Not only is Lupita Nyong’o our girl crush, but she also happens to be an amazing hair braider. Sure, we all know how to do a classic braid or the occasional French braid, but Lupita’s skills have surpassed those.
However, it isn’t her beauty or hair braiding skills that impress us. Lupita considers hair braiding much more meaningful than most people do. While attending Hampshire College, Lupita found herself disappointed with the hair braiding skills of salons around the area. She decided to learn herself and originally planned on using her newfound skill to style her own hair and to make extra money. But that fell through when she found braiding her own hair difficult and she did not want to charge her friends.
Lupita used her braiding skills to keep herself occupied during drama school and to build relationships with her friends. Having had her hair braided since she was just a young girl, she holds the practice dear to her heart. She told Vogue, “Your hair is your frame—it’s so important,” and, she emphasizes, “braiding tells a story,” marking the body with a symbol of communal affection. As her friend Nontsikelelo Mutiti says simply, “braiding connects.”
Don’t worry though, Nyong’o’s main goal is still acting and she uses braiding to just have fun with her close friends. But seriously, can you braid our hair, Lupita?