Now Lupita rules the red carpet at Obama dinner

Lupita Nyong'o arrives at the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) annual dinner in Washington on May 3, 2014. Lupita, 31, looked radiant as she posed for pictures at the Washington Hilton Hotel. AFP/PHOTO 

In Summary

• Earlier in the day, Lupita stole the show at the pre-WHCD 2014 Garden Brunch in a strapless red-and-white cocktail dress by Giambatti Valli. She paired the flirty frock with Christian Louboutin heels and a festive clutch.
• She recently confessed to struggling with her self-image as a child. “I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned,” she said in a moving speech at Essence magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood luncheon last February.
• She said her thinking changed when South Sudanese fashion model Alek Wek gained mainstream success without conforming to a Caucasian aesthetic.

By B M J Muriithi
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Actress Lupita Nyong’o has made yet another stunning red carpet appearance, this time at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

It was an event attended by the who-is-who of both the media and entertainment industries, where US President Barack Obama tickled the gathering with hilarious jokes.

Lupita, 31, looked radiant as she posed for pictures at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

The popular annual event was watched by millions of Americans and featured some of the biggest names in Hollywood.

The Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave supporting actress was impeccably dressed and looked gorgeous in a strapless, black-and-white gown with a peplum ruffle around her slender waist. Fred Leighton jewels added to her glamourous ensemble.

The dinner known among Hollywood and Washington, DC, insiders as “nerd prom,” was also attended by the First Lady and other government officials. The guest list included the casts of Scandal, Orange Is the New Black, and Veer.

Earlier in the day, Lupita stole the show at the pre-WHCD 2014 Garden Brunch in a strapless red-and-white cocktail dress by Giambatti Valli. She paired the flirty frock with Christian Louboutin heels and a festive clutch.

COVER GIRL

In the last year or so, Lupita has surprised many with her steady rise to stardom. Some people have even lost count of the feathers in her cap.

And so when the People magazine announced last month that the Kenyan actress is this year’s Most Beautiful Person of the Year, many may have shrugged it off as “just another victory”. Indeed one would have been excused for feeling a little jaded at hearing Lupita’s name for the umpteenth time.

But what does it really mean to be named “The Most Beautiful Person for 2014”? People is the most popular magazine in the US, with a readership of 47 million adults. It has the largest circulation of any American magazine. Last year, it grossed over $1 billion in advertising revenue

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With those kinds of figures, anyone who is even remotely mentioned by the magazine – let alone appear on its cover – becomes one of the most sought after individuals in the world.

Only the crème de la crème in the entertainment industry have ever made it to the cover, a feat that even the most celebrated Hollywood veterans only covet.

Before People’s announcement, the 12 Years a Slave actress was best known winning an Oscar for best supporting actress in February as well as a deal she signed recently with cosmetics giant Lancôme, becoming its first black ambassador.

The daughter of Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o has joined the cast of Hollywood A-list, including Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford, Tom Cruise and Beyonce who have graced People’s cover.

She is the 25th person to get on the list which was launched in 1990. This year, Lupita topped celebrated Hollywood big-names including The Americans star Keri Russell, singer P!nk and actress Amber Heard.

“She’s the total package of brains, beauty and heart, so it’s little surprise Lupita Nyong’o has been crowned People magazine’s ‘Most Beautiful,’” said the editorial of Daily News, a top ranked American newspaper.

Kenyans in the Diaspora have also joined millions of admirers and taken to the social media to compliment their “homegirl”.

“Of course she’s beautiful, but Hollywood has lots of beautiful faces. The way Lupita went from an unknown to an icon in such a short period proved to us she was worthy. She’s a testament to true beauty, inside and out,” said Jason Kinyanjui in a Facebook posting.

Prior to the latest triumph, Lupita also ruled red carpets from coast to coast with her impeccable style, racking up a million followers on Instagram.

She has called her People cover a “major, major compliment”.

BODY IMAGE

“I was happy for all the girls who would see my image on the cover and feel a little more seen,” she told People, recalling how she used to equate beauty with the “light skin and long, flowing, straight hair” she saw on TV.

She recently confessed to struggling with her self-image as a child. “I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned,” she said in a moving speech at Essence magazine’s Black Women in Hollywood luncheon last February.

She said her thinking changed when South Sudanese fashion model Alek Wek gained mainstream success without conforming to a Caucasian aesthetic.

“When I saw Alek, I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny,” Nyong’o said. “I had a spring in my step because I felt more seen, more appreciated by the faraway gatekeepers of beauty.”

People is perhaps best known for its yearly special issues naming “World’s Most Beautiful People”, “Best & Worst Dressed”, and “Sexiest Man Alive”.

The magazine’s headquarters is in New York. It has bureaus in Los Angeles and London.