Chanel Announces Lupita Nyong’o As Latest Brand Ambassador

Another luxury brand has formally embraced Black excellence. Chanel has announced Lupita Nyong’o as their newest brand ambassador.

As reported by Hypebeast, the Academy Award-winning actress will lend her star power to the French fashion house. In an exclusive statement to Women’s Wear Daily, Lupita explained that the brand has been outfitting her for years. “They were one of my first supporters. I remember wearing them as early as 2013 right when my first film, 12 Years a Slave, came out. And over the years, they’ve often invited me to things and treated me with wonderful hands, and so when they approached me to be an ambassador, I felt very honored,” she said. The New York Times bestselling author added, “of course, this is an important brand, a legacy brand, a historical brand, and I’m happy and very proud to add to that legacy.”

Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents. She got her start in Hollywood as a production assistant and made her acting debut in 2008 via the short film East River. Soon after receiving her masters in fine arts from Yale University, she landed her breakout role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. Her portrayal won her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She would go on to star in several blockbuster films including Black Panther and Us. Last month, she launched her own podcast Mind Your Own, which highlights the stories of Africans.

You can listen to it here.