Nyong'o fashion and Erlanger's styling after the release of her film, 12 Years a Slave, had been praised by media publications during awards season.
[2][3][4][5] After her nomination at the 86th Academy Awards for her performance in the film, designers Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen had reportedly vied for Nyong'o's collaboration, but her stylist ultimately chose Prada to work with.
[11][8][6][12][7][10][13] Design elements of pastel hues and pleats in the skirt were consistent with trends shown on the Oscars red carpet as well as New York Fashion Week.
[18] Booth Moore, a fashion critic of the Los Angeles Times, framed Nyong'o's gown as "sweet and striking", praising her "individual style statement".
[3] Allie Jones of The Atlantic asserted that Nyong'o's gown "murdered the Oscars fashion game" and was the best look of the night, while the New Yorker wrote that it was a "lightly more daring J.
[7][18] Glamour magazine compared Nyong'o's dress to Cinderella's ballgown, while the New York Daily News stated that her acceptance speech was "heartwarming" and drew parallels to the character's story.