The Goal Is To Feel Strong, Says 'Black Panther' Jewelry Designer

Douriean Fletcher is Marvel Comics' first licensed jewelry maker. She's behind the powerful adornments worn by the women of Wakanda in Black Panther, which helped pull audiences into an imagined world where power and societal roles are based on expertise and ability. On Sunday, she's giving a talk at the National Museum of Women in the Arts about the aesthetics of gender equity in Wakandan society.

Fletcher designed strength head-to-toe in the signature pieces she created for Black Panther — necklaces, earrings, cuffs, buckles, armor for shoulders and adornments for feet. "I was representing what African-inspired jewelry looks like ..." Fletcher says. "I just wanted to make sure that the pieces that I created were bold and that they were feminine — yet they definitely told a story of royalty and had connections to the spiritual aspect of African belief systems."