‘The Odyssey’s’ Helen of Troy, Lupita Nyong’o, Just Delivered Her Boldest Press Tour Fashion Statement Yet in Paris

Christopher Nolan’s mythology-soaked epic has turned into one of the year’s most-watched fashion tours, with its cast racking up headline-making looks in city after city. ‘The Odyssey‘ has been making its way through London and Paris this week, and the actresses have kept finding new ways to top themselves with each red carpet appearance.

Based on Homer’s ancient Greek poem, the film follows Odysseus, King of Ithaca and played by Matt Damon, as he journeys home after the Trojan War, and it features a sprawling cast that includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, and Lupita Nyong’o, who takes on the dual role of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra.

At the film’s Paris premiere on July 8, Nyong’o stepped out in a coral red Chanel Resort 2027 dress crafted from intricate openwork floral lace embroidery, marking the latest standout moment in what has quickly become one of the most talked about wardrobes of the entire press tour. The sheer, floor-length gown featured a striking cutout pattern running from the neckline down to the hem, giving the dress a bold, figure-skimming silhouette.

Nyong’o paired the look with metallic open-toe heels, letting the dress and its intricate lacework take center stage rather than leaning on heavy accessories. Fashion critics covering the tour noted the choice felt perfectly suited to the warm Paris evening, offering a lighter, airier contrast to some of her more dramatic earlier looks.

That Chanel moment followed an equally striking appearance just a day earlier at the film’s Paris photocall near the Trocadero, where Nyong’o wore a dramatic burgundy Armani Privé gown that stood out sharply against the Eiffel Tower backdrop. Fashion commentators noted that the gown delivered the kind of maximum impact the outdoor setting demanded, especially given the scale of the event itself.

Nyong’o’s fashion choices throughout the ‘Odyssey’ rollout have followed a clear throughline of restrained, texture-driven elegance rather than anything overly literal in its nod to Greek mythology. At the film’s earlier world premiere, she skipped Chanel entirely in favor of a Christian Cowan Fall 2026 silver mesh column gown, an optical illusion of a dress that used fine crystal mesh and oversized side openings to hint at exposure while keeping the overall look intriguing rather than revealing.

Before that, she opened her promotional run in New York with a fluid silver satin LaPointe ensemble trimmed in wispy feathers, paired with Jimmy Choo pumps and a snakeskin Brahmin bag, marking her first sustained press tour appearance since promoting ‘The Wild Robot’ back in 2024. Each stop since has continued to build on that momentum, with critics increasingly framing her as one of the standout style stories of the entire campaign.

That growing reputation has not gone unnoticed among her castmates either, with outlets covering the tour specifically calling out Nyong’o’s ability to hold her own against a lineup stacked with major names like Zendaya and Theron. Her willingness to alternate between architectural precision and full-blown Grecian drama has kept her looks feeling distinct from the rest of the ensemble’s more overtly mythology-themed choices.

With the ‘Odyssey’ press tour still scheduled to make additional stops in Mumbai, Beijing, and Seoul before the film’s July 17 release, there is likely plenty more red carpet spectacle still to come from Nyong’o and her castmates. Given how consistently she has delivered so far, expectations for what she wears next are only going to keep climbing.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!