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Allure magazine is going there. OK?! Lupita Nyong’o covers the March 2018 issue dubbed “The Culture of Hair Issue.” In a rare move, Lupita and her longtime stylist Vernon Francois were given carte blanche to create the stunning looks for this editorial. The Oscar award winner (and everyone’s style fave) shares her personal hair journey in a very open and honest interview.

“I didn’t love my hair when I was a child. It was lighter than my skin, which made me not love it so much. I was really kind of envious of girls with thicker, longer, more lush hair.”

In the captivating cover image shot by iconic photographer Patrick Demarchelier, Lupita shines in a classic braided style featuring cornrows and metallic beads.

Via Allure.com:

“We wanted to make them traditional, forward-thinking, and honest, which is exactly what we did,” said François. “Lupita and I have wanted to create a braid look like this for some time, and having the chance to do it for Allure was a dream come true.” He used his own Vernon François Scalp Nourish-Ment Braids and Locs Spray and Vernon François Leave-in Conditioner, braiding and cornrow techniques, and beads from jewelry and hair-accessory stores. “Don’t be afraid to repurpose things; choose different metallic colors and finishes,” said François. “It’s always a collaborative, creative process when Lupita and I work together. We bounce ideas around and get excited about the possibilities — and about resetting expectations for hair.”

The true star of this layout is the hair, so Nyongo’s makeup was kept very simple to let her flawless skin stand out. Makeup artist Nick Barose used beautiful neutral bronze and pink tones to highlight her natural beauty. Rounding out the glam squad was wardrobe stylist Alex White and famed manicurist Deborah Lippman.

In the article penned by Michelle Lee, Lupita shares that as a teenager she begged for a relaxer in order to fit in. Her signature cropped cut we know and love was the result of her father asking in jest “Why don’t you just cut it all off?” This was in response to repeated request for money by Nyong’o for relaxer touch-ups and weekly styling appointments. A few months later she did just that and her journey to liberation began.

“Now I love my hair. I love it because I’ve also been able to really embrace the stuff it can do. It’s like clay in the right hands. Clay can be dirt in the wrong hands, but clay can be art in the right hands. Being able to have that kind of playtime with Vernon to create different things has inspired me.” – Lupita Nyong’o

Shine on Lupita!

Read the full article on Allure.com here.

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