film traces the aftermath of King T’Challa’s death, played by the late Chadwick Boseman, whose untimely demise in 2020 changed the narrative of the film’s storyline. Queen Ramonda assumes an important role, helming the powerful nation during a turbulent time. A majority of her ensembles for the movie were made in Valaya’s New Delhi atelier, for which he worked closely with the movie’s Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter. In a conversation with The Established, the designer reveals that Carter’s team first discovered his brand through social media for the 2021 comedy Coming 2 America. Black Panther:Wakanda Forever is their second project together, with a third one in the pipeline. 

Behind the scenes

Valaya is one of three designers—the other two being Hervé Léger and Iris van Herpen—who deftly crafted the film’s costumes. “Queen Ramonda’s character is the only one in the franchise with the opportunity to create the kind of looks we do,” says Valaya. “Her role in the film is important as she assumes greater authority and responsibility. Her costumes needed to reflect that.”

Valaya’s team worked with Carter’s studio in Los Angeles for over eight months, pouring over mood boards, developing specialised fabrics and prints, researching embroidery techniques and sending muslin samples between the two countries for fittings. “Costume design is different from fashion design because you are not dressing individuals to elevate their feelings. You are taking forward the director’s vision and channelising it into costumes. It has to be true to the universe the film is set in,” he says. “In this case, we had detailed conversations about what the aura of a queen needs to be when she’s taking control of the kingdom.” 

The result? The white, self-embroidered velvet gown and headgear the queen wears for her son’s funeral, the red matka silk gown with dabka work and floor-length cape sleeves to address her council, and her deep purple velvet gown to make a firm appearance at the United Nations headquarters, among others. “We used a lot of our signature antiquated silk threads, metal work and subtle glitter for an impact that was resplendent yet elegant. Ultimately, we wanted the costumes to look almost museum-like,” Valaya carries on. “It’s a proud moment when our country’s skill is recognised and celebrated.” 

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