Great Outfits in Fashion History: Lupita Nyong'o's Museum-Worthy Haute Couture Cannes Look

You can literally see it in a museum! Right now!

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In ‘Great Outfits in Fashion History,’ Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

From the moment she made her red carpet debut, Lupita Nyong’o has been one of the most consistent, exciting public figures when it comes to fashion. Over the years, she and longtime stylist Micaela Erlanger have collaborated on a myriad memorable looks, from designers big and small, many of which feature a level of detail and craftsmanship that deserve to be admired up close, like, say, in a museum.

Well, you’re in luck, because one of Nyong’o’s very best — the white high-neck Dior Haute Couture gown she wore to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival — is on display right now in Brooklyn, as part of the “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, which runs until February 20, 2022.

The exhibit, which debuted in Paris and made stops in London and Shanghai before arriving in New York City in September, chronicles the history of the French fashion house, starting with its founder, before tracing how each of his successors not only continued to push Christian Dior’s vision forward, but also brought in new ideas to the maison. Naturally, it also delves into the brand’s strong presence in Hollywood, with a host of famous gowns — including Nyong’o’s — shown alongside images of the celebrity who wore it on the red carpet.

Nyong’o’s Cannes look is from the Maria Grazia Chiuri era, plucked from the Spring 2018 Haute Couture collection, which was inspired by Surrealism. The all-white dress featured a sheer caged-look bodice and a long skirt accented by petal-like feathers, which made for beautiful movement on the carpet. (In a 2019 Instagram post, Erlanger said the “gown took three weeks to create.”) Accessories consisted of Chopard drop diamond earrings, and nothing else — just the right amount of sparkle.

If you’re in New York City, I highly recommend visiting the Brooklyn Museum and checking out the exhibit. The set-up, the scale and, of course, the garments on display are all very impressive. Plus, you can channel Nyong’o in some fall-ready white ensembles by shopping the gallery, below.