{"id":2645,"date":"2026-03-05T23:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T23:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2026\/03\/essence-black-women-in-hollywood-issue\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T23:15:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T23:15:00","slug":"essence-black-women-in-hollywood-issue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/2026\/03\/essence-black-women-in-hollywood-issue\/","title":{"rendered":"So Stunning: \u2018Sinners\u2019 Stars, Kerry Washington, Chase Infiniti & LaTanya Richardson Jackson Slay ESSENCE\u2019s Black Women In Hollywood Issue"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"ESSENCE<\/figure>\n

ESSENCE\u2019s highly anticipated Black Women In Hollywood issue has arrived, starring the women of Sinners,<\/em> and the ladies are strikingly beautiful in black. The annual cover coincides with the legacy brand\u2019s illustrious Black Women In Hollywood luncheon. This year\u2019s theme, \u201cOff Script,\u201d speaks to the Black women blazing unconventional paths in Hollywood. The cover features Zinzi Coogler, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Ruth Carter, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, Shunika Terry-Jennings, and Hannah Beachler. <\/p>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

In the cover story, penned by Brande Victorian,<\/a> the dynamic group opens up about the cultural significance of \u2018Sinners\u2019 and the profound thought that went into production. <\/p>\n

For Zinzi Coogler, Sinners <\/em>was \u201cdeeply personal.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe knew everyone was pouring so much of themselves into every detail and craft. We needed the environment to enable the cast and crew to feel creative and free, but also safe spiritually and physically.<\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth Carter says it\u2019s her responsibility to \u201chonor the essence of the character as written.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She elaborated, <\/p>\n

\n

\u201cAnnie was never defined by her size. On the page, she was not described as \u201cplus-size.\u201d She was a hoodoo priest, a spiritual protector, Smoke\u2019s lover, his wife\u2014a woman who carries a profound aura. That is how I approached her. Annie\u2019s power is spiritual. It\u2019s ancestral. It\u2019s rooted in knowing. So her wardrobe had to reflect that authority and that grace. Her garments are layered\u2014cottons, textures, sacred pouches\u2014each element chosen to suggest history, ritual and protection.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Wunmi Mosaku\u2019s character came to life with Carter\u2019s vision. <\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cThe way Ms. Ruth works is such a layered process that I liken to the Michelangelo quote: \u201cThe sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there; I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.\u201d I felt like we started with so many ideas and layers and chiseled away down to her core, and in that process of chiseling, I found her. She became clearer and clearer the more we took away. Annie\u2019s hair felt really organic using a reference picture of the era. One woman really stood out to us, and she became the basis of where we began with Annie.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jennings, who was the mastermind behind the Academy Award-nominated hair and makeup team, revealed Michael B. Jordan got a texturizer to soften his hair. Miles Caton combed out his locs for a haircut, and Delroy Lindo wore a wig. <\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cThose were some of the most significant transformations that altered natural patterns and silhouettes, and each one required intention and care to protect the integrity of their hair. Everyone valued and respected our approach. The transformations were never about forcing a look. They were about serving character while keeping hair healthy and honoring texture. I was deeply honored by the faith they placed in me and my hair team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Lawson, who came to set a blonde, said she felt deep trust for Jennings\u2019 leadership in the beauty department. <\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cI just knew I was in good hands from the moment we met. I was blonde at the time and was not trying to color my hair! Shunika was so collaborative. She came with so many references, but really gave me a say in helping to create Pearline\u2019s look. I didn\u2019t have to worry about showing up and getting my edges snatched from me, any heat damage\u2014none of that. She made it easy. So, all I had to focus on, which is all we should ever have to focus on, was my job. In this industry, that is still a rare gift.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hannah Beachler who is nominated for Best Production Design, revealed her favorite set from the movie was the church and Annie\u2019s store. <\/p>\n

\"ESSENCE
Source: @peacebureau \/ Peace Bureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

\u201cI love Annie\u2019s store, but I love the church as well.\u00a0 I think Annie\u2019s store, for me, was really this mystical place that delved into the spiritual, but she was also a cook and someone the community would go to for healing and nurturing.\u00a0 So, it was a lot of fun to dig into what that could be and how to create her world. The church was special because I wanted it to both look and feel grand while remaining simple and small, and that was a fun challenge to create that juxtaposition.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The women of Sinners <\/em>will be honored with the Luminary spotlight award at the 2026 Black Women In Hollywood ceremony. <\/p>\n

\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"ESSENCE
@peacebureau<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n

Read the full cover story here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hit the flip for more.<\/p>\n

The post So Stunning: \u2018Sinners\u2019 Stars, Kerry Washington, Chase Infiniti & LaTanya Richardson Jackson Slay ESSENCE\u2019s Black Women In Hollywood Issue<\/a> appeared first on Bossip<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ESSENCE\u2019s highly anticipated Black Women In Hollywood issue has arrived, starring the women of Sinners, and the ladies are strikingly…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14044,"featured_media":2924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6],"tags":[10,9],"class_list":["post-2645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-rss","tag-culture","tag-hip-hop"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14044"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2645"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2645\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westcoastaftershock.com\/wca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}