After a successful collaboration on the first, Black Panther installation in the Marvel franchise, it is no surprise to hear that designer and 3D printing specialist Julia Koerner has helped to produce 3D printed costumes for the film’s sequel, Wakanda Forever – Black Panther Koerner has teamed up once more with Ruth E Carter, Academy Award winning costume designer, in order to bring to life beautiful, Afrofuturist props. Angela Bassett was wearing a 3D-printed crown and neck-piece while playing the role of Queen Ramonda.
Black Panther (2018) was groundbreaking for many reasons. It was not only the first Marvel film to feature a Black director (Ryan Coogler), but it also featured a majority Black cast. Afrofuturism was brought to the big screen for mass audiences. The film’s set and costumes combined traditional African elements of design with technology and science fiction themes. This was true on screen as well as off, as Carter turned to cutting edge technologies to bring some of the film’s costumes to life.
Original Black Panther, Queen Ramonda’s tall crown and intricate shoulder mantle (seen above) were made with 3D printing. These features were also featured in the new film. Carter and Koerner combined their expertise in costume design, 3D printing and digital design to make the pieces wearable. Both props are complex and difficult to make using traditional manufacturing techniques. They were created using selective laser sintering technology.
Wakanda Forever: Black Panther premiered earlier this month and has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, with particular emphasis on the film’s poignant way of dealing with and honoring late actor Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular character in the franchise’s first instalment.
Julia Koerner is one of the most prolific 3D printer designers: She has not only worked on the Black Panther films, but she has also collaborated with renowned designer Iris Van Herpen, Chanel’s Maison Lesage and very recently Swarovski. Koerner is also a professor at UCLA’s School of Arts and Architecture and has founded her own 3D printing brand, JK3D, which has locations in Vienna and Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in many institutions around the globe, including the MET, New York, MAK, Vienna, and the Art Institute of Chicago.