Lupita Nyong’o Gives Us Three Takes on The Gap T-shirt at the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards

Lupita Nyong’o attended the 2026 CFDA Fashion Awards as a guest presenter, giving us not one, but three custom looks from GapStudio by Zac Posen.

What are the first two things that come to mind when you think of Gap? T-shirts and denim, of course.

If there is one thing we’ve learned from Zac Posen’s work at GapStudio, it’s that he can turn the most humble wardrobe staple into a red carpet look. And on this occasion, he gave us three interpretations of the classic T-shirt, each with a completely different personality.

One of Three

Lupita arrived wearing a red cropped T-shirt with a gathered front, paired with a matching floor-length skirt featuring a twisted knot detail at the back. This was easily the most casual of the three looks, particularly with the denim jacket she carried.

I love that Zac didn’t try to disguise the T-shirt’s origins. It still looks like a T-shirt, just one that has been given a far more glamorous outing. The Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti teardrop earrings and Bone cuffs were the perfect finishing touches.

A White-Hot Transformation

For the ceremony, Lupita changed into a white GapStudio gown with a plunging neckline and a gathered waist, as she joined Francisco Costa to present the American Womenswear Designer of the Year award to Rachel Scott of Diotima.

Of the three looks, this is where Zac’s transformation of the humble T-shirt impressed me most. You would never guess that the starting point was such an everyday staple.

The simplicity of the gown also allowed Lupita’s natural beauty to take centre stage, while Bucherer Fine Jewellery earrings and a matching ring added a little sparkle.

The Denim Finale

Lupita closed the evening in a navy-blue GapStudio gown, styled with a cropped denim bomber jacket and a matching denim clutch.

I love the contrast here. The backless gown has all the elegance you would expect from a Zac Posen design, while the denim pieces bring it straight back to Gap’s DNA.

And can we appreciate the fact that Lupita managed three completely different looks in one evening, all built around the same wardrobe staple?

For me, the white gown wins, but the navy-blue look comes a close second, especially with that denim clutch.

Stylist: Micaela Erlanger.

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