Many fashionistas were pleasantly surprised by Lupita Nyong'o's appearance at the red carpet during the Golden Globe Awards last Sunday. Donning a red dress with a cape, Lupita has been named the 'fashion it' girl for 2014.
Lupita was nominated for supporting actress in 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen. She got the role, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt, after finishing her acting programme at the Yale School of Drama, where she was involved in a variety of productions, including Shakespeare's Winter's Tale, among others. 12 Years a Slave won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Award.
While many Kenyans will remember Lupita as Ayira in Shuga, she ventured into film as a production assistant in the Constant Gardener. She was also the director and producer of in My Genes, a documentary on people living with albinism in Kenya.
Her performance in 12 Years a Slave has brought her to the fashion limelight — she is widely expected to grace many more red carpets.
Lupita has been nominated for quite a number of awards including the BAFTA for best supporting actress and best rising star award and Screen Actor Guild's award for outstanding performance by a female actor in a supporting role, among others.
With the help of her stylist, Micaela Erlanger, Lupita has become a hot topic since September 2013 and many designers, including Ralph Lauren, who dressed her for the Golden Globe Awards, Gucci and Prada showing interest in dressing her.
Fashion critics have lauded her style with Booth Moore, a fashion critic, saying: “She has shown remarkable range, and every look she has chosen has been special.”
Fashion stylist Beagy Zielinski says: “She has a beautiful face and a flawless skin and she knows how to dress to highlight those attributes.”
Lupita's efforts have borne fruits as she has been featured in quite a number of magazines, ranging from Vogue to Dazed and Confused. She has been selected as one of the faces of the Miu Miu spring collection 2014. She is set to be featured on Vanity Fair this February.
Even with all the attention over her looks and styles, Lupita takes it lightly.
“It's definitely a bonus thing.”
Aside from the fashion buzz she has created, Lupita is an exceptional actress. Many critics predict that she will be a nominee for the Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards.
Lupita features alongside Liam Neeson and Julianne Moore in the action thriller Non-Stop, a film about an Air Marshall that must save a flight, due in theatres in February.