Amid the futuristic and fantastical designs at this week’s Met Gala, Lupita Nyong’o still managed to remind everyone she was one of a kind. Her towering hairstyle was an aesthetic highlight, but her inspiration appears to have bemused the wider fashion press. On the night she told Andre Leon Talley she was inspired by “sculptural hairdos from all around the world.” But despite her explanation, some less aspirational observers suggested Marge Simpson — we love Marge, but not for the Met — or a resident of Dr. Seuss’ Whoville.
Vogue went with Audrey Hepburn — specifically they compared the Oscar winner’s look to a 1963 shoot by Bert Stern that saw the classic film star’s hair piled in a dramatic up-do.
In response to the discussion, Lupita took to Instagram today to post a video of herself next to several African women with similar hairstyles. While she didn’t elaborate on her thoughts concerning the discussion, NPR’s Tanya Basu did blog about the problematic comparisons earlier this week. Pointing out that “In the African past, sculptural formations of hair signaled status and wealth” she continued “historically signified a person’s tribal background, rank in society.”
In her piece, Basu quotes Lori Tharps, the co-author of Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America: “I’ve been looking around, [and while] I don’t definitively think [the hairstyle] has resonance in Kenyan culture, it’s African.” Lori also adds that among all the discussion over the look it’s insulting that “Africa fell off the map.”
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Text Wendy Syfret
Image via Instagram