‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’: The Wardrobe on the Show Is Inspired by ‘A Different World’

Power Book III: Raising Kanan focuses on the teen years of Kanan Stark (Mekai Curtis). Kanan’s mother, Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller), is a drug queenpin who runs her business with her brothers, Marvin (London Brown) and Lou Lou (Malcolm Mays). Her business dealings have begun to affect Kanan forever.

Since the series is set in the ’90s, many of the wardrobe choices are inspired by A Different World.

The wardrobe in ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ has some major challenges

As compelling as Raising Kanan is, since it’s set in the ’90s, there are a ton of wardrobe challenges in the series.

“This is really the challenge of the series,” show creator Sascha Penn told Complex. “That wardrobe of that era is not that easy to find. Keep in mind; we have to have doubles and triples of it because if it gets dirty or if we have to shoot someone… one of the real challenges is getting a wardrobe that was authentic to that particular moment. We try to get the real stuff.”

The wardrobe is inspired by ‘A Different World’

A Different World was one of the most captivating and groundbreaking shows of the ’90s. Set on the campus of a fictional Historically Black College, Hillman, the series centered on the lives of the students who lived there. Veteran costume designer Tsigie White who does the wardrobe for Raising Kanan, used the throwback series as a blueprint for her pieces in the Power series.

“It’s really important to me that this show is authentic as possible,” White told Insider. “So in order to have something be authentic, you have to do the research. So, it’s studying all the magazines. I order a lot of vintage magazines from the period, a lot of Ebony magazines, and JCPenny catalogs so I can understand and see how things will fit — the fit of the pants or how jackets were worn.”

‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ examines nature vs. nurture

While the wardrobe is a major component of the acclaimed series, the show also explores so deep themes. Nature vs. nurture is one of the main themes of the show. For example, there are many points where Kanan could have shifted his focus and become a completely different person than the one we met on Power.

However, being raised by Raq and being around his family’s drug business effectively shaped him forever.

“[Nature vs. nurture] is fundamental to the story and the tension. I think that’s the question we all sort of ask ourselves as human beings but also as parents,” show creator Sascha Penn told The Koalition. “I think that’s really part of Raquel’s journey. ‘These choices I’m making not just for myself but for my son, what are they going to do to him?’ We know the answer to that; we know that at least they’re going to contribute in some way to whom [Kanan] becomes.”

We’re only at the beginning of Kanan’s journey, and we can’t wait to see how it shifts and expands.