PLC Detroit launches free costume design course with Ruth E. Carter

Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC Detroit), America’s only design-focused historically Black college and university (HBCU), is making costume design education accessible with a free digital learning course, developed in collaboration with two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter and sportswear brand Adidas.

The PLC Detroit x Adidas x Ruth E. Carter costume design programme is accessible through the college’s ePLC platform and features four video modules, offering insight into storytelling and costume design.

Carter, an HBCU graduate of Hampton University and PLC Detroit's first artist-in-residence, has developed the curriculum around her approach to Afrofuturism, blending culture, imagination, and storytelling to demonstrate how design informs character and world-building, drawing from her more than three-decade career spanning over 70 credits across film, television, and theatre, including films such as ‘Sinners’ and the ‘Black Panter’ films.

The four-part course covers Carter's creative methodologies, including character development, research techniques, visual storytelling, and strategic problem-solving, to give students practical tools to translate ideas into compelling visual narratives, strengthen their creative decision-making, and develop a deeper understanding of how storytelling shapes both career pathways and personal voice across disciplines.

Commenting on the course, Carter said in a statement: "Afrofuturism has always been about expanding our imagination, about seeing ourselves in worlds that honour our past while designing the future. Costume design is storytelling. It requires research, cultural respect, and the courage to continually evolve your craft. I'm proud to be part of a collaboration like this.

“Support from institutions like PLC Detroit and partners like Adidas is critical because it invests in the growth and development of artists. When brands champion creative education, they help open doors for the next generation of designers to discover their voice, shape their vision, and step fully into their purpose."

D’Wayne Edwards, president of PLC Detroit, added: "Our relationship with Ruth E. Carter began with a Masterclass, where she guided four PLC students in designing dresses for her awards ceremonies.

"In 2025, she collaborated with PLC alumni on the Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation Stu/Deo by adidas. Today, we invite aspiring creatives worldwide to learn from her through our online platform, ePLC. Her groundbreaking career inspires us to open doors for the next generation to shape the future of design."