Lupita Nyong'o's Oscar gown stolen

Calvin Klein dress was made from 6,000 pearls.

by Jennie Kermode

Natural Akoya pearls are among the most valuable on the market.
Natural Akoya pearls are among the most valuable on the market.

There were may impressive dresses worn at the Oscars last Sunday, but Lupita Nyong'o's shimmering custom-made Calvin Klein gown still stood out. Now it has disappeared from her hotel room and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are looking for the thieves.

The theft is believed to have occurred on either Tuesday or Wednesday, when Nyong'o was out. Staff at the London West Hollywood Hotel are cooperating with police. Although the dress is valued at £97,000, it's unlikely that it could be sold intact because it's so easy to identify, but the 6,000 white Akoya pearls from which it's made could be worth as much as £73,000 if stripped off and sold separately.

At the Oscars, Nyong'o described the dress as a tribute to the sea. It was designed by Francisco Costa and took 25 people ten weeks to make.

Share this with others on...
News

A dark time Kim Sung Soo on capturing history and getting a shot at an Oscar with 12.12: The Day

Reflections of a cat Gints Zilbalodis on Hayao Miyazaki, fairy tales and Latvia’s Oscar submission, Flow

Man about town Gay Talese on Watching Frank, Frank Sinatra, and his latest book, A Town Without Time

Magnificent creatures Jayro Bustamante on giving the girls of Hogar Seguro a voice in Rita

A unified vision DOC NYC highlights and cinematographer Michael Crommett on Dan Winters: Life Is Once. Forever.

Poetry and loss Géza Röhrig on Terrence Malick, Josh Safdie, and Richard Kroehling’s After: Poetry Destroys Silence

More news and features

Interact

More competitions coming soon.