SAN FRANCISCO, May 06, (THEWILL) – Lupita Nyong’o caused quite the stair on Monday night’s Met Gala 2016 red carpet thanks to her towering hairstyle which she told Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley, was inspired by “sculptural hairdos from around the continent,” and the legendary musician Nina Simone.
Despite her explanation, we’ve seen a number of memes on her hair crop up on social media. Even Vogue’s headline asked – Is Lupita Nyong’o the New Audrey Hepburn?, linking Lupita’s hair with a 1963 Vogue shoot oh Hepburn.
However, to be clearer on her hair inspiration, Miss Nyong’o took to Instagram to share a video of her Met gala beauty look as well as photos of other African women and Nina Simone.
Also according to NPR, Lupita’s hairstyle is a signifier of wealth in certain African communities.
“A towering hairdo has historically signified a person’s tribal background, rank in society — or a wife’s ability to live a life of leisure because of her husband’s wealth.”
