Meet woman who created Wakanda's jewelry for 'Black Panther'

Making the jewelry for "Black Panther" was a dream come true for designer Douriean Fletcher.

And in her case, the dreaming part was literal.

After working with Oscar-nominated costume designer Ruth E. Carter on the 2016 remake of "Roots" for the History network, Fletcher began dreaming of "dresses made out of shells and crystals and metals."

The Los Angeles-based artist shared what she had been envisioning with Carter, who asked her to send some sketches. "She said, 'I'm being considered for this Afro-futuristic film. If I get it, I want you to do the jewelry for it.' "

Fletcher will describe her "Black Panther" journey at a free design talk at 7 p.m. Friday at Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The blockbuster adaptation of the Marvel comic book, which is set in the mythical African nation of Wakanda, has earned $1.3 billion worldwide.

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Fletcher's contribution to the film falls into the broad category of jewelry, but that doesn't quite do it justice. Her main job was to create pieces that spoke to the styles and status of differing characters, from Angela Bassett's Queen Ramonda to Letitia Wright's tech-whiz Princess Shuri to Lupita Nyongo's super-spy Nakia.

But her assignment included a wide variety of adornments and armor gear, especially for the powerful, elegant female warriors of the Dora Milaje, who are led by actress Danai Gurira's dedicated commander character, Oyoke.

Fletcher says she drew inspiration from her experiences while studying abroad in South Africa back before she took up jewelry. She also was inspired by the film's Afro-futuristic Wakanda, an African nation untouched by European subjugation and slave trading that has state-of-the-art technology and rare resources like vibranium, the impenetrable metal of Captain America's shield.

"It stretches the imagination to the what if," she says. "What if imperialism and colonialism didn't exist? Then what kind of existence would Afro people have in this world? It's quite empowering."

Fletcher, who hails from Pasadena, originally met Carter (who earned Academy Award nods for "Amistad" and "Malcolm X") at a New Orleans party for her jewelry hosted by actress CCH Pounder ("NCIS: New Orleans").

That opened the door for the eventual "Black Panther" job, which Fletcher started in July 2016 during pre-production.

"She thought my aesthetic was very Wakandan," recalls Fletcher, who moved quickly from making mood boards to actual jewelry.

At that point, she didn't realize how much of an impact her creations would have on the look of "Black Panther" or how stunning the project's overall vision would be.

"I had no clue until I was on set one day, maybe five months or six months later. Until that moment, I really didn't know what what was happening and what I was really a part of."

The process for perfecting the jewelry pieces was intensive. She had to translate the illustrations provided by Marvel into real objects that complemented the costumes and moved the right way. The Dora Milaje necklaces, for instance, required three or four versions to achieve just the right effect 

Fletcher did the metal work — the cutting, shaping, soldering and hammering — on the accessories herself. The precision required was extensive, she says, explaining how the small details on Okoye's cones are different from those of the other Dora Milaje warriors.

"It was making sure that they felt real, that they were authentic," says Fletcher of the dedication to getting the smallest elements rights.

Not surprisingly, she didn't get to take home any of the jewelry items. "It's Marvel, so they keep everything," she says. The pieces already have popped up again, in 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War," which featured Gurira's Okoye and other "Black Panther" characters.

Fletcher has a license to produce a line of "Black Panther" items that are sold at her website, which also has information on her own jewelry line, where she goes by her first name Douriean.

Fletcher says her life has change dramatically since "Black Panther."

"I think it was quite overwhelming, going to these events, going to New York fashion week, being on the (movie's) red carpet, being approached for so man opportunities. But I feel really blessed. These are things I've been wanting and writing about in my journals for a long time. I didn't expect it to manifest in such a quick way."

Next up is preparing for Hollywood's award season and the prospect of accessorizing celebrities for the events. Nyong’o and Bassett have worn her jewelry at recent public events.

"I know my plans are to start working on those pieces," she says, dreaming of future Golden Globe and Oscar red carpets.

Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture writer Julie Hinds: 313-222-6427 or jhinds@freepress.com.

Douriean Fletcher

Design talk with the "Black Panther" jewelry designer

7 p.m. Fri. (followed by afterglow)

Free

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Fletcher also will be appearing with items from her "Black Panther" licensed collection at Detroit Fiber Works from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sat.