“AAAAAAAAH,” writes Oscar winner/goddess Lupita Nyong’o on Instagram. “At last I can share this secret: my second Vogue cover is out!!! What an honor, joy and THRILL it was to work on this October issue. Thank you to @voguemagazine for hearing me out and making me feel so beautiful. @mertalas@macpiggott I love being in front of your lenses – thank you for bringing out the best of me!”

In the accompanying article (by Plum Sykes) she talks about her first memories of fashion, designing her own clothing and more.

[Lupita’s] first memories of fashion occurred long before stepping on a red carpet — or working with a stylist. Growing up in Kenya, where her friends and family were expected to dress well every day, the star vividly remembers wearing a “very ’80s red cord miniskirt with suspender straps” when she was five years old.

“Presentation is extremely important in Kenya. You dress formally. You can’t just wear flip-flops,” she told Vogue. “My mother always had her own style. She wore A-line, tea-length flowery dresses, very well fitting. Her nails were always perfectly done.”

Nyong’o says her mother’s polished personality trickled down to her and her siblings, which meant they were all responsible for the upkeep of their individual beauty routines as well. “Salons were a big feature in my life,” she said. “We would go every two weeks to get our hair braided, washed or treated. That’s where I read American, British and a few African magazines.”

It was at those same salons that the actress also tried her hand at custom-making her own clothing — but with a little help. “Then I would design my own clothes,” Nyong’o said. “In Kenya, it’s much cheaper to get clothes made than to buy them. We would have everything run up by a tailor, or my aunt Kitty, who is very creative, would sew things for me.But now, the actress works with a stylist, 30-year-old Micaela Erlanger, to hand-pick those jaw-droppingly gorgeous designer dresses she continues to turn out, red carpet after red carpet. “I only wear a look if both of us agree on it,” Nyong’o said. “My rule is that I have to recognize myself [in the dress]. I have to feel like I’ve chosen it.” (via People)

Check out the gorgeous photos by Mert Atlas and Merl Piggot below. 

(There are certain outfits that make me openly WEEP when I realize I will probably never wear them. This magical golden/floral/sparkle cape from Dolce & Gab –directly below– is one of them. Ohhhh can you just imagine?)