The newest issue of Vogue Italia features Sofia Coppola on the cover, which I’ve included in the thumbnails. But this issue is a must-have not because of Sofia, but because it features a really great editorial with Lupita Nyong’o. Lupita is this Oscar season’s It Girl, and I kind of think the Lupita love-fest is outshining the Jennifer Lawrence love-fest last year. I mean, we all loved J-Law last year, but it seems like everybody has a major crush on Lupita this year. And why not? She’s stunning, she’s adorable, she’s humble and cool.
Anyway, as I said, I love this editorial. I think Lupita is a really great model, right? If acting doesn’t pan out for her – how could it when she’s likely to win an Oscar? – then she could always fall back on modeling. She has more personality than 99% of current models and she looks better in high-end pieces too. Lupita has that Diane Kruger thing – she can make any article of clothing looking like expensive couture.
Over the weekend, 12 Years a Slave won big at the London Critics Circle Awards, and Lupita won Best Supporting Actress, which Steve McQueen accepted on her behalf. There’s even a story going around in the UK tabloids about Lupita… apparently, Brad Pitt is all about Lupita, but not in the “Brad is going to leave Angelina for Lupita” way. A source claims Brad “thinks Lupita is mesmerizing on screen and wants to mentor her. In Angelina Jolie’s absence they went as each other’s dates to both ceremonies and were locked in conversation all night. They also had brunch at his LA home on the day of the SAG Awards after Brad flew in from Australia. Angelina’s desperate to meet Lupita. She thinks she’s incredible. They’ve invited her to stay to discuss what they can work on with Brad’s Plan B Entertainment company.” Huh.
Photos courtesy of Vogue Italia.
Her skin is stunning.
You mean, her EVERYTHING is stunning?! Love her.
Pretty! I like that they let her smile and have fun instead of giving us a bunch of dead-eyed, sexy face photos.
Me too. I’m not a great fan of the clothes but she looks like she’s having so much fun with it that I like these photos.
So many photo shoots lack personality these days.
How tall is she? I read somewhere that she’s 165 cm. That’s way to short for a model.
she’s an actress so that doesn’t matter…..
I have noticed that, thank you, but it says above that she could be a model. She couldn’t. she’s too short.
STUNNING
I am getting Grace Jones vibe from the sunglass photo. She has an amazing body I want those arms..
I was about to type the exact same thing.
Me too! That was the first thing that came to mind when I set eyes on that photo.
Same here! I really like this photo shoot, mainly because I think the stylist and the photographer tried to capture a part of her essence and her style, rather than forcing a disconnected stock fashionista look on her. The camera loves her.
Ditto!
Yes! (sorry should have read before i posted)
And in the first one she looks like Josephine Baker. Not easy to channel that vibe.
YES! There was something about it I couldn’t put my finger on. That’s it.
I’d believe that Brad Pitt/Plan B want to see what they can do to help her w/her career—she’s talented, so why not? And this behavior isn’t new from Brad—Michael said that after they did Inglorious Basterds together, Brad went and talked him up to every producer in town. Lupita, being female AND black (double the strikes against her in hollywood), she would need a lot more help than Michael, even though they’re equally talented.
She’ll need a ton of help. Extraordinary as she is the roles simply aren’t there. Also there is an ongoing belief/perception/feeling in Hollywood that African American actors not named Smith or Washington don’t sell overseas.
I kind of hate to suggest it but she might do well to snag a genre role. A comic book movie or Star Trek or something would give her some useful exposure.
She already has one. She’s in an action pic with Liam Neeson coming out in May this year.
“Also there is an ongoing belief/perception/feeling in Hollywood that African American actors not named Smith or Washington don’t sell overseas.”
It is truly sad, but that isn’t just a perception. The numbers do not lie. Additionally, Smith and Washingon don’t do as well overseas either, compared with average domestic/foreign ratios. Hopefully, as society progresses and amazing talents like Lupita are shared with the world, this will change.
Lupita should be cast as Ororo Munroe / Storm, she’d be perfect.
I love this editorial, she looks stunning and i was also getting a Grace Jones vibe to it. Gorgeous !!!
I hope it’s true. She has a great talent and it would be wonderfull if she could continue to let it shine. Brad Pitt could certainly help with that.
I think she will do fine. You know who will struggle the most out of this year’s nominees? Barkhad Abdi. He is amazing, but I don’t see much of a future for him, especially since he has an accent ( that isn’t British/French/Spanish ). I hope I’m wrong.
I know. HE has been lost in all the amazing award season coverage and all the celebration of black actors breaking through. And yet he is right there, receiving award nom after award nom.
maybe he will upset at the oscars and win the oscar [fingers crossed].
one thing he needs to fix though is his teeth. his teeth are atrocious.
realistically, he’s probably a one hit wonder, 2 at most, like Jaye Davidson for THE CRYING GAME, who was also nominated and then went nowhere. Though, i love him in STARGATE.
Weird how in Vogue Italia, there’s no question as to the color/shade of her skin. Somehow, it seems to be celebrated whereas in US magazines… I love with the blue lighting that they allow the blue undertones of her dark skin to emanate. It is perfection. And long live Grace Jones!
Seriously in love. She’s just gorgeous on top of all of her other attributes – talent, poise, humor. I feel like I’d get all creepy around her like a tween girl meeting 1D. I would not be able to hold it in, lol.
I’m in love L-U-V
I don’t completely love the styling, but agree she could be a great model- you can’t take your eyes off her, and she’s very expressive. I hope she is offered some great deals.
She’s repping Mui Mui.
LOL. She claims she’s not a fashion girl in the press room at the SAGs but then she’s repping a fashion line? WTF?
SHe’s too short to be a model.
How tall is Kate Moss again?
Flawless! Love you Lupita.
Now I want to see Angelina with Lupita, lol.
Look she’s stunning and was beyond great in the movie but let’s not sit her too high on the pedestal. Just like Jennifer Lawrence she’ll say something off the cuff, do too many magazines or whatever and the fickle fans will turn. And you know what? She’ll still be great. But she’s human, so let her be.
I saw the other day it’s already starting to turn for poor Michael B Jordan. Something he said while promoting his awful new movie about liking “traditional” relationships. Comments on other sites start turning against him, it’s that fast.
I seriously doubt she will say something ala Lawrence. She seems to have a filter.
Love, love, love the shoot. Last photo is reminiscent of Grace Jones..
She is a gorgeous, gorgeous woman
I think Angelina and Lupita have already met – Lupita was at the award ceremony when Angelina got her honorary Oscar. It was just as the buzz was starting for the movie and Lupita was not yet the huge presence she has become.
This editorial is amazing. It amazes me how much energy and personality she has in posed photos.
This Brad/Angelina story I definitely believe. Brad has a history of endorsing actors he thinks are talented and Lupita is exactly the kind of person I would think Angelina would be fascinated and impressed by. So yes, I absolutely buy this story.
I believe it too. Hollywood is all about connections. No one makes it without help. Love Brad for stepping up like he did for Michael Fassbender.
Love this, this young woman is stunning. So excited for her right now.
Stunning. I hope she gets more quality roles out of this awards buzz. I know the chances of it are slim but she’s stunning, intelligent, and showing promising acting chops in 12YAS.
Perfection. She IS THE RED CARPET at the moment. She should already have a high end 7 figure cosmetics contract……….
Brad Pitt talked to her…tabloids say she’s livid and she might leave him..yeah, right!
I hate to reduce a woman who has spent years honing her craft and is by all accounts extremely professional and talented to her physical appearance, but her body is everything, holy cow.
You’re right! Who else could make a bedazzled one shoulder top covered in flames with a zebra striped snake skin skirt (did I just type those words?) and sunglasses, look expensive? No one. These pics prove it because the clothes are all fug yet she is still mesmerizing.
I love this and I also love that when the VF cover is opened she is centered, like a queen surrounded by her courtiers. I hope roles are specifically written to include her in more films. She is gorgeous, talented, and young, so I think we are witnessing the beginning of a fantastic career.
Lupita, “HAVE MERCCYYYYY”( in the voice of uncle jesse)
Did anyone see the pics of Brad and Angelina on Lainey–they were going out to dinner at a bar and grill in Australia???
Thank God–Angelina’s wearing GOLD heels.
Good god that woman is beautiful.
Love her! She’s gorgeous and Patsy broke my heart. But what is with the eye makeup? Looks clownish. (I do realize I’m not the most fashion forward person on the planet)
LOVE this shoot! But I think she needs to take down the campaigning a small notch, I don’t want her to suffer from overexposure before the oscars.
During the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, etc., she seemed Everywhere because of coverage of those award shows (incl. movie blogs applauding her SAG & Critics Choice acceptance speeches), her fashion – & lipstick/makeup! – choices (& not only RC), plus magazine covers. And she was on a lot of talk shows back-to-back promoting 12 YEARS A SLAVE, like all actors with their movies. She’s been the best ambassador for 12YAS because she’s vivacious, articulate, beautiful & multi-talented (she speaks Spanish fluently!) I’m really grateful for that because 12YAS is a hard sell – esp. to Academy voters. People should really be talking a lot about Chewitel Ejiofor’s performance & Steve McQueen’s direction too, but they’re more serious & reserved, and new to campaigning. Michael Fassbender refuses to campaign for his nom because of his experience w/Shameless – it’s been hurting 12YAS’ campaign because he’s as charismatic as Lupita, and the best known to the Academy.
There’s been a brief break of World Lupita; I expect to see a lot of her this month because Oscar voting is still open & 12YAS needs all the help it can get. Oscar pundits are giving her a slight (!) edge over JLaw. I’ve seen 12YAS three times – most recently after all the Oscar analyses. There’s no comparison in terms of Lupita’s performance, her role’s depth & the film’s scope. If she doesn’t win BSA Oscar, like the GG, it’ll a travesty & favoritism; I’ll explode like Mt. Vesuvius, St. Helen & Pinatubo combined.
Brad (& Angelina) campaigning should be a boost – a big one I hope, because 12 YEARS A SLAVE really IS the Best Picture. (I hope there’s an upset and Chewitel & McQueen win too – they deserve it. I can dream.)
Is it just me but I noticed she hardly wears any jewellery, even on the RC. No big chunky chokers, diamond bracelets, bling blings etc.
She could possibly be the most perfect human specimen. Beauty, brains and that body!