Born in England to parents of African and Caribbean descent, Gersha Phillips spent most of her childhood in Canada. She began her career in fashion design and recalls her "Oprah 'Aha! moment'" when she happened to notice the costume designer credit while watching a screening of the melodrama Beaches, starring Bette Midler, in the 1980s. Many years have passed, and Phillips's work is now included in numerous films and TV series, including Black Panther, for which she helped costume designer Ruth Carter with research for her Oscar-winning designs. In addition, she has been the costume designer for several film, including Captain America: Brave New World, The Woman King, and Life.
