The Woman King Costume Designer Gersha Phillips
Design The tactile & gorgeous costume’s! 

Oscar winner Viola Davis leads a strong cast into battle in an epic from Gina Prince-Bythewood, inspired by real women warriors. Davis is absolutely mesmerizing as the Agojie’s strategist warrior.

Costume designer Gersha Phillips outfitted a literal army for “The Woman King.”

The film, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival ahead of its theatrical release, stars Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu and Lashana Lynch. Bolstered by strong critical reviews, the film is already part of the awards conversation heading into fall.

Set in the 1820s, the historical film tells the story of the Agojie, a group of female warriors who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey. Phillips was familiar with the concept, having assisted Ruth Carter with research on “Black Panther,” which featured a group of fictional female warriors called the Dora Milaje. “The pitch [for ‘The Woman King’] came as ‘this is the story about the real Dora Milaje,’” Phillips says.

Outfitting an army meant creating visual cues to differentiate levels of status and affluence. Signals of wealth in the kingdom included numerous layers of fabrics and jewelry piled onto the body.

Sponsored by @peris.costumes 

Brought to you by Designing Hollywood Productions and The John Campea Show! 

Host Robert Meyer Burnett
Executive Producer Martika Ibarra 

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