(Lupita Nyong'o July 2014 Vogue Cover/Pinterest)

Naomi Campbell is a supermodel. Beyonce is music mogul. Rihanna is a fashion icon.What do all these women have in common? They are ranked celebrity A-Listers who have gradually made their way to the top. As a rite of passage, they also have secured their status by landing the front cover of Vogue magazine--especially as women of color. 

Lupita broke that mold.  The 12 Years a Slave star who enraptured the hearts of the media, fans, and other celebrities alike, was able to land herself on the July 2014 issue of Vogue within months of her rapid rise to stardom. Since awards season, she has signed major contracts with Lancôme Paris, Miu Miu, was casted for the upcoming Star Wars series, and made People Magazine's "Most Beautiful" list.  It would be an understatement to just say that this Kenyan goddess has done well for herself. Only 8 African American women have been able to make the cover of US Vogue, but none have landed it in the swift amount of time that Nyong'o has. This is also not to mention that she is also the second African woman to make the cover.  

Since Lupita's first appearance on the red carpet, she has been representing a very niche community of women. African, with dark skin. She has disrupted the pattern of the fair skinned and flowy haired woman as being the only standard of beauty, and continues to catch the public off guard with her exotic allure and keen fashion sense. Despite that, once upon a time, Lupita wasn't as comfortable in her skin as we'd all like to believe. Her acceptance speech for the Best Breakthrough Performance Award at Essence's 7th annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon included an anecdote of her as a young girl wanting to lighten her skin as she was influenced by the images that were on the TV screen. 

While this might be a surprising truth to some, this is a story similar to many women of color. Watching Lupita rising out of the ashes of an industry that favors European attributes for physical beauty, is an encouragement and inspiration for all those aspiring to also embrace themselves. Nyong'o stardom has no doubt made a huge impact on her personal life, but it's also safe to that say that her face is teaching Hollywood a little something as well.

To reach staff reporter Adaobi Ugoagu, email her here and follow her on Twitter.