Lupita Nyong'o Dazzled in a Breastplate Molded After Her Own Body

Lupita Nyong'o attends The 76th Annual Tony Awards at United Palace Theater on June 11, 2023 in New York City. — (Image credit: Photo by Bruce Glikas / Getty)

Lupita Nyong'o's red-carpet style never misses (I think we all remember that baby blue Cinderella gown—it's so iconic it even has its own Wikipedia page).

For her latest appearance, Nyong'o went a completely different sartorial route, but one that was just as successful.

The Black Panther star wore a one-of-a-kind custom-molded silver breastplate, which exactly replicated the shape of her own bust. The piece was a true, living artwork, which she paired with an elegant black pantsuit.

The actress took to Instagram to share how much this breastplate meant to her.

"Honored, humbled, strengthened and energized to don this breastplate created by @mishajapanwala, which she cast and molded of my body," Nyong'o wrote.

"Misha Japanwala is a Pakistani artist and fashion designer, whose work is rooted in the rejection and deconstruction of external shame attached to one’s body. In her artistic process, she creates a realistic and true record of a person’s body as an act of resistance and celebration, and an insistence on being allowed to exist freely in our bodies."

She went on to share a quote from Japanwala herself, in which the designer explains how she has reclaimed the word "shameless" in order to celebrate bodies exactly as they are.

"Misha, thank you for this special opportunity to BE EXACTLY HERE, IN THIS BODY NOW," Nyong'o concluded her caption.

Quite rightly, Janelle Monáe branded this look "phenomenal" in the comments section, while singer Lauren Jauregui contributed a heart-eyes emoji and a fire emoji to express her approval.

Nyong'o is no stranger to celebrate her body in all its iterations. Last year, she posted side-by-side bikini photos on Instagram, with the caption, "From Summer Body to Pasta Body in one week! I love them both!"

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.