We Need to Talk About Lupita Nyong'o's *Us* Promo Looks
Lupita Nyong’o‘s performance in Jordan Peele’s Us is earning rave reviews and even Oscar buzz (meantime the film is breaking records left and right). But her acting chops are not the only part of her involvement with the film getting praise, though. The actress has been out promoting Us on the red carpet, on late night shows, at college campuses—and she’s been doing it in full-blown lewks that say: gore, but make it fashion. And people just can’t get enough.
Nyong’o worked with longtime stylist Micaela Erlanger to assemble the much talked-about Us press tour wardrobe, which has fans delighted, frightened, and glued to Instagram to see what’s next.
“We really wanted to have fun with this tour—the last one we did was Black Panther—and capture the duality of the characters in the film,” Erlanger tells Glamour. “We had lots of ideas and shared images. I looked at everything from creepy carnivals to old Alexander McQueen shows to the most recent Dior Couture circus collection. The overall feeling was a bit twisted, dark, unexpected—but still fashion forward, whether that was communicated through her looks, hair, makeup, accessories, etc.”
Some of these references have been more direct than others. For example, Erlanger reveals that Nyong’o has been wearing “little scissor earrings and rings throughout the tour,” as a nod to the movie. She first wore them to the Us premiere at South by Southwest, which was the first major red carpet from the press cycle.
“We searched high and low [for scissor earrings] with no luck,” Erlanger remembers, “until my assistant learned about this designer, Lauren Kalssen.” Nyong’o wore the diamond-encrusted pair with an Honayda suit.
More subtly, though, Nyong’o has also worn outfits that incorporate the idea of duality, which is core to Us, into design. “This Rosie Assoulin dress was a perfect example of that,” Erlanger says of the brand’s Hans Yolo style, with its split contrasting floral pattern. That paired with the actress’ eye makeup, the stylist adds, was “perfect.”
Nyong’o isn’t slowing down with her fashion. If anything, her Us looks only keep getting better and better. Ahead, read on for more tidbits from Erlanger about Nyong’o’s epic outfits (and try not to get too excited about the prospect of awards season…)