The cast, filmmakers and special guests of Marvel’s newly-released sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” attended the purple carpet in Hollywood on Oct. 26. From breathtaking gowns to moving tributes, the stars leaned into opulence and brought the heat for the world premiere.

Ryan Coogler — the director of both Marvel Studios’ 2018 “Black Panther” and 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — honored Chadwick Boseman in a heartwarming tribute. Coogler dressed in an all-white, satin outfit as a blank canvas for his necklace that had a photo of Boseman as its pendant. The photo was seemingly taken from Boseman’s 2018 TIME magazine cover entitled “A Hero Rises” — a fitting title for the late actor.

“It was a necklace I had made right when we were ready to start filming,” Coogler said in a Good Morning America interview. “I wanted to have him close to me.”

Letitia Wright (Shuri) also paid tribute to Chadwick Boseman at the premiere. The actress wore a black, fitted Alexander McQueen suit from the Spring Summer 2023 Pre-collection. From the sharp shoulders to the crisp collars, the silhouette of the suit stylistically borrows the likeliness of her armor in the film. The jacket was also accompanied with a show-stopping back crystal harness — a dazzling accessory that resembled the now-iconic details of floral-like flourishes on Boseman’s custom made Givenchy Haute Couture outfit. Photographed on the purple carpet, the actress was seen striking the signature “Wakanda-forever” pose, proudly honoring her late on-screen older brother.

Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia) stunned in a custom white one-shoulder dress by Balmain. The triangular cutouts on the lower half of the dress follow a geometrical pattern that is reminiscent of Mônot‘s Spring-Summer 2022 collection’s Diamond-Cutout dress. However, the dress leans into a more beachy aesthetic with its braided knot design down the middle. Nyong’o graced the purple carpet with a short train on her dress — its thin and pleated light fabric mimics the shape and patterns of a seashell. To complete the ethereal look, the actress wore a crown of white seashells.

Other guest stars and attendees also appeared at the premiere in all-white attires. In many cultures, the color white is symbolically tied with the act of mourning, and is often worn at funerals in remembrance of those who have passed. This is seen in the film, and many moviegoers have also joined the movement.

Tenoch Huerta (Namor), who plays the ruler of the underwater nation of Talokan, wore a black, double breasted suit. Less is more with this heartthrob, who opted for a traditional look — with the exception of a white button-up shirt with faint patterns and a necklace with a black pendant.

Danai Gurira (Okoye) stunned the purple carpet in an extravagant purple dress by Robert Wun. The London-based fashion designer Wun is known for his nature-inspired, concept-heavy pieces, and Gurira pulls it off with class. The regal look is breathtaking and stands out in all its glory — the top piece of the dress resembles intricate petals with its unfolding shape of large, lettuce-trimmed fabric. A long, pleated, one-legged skirt drapes below the top piece as light bounces off its folds with every movement. Just like her character, Gurira’s look is conceptually strong and empowering.

The Grammy singer, Rihanna, and her boyfriend A$AP Rocky also made an appearance at the premiere together, celebrating her release of the film’s track “Lift Me Up.” The couple wore matching colors, but their individual looks could not be more different stylistically. Rihanna opted for an avante-garde approach with a dress from Rick Owens’ Fall 2022, 1930’s-inspired collection made of a muted olive green, sequin fabric. The fitted bodice is accompanied with a silver zipper detail that follows a structural outline. Around the skirt is an additional structured piece of the same fabric — the contorted fabric protrudes across the dress like a hoop, capturing a snake-like vibe. The songstress wore a pair of long gloves accompanied with a smokey eye makeup look and spikey Reza Ruban earrings to complete the look.

On the other hand, A$AP Rocky settled for a more relaxed approach, with an oversized jacket and baggy, wide-legged jeans made with khaki denim. The jacket’s texture is faded and dull, beautifully contrasting his partner’s more flashy look. The pants were the star of his look — the rapper embraced his street-style fashion with one leg of his pants being made from a draped, black leather fabric. Both looks also had a train, emphasizing their outfits’ snake-like imagery. Though the pair did not make an appearance in the film, they brought the heat to the purple carpet with this matching set.

Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger) — PEOPLE’S 2020 Sexiest Man Alive — brought vivid color to the premiere in a yellow mid-length coat with matching flared pants, both by Louis Vuitton. The stunner paired the outfit with a crisp, white Intimissimi tank top and a Tiffany & Co. HardWear diamond pavé necklace.

Winston Duke (M’Baku) wore a black coat with bleach-like, blood orange details. The devil’s in the details, as Duke accessorized with orange ombre-lensed sunglasses and black, red-bottomed Christian Louboutin shoes — both of which match the details on his coat.

Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda) sparkled for the occasion. The Emmy-Award winning actress wore a rich, purple gown by Moschino with a pleated pattern. The gown featured a peplum silhouette with two cups on the upper half that resemble the shape of two downturned tulips.

Dominique Thorne (Riri) attended her first MCU film premiere in a stunning dress. Thorne wore a voluminous Prabal Gurung dress made of pink, white and black tulle fabric. The layering of the ruched tulle creates a beautiful, cascading, ombre-like gradient. The actress completed the ensemble with long, black, sheer gloves, Wolford tights and Christian Louboutin shoes.

The spectacular cast of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has proven on the purple carpet that monochromatic outfits are the new trend in fashion. While each cast member attended the premiere with their own unique, inventive tastes, their powerful looks will forever be one for the books.

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” is in theaters now.

Raymond Dinh is an Arts & Entertainment Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. He can be reached at raymontd@uci.edu.