Lupita Nyong’o, the woman of the year 2014

When you know ahead of time you are going to be the belle of the ball, the pressure is on to find the best gown possible. With that in mind, Lupita Nyong’o went all out at the Glamour 2014 Women Of The Year event in New York on Monday night. As one of the magazine’s honourees and also its Women Of The Year issue’s cover girl, the 31-year-old was the centre of attention as she walked the red carpet.

To accept the honour, the 12 Years A Slave star stunned in a highly structured long sleeve white dress.

Featuring strong angular shoulders and a high neck, the knee length gown was covered in gold beads, coloured crystals and semi-precious stones that formed a floral a pattern on the hem and sleeves and also across the star’s body and around her neck.

The star then matched her accessories to the beading, wearing gold pointed pumps and subtle gold earrings.

Not done there, the Kenyan actress continued with her heavy metal theme, painting her nails gold and wearing matching eye shadow.

The actress made sure to catch up with fellow Woman Of The Year Chelsea Clinton on the red carpet.

The pair were named leading ladies along with actresses Laverne Cox from Orange Is The New Black, and Mindy Kaling, as well as fashion designer Sarah Burton, U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power, model and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova and oceanographer Sylvia Earle.

Speaking to the magazine ahead of the honour, Lupita addressed what many have called the ‘Lupita effect’, which has seen a focus of women of colour.

The Oscar winner told the magazine when she hears the phrase she ‘giggles’.

‘I just heard it for the first time. I’ve heard people talk about images in popular culture changing, and that makes me feel great, because it means that the little girl I was, once upon a time, has an image to instill in her that she is beautiful, that she is worthy – that she can.

‘Until I saw people who looked like me, doing the things I wanted to, I wasn’t so sure it was a possibility. Seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah in The Color Purple, it dawned on me: “Oh – I could be an actress!” We plant the seed of possibility.’

The Mailonline

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