High fashion from a mass-market brand! Lupita Nyong’o dazzled in a custom J.Crew ensemble at the world premiere of The Jungle Book in L.A. on Monday, April 4, and we have all the scoop on the collaboration, straight from the actress’ stylist.
“Lupita has been talking about hoping to collaborate with the brand,” celebrity stylist Micaela Erlanger exclusively tells Us Weekly. “So J.Crew’s creative director Jenna Lyons and I sat down and thought about the ways we could interpret the look for the red carpet. It was a collaboration on everyone’s part. The ultimate look evolved to become what it is, and it’s beautiful!”
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The finished ensemble included a custom-made, lime-green cashmere bodysuit — which, Erlanger notes, “hugged the body beautifully; the neckline was gorgeous!” — and a rose gold sequined, multi-slitted “car wash” skirt. (It was inspired by the ready-to-wear style below.)
Three layered necklaces and two cocktail rings, all by Fred Leighton, and pink metallic ankle-strap sandals by Stuart Weitzman accessorized the ensemble.
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“We spent some time looking at fabric swatches, and that [rose gold shade] was just the most beautiful and luminous against her skin,” the stylist explains. “The overall look was unlike anything we’d done — it was fresh, playful, youthful and really authentic to who Lupita is and how the J.Crew woman dresses. It just felt right.”
Not to mention that the whimsical look seemed perfect for a Disney red carpet. “We always dress for the occasion — that is a hallmark of Lupita and my work together. Knowing that this is The Jungle Book and a Disney franchise, it was a playful and fun choice,” Erlanger shares.
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Once off the red carpet, Erlanger also added the store label’s Denim Jacket in Tyler Wash ($128, jcrew.com). “We paired the look with a denim jacket because that’s how the J.Crew girl would wear it, and I think it pulled the whole look together,” she says. “Then I added the Fred Leighton jewelry, because it is a movie premiere — I had to bring the sparkle! It was a beautiful interpretation [of street clothing] for the red carpet, and I think we nailed it.”
What do you think of Nyong’o’s J.Crew ensemble? Tweet with @UsWeekly using the hashtag #stylebyUs!
