Marvel’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” wins Oscar for Best Costume Design, Featuring 3D Printed Crown

At last night’s 95^th Academy Awards, Marvels Studio’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won the Oscar for Best Costume Design. One of the most eye-catching designs in the movie is the majestic crown and neckpiece worn by Queen Ramonda, portrayed by Angela Bassett. The crown and neckpiece, designed by Julia Koerner in collaboration with Costume Designed Ruth E. Carter, were 3D printed in Leuven (Belgium) by 3D printing pioneer Materialise. Luscious costume designs take center stage in Marvel’s superhero movie, blending tradition and afrofuturism, to represent Wakanda’s unique civilization - technologically advanced but also deeply rooted in African culture. 

3D printing provided the freedom of design needed to create the crown’s incredibly complex design and structure. Materialise used Laser Sintering, a 3D printing technology where a part is produced by melting together powder particles layer by layer with a laser. Each layer is 0.1 mm thick. The resulting parts tend to be sturdy and stiff but the clever design resulted in a piece that was comfortable enough to be worn and stiff enough to maintain its imposing royal bearing.