Earlier this summer, it was confirmed that Ruth E. Carter who designed the costumes for the movie “Black Panther” will be creating styles for the sequel to Eddie Murphy’s 1988 classic, “Coming to America.” This comes as no surprise as I had written about Carter previously here, praising her knack for bringing African styles to life in Hollywood. This time, she will be building upon the work of Deborah Landis who is also well know for some of pop cultures’ most iconic costumes. Nevertheless, it is refreshing to see that a black designer will be tasked with the work of conjuring this African world associated with the movie.
As per Deadline.com, Carter mentioned at a Saturday night gala hosted by the Black Design Collective that “It’s big shoes to step in. That’s an iconic film.” She continued “We’re going to continue Zamunda. We’re not trying to change the look, but we are going to modernize some things to show the new generation.” Carter was honoured as the first African-American to win Academy Award in the Costume Design category and she has designed costumes for various movies including Malcolm X, Selma, Amistad and Do the Right Thing.
The movie, Coming to America is almost as old as I am. Just incase you don’t know, it is about a wealthy prince called Akeem who leaves his country (the fictional Zamunda that is meant to represent Africa) to America in search for true love – a wife who genuinely loves him and not for his money. The movie goes on to detail his various experiences in the search for love including the ups and downs of being an African immigrant in America. If you have not seen it, I highly recommend that you watch it as it is available on Netflix. It includes a great lineup of actors; James Earl Jones, Arsenio Hall, John Amos, Eriq La Salle, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson.
The core royal members of the cast representing Zamunda were pretty fashionable – just as stylish as Africans are today although a lot more vintage but mostly having a lot of Egyptian influences. The first wedding ball scene featured a lot of women wearing traditional styles in West African print fabrics, all with matching headwraps. However, the men were mostly clad either in black suits or military uniforms, which I found odd. I would have liked to see the men in some other type of African attire rather than suits, even if just to switch things up a bit but I understand that perhaps the scene was supposed to represent the best of both worlds. I’ll give benefit of the doubt there.
I particularly liked the rose petals-throwing servant girls. The red print fabrics delicately framing their heads and waists while the entire look was accented with large gold earrings and arm cuffs. Speaking about accessories, I thought it was quite interesting that many of the women in the movie, almost all of them wore huge Fulani hoop earrings (as pictured below). For years, the Fulani people of Africa have worn these earrings as a sign of nobility. Their roots stem from Northern Africa and before that the Middle East (Arabic origins) who eventually intermingled with West Africans. They have a huge respect for beauty and these earrings are a part of their original craftsmanship.
“Coming to America 2” is set to hit theaters Aug. 7, 2020. For this sequel, I am not expecting too much to change but I am excited and looking forward to seeing some African prints in various modern styles along with a hint of some new surprises. It is really important that the culture comes through in each scene and that they are a somewhat clear and accurate representation of the reality. Thankfully, there are a lot more African designers today than we had back then and most of them are showcasing their collections all over the world. It should not be too hard for Carter to recreate an equally compelling array of looks for the cast of the movie. Her work in Wakanda was a bit different and more futuristic in nature so I’d be curious to see what she drums up this time especially for the royals.
Thinking of what to wear to the theatre to see this movie? Well, it might be a few years until it hits the big screen but it is never too early to start planning the perfect outfit that will hopefully stay with you long after the first wear. Let’s start off with those crop tops. Ofuure has got lots of them in different prints and sizes going from smaller to plus size all with matching skirts so that you will have a complete set. In the case of a head wrap, you cannot go wrong with Wrap Life, although you might not have the luxury of having it match your outfit though. If you want to look matchy-matchy, stick with Ofuure and try to get a head wrap in the same print from them. For those Fulani hoop earrings, check out Mercia Moore.
What types of African fashion are you hoping to see in Coming to America 2?
I’m a seasoned communications and marketing consultant with a penchant for all things stylish and chic. Follow me on social media and subscribe to the newsletter for regular updates on industry trends and much more!