Ahead of the Academy Awards, a smörgåsbord of A-listers attended the 16th annual Pre-Oscar dinner hosted by Charles Finch and Chanel. Lupita Nyong'o was invited to the chic event—alongside Demi Moore, Lily-Rose Depp, Elle Fanning, and Colman Domingo—and her red carpet outfit was a masterclass in dressing like an Oscar winner.
Nyong'o, of course, won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award in 2014 for her very first feature film appearance in 12 Years a Slave. On Saturday, March 1, she attended the intimate Pre-Oscar dinner at Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel in a silk organza dress adorned with shimmering feathers. The completely sheer Chanel shirtdress—look 66 in the label's Spring/Summer 2025 Ready-to-Wear collection—features balloon sleeves, a large shirt collar, silver buttons, and sparkling feathers dripping from the skirt.
Late last year, Nyong'o was announced as one of Chanel's newest ambassadors, and she's subsequently worn the French fashion house throughout award season. For Saturday's dinner, alongside her sleek shirtdress, the award winner wore makeup from Chanel.
Lupita Nyong'o at the Chanel and Charles Finch Pre-Oscar Awards Dinner on March 1, 2025.
Lupita Nyong'o in a sheer shirtdress from Chanel.
Animation The Wild Robot, in which Nyong'o voices one of the main characters, is nominated for Best Animated Film at this year's Academy Awards.
Adrien Brody, Lupita Nyong'o, and Colman Domingo at the Chanel and Charles Finch Pre-Oscar Awards Dinner.
A model walks the runway for Chanel during Paris Fashion Week on October 1, 2024.
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When Nyong'o was presented with her Academy Award in 2014, she expressed shock at having won. "It doesn't escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else's," Nyong'o explained (via The Hollywood Reporter), referencing the author of 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup.
Of Steve McQueen's direction, Nyong'o said, "You charge everything you fashion with a breath of your own spirit. Thank you for putting me in the position. It has been the joy in my life." She ended her speech by saying, "When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every child, no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid."
