How Wētā brought costume designer’s vision to life
About 100 staff at Wētā Workshop worked to create intricate but durable costumes for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, now on display at Tākina.
The special effects and prop company was approached by award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter with an “amazing vision” for seven costumes to be brought to life, says Wētā Workshop art director Lans Hansen.
“She came with beautifully refined pieces of concept art, so we started working with her, looking at ... how to convert these pieces of concept art into wearable costumes and how to bring realism to them through materiality.”
Carter won Best Achievement in Costume Design at the Oscars for the film in 2023 and for Black Panther in 2019.
In total, Wētā Workshop produced more than 40 costumes, including six identical costumes for the villain Attuma and five for Namora, played by Mabel Cadena, taking about four months to complete.
It was one of the challenges to create identical pieces, particularly with details like Namora’s headdress which looked “quite chaotic” using lionfish fins in the Marvel world, Hansen said.
A lot of time was spent researching how to achieve the look of the materials used in the Marvel world while making it wearable and comfortable, trying to draw reference to the real world.
Finding the right material was a challenge considering much of the filming was underwater. All the materials had to be waterproof while being stunt friendly and looking like the desired material.
Almost all the costumes used urethane plastics, trying to match the sea-inspired materials like the crab shells and kelp wrapped around Attuma’s legs and arms, used as armour. “Attuma’s costume is really a collage of a lot of undersea pieces ... so it was important that when you looked at it, it felt like it fitted together.”
A private pool was hired to test the costumes, including by Hansen himself. “It was a great experience to see how things that you theorise might work.”
The scale of some of the costumes was new, he said, working to balance the desired look with practicality to film stunt work.
Namora’s headwear was Hansen’s favourite piece – an ornamental ceremonial mayan headdress, gold with inlaid pieces of Atlantean jade and large feather components.
Much of the work was about combining the work of skilled handmade craftsmanship, sculptors and designers with modern technology in the manufacturing facility. “It’s a really collaborative journey that everyone in the workshop really enjoys and it’s great to be able to bring that and contribute it to this world.”
It was always unknown how much camera time different pieces would get, which was part of the job, but it was rewarding to see everything come together, he said, especially when it really fitted the character.
“It really feels like it empowers them ... seeing them embodying that character.”
Having the pieces brought back to Wellington to be exhibited at Tākina was special, giving friends and family an opportunity to see the work for the first time.
“Everyone is so passionate about what they do and has so much energy to build these pieces so it’s lovely to be able to share that.”
The costumes are on display as part of the Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre until April 28.