Mikey Madison's performance in the working-girl tragicomedy Anora, in which he plays a 23-year-old sex worker in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, is career-defining; Anora, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, won the Best Feature Film Palme d'Or. From New York to Toronto, from Zurich to London, everywhere on the fall festival circuit, Madison's gum-slapping, pole-dancing, broad performance has been hailed as a revelation, and a BBC review has already headlined that the actress is “leading the Oscar race.” The Times is more blunt. The Times is more blunt: “Mikey Madison deserves an Oscar.”

There are still weeks until the nominations are announced and months until the 2025 awards season begins. In the meantime, however, Madison has been on red carpet after red carpet to promote her film. It's a schedule that begs the question: if you're campaigning for the award of a lifetime, what should you wear? [It was created by stylist Jamie Mizrahi, whose clients include Adele and Jennifer Lawrence. When her agent asked Madison to style her to be a star, she had not yet seen Anora. But Madison's down-to-earth personality was even more impressive, she notes.

“I think what's really cool about Mikey is that she just is who she is,” Mizrahi told me via FaceTime from the hotel lobby the morning after Madison's red carpet stop at the SCAD Film Festival, where she was wearing an off-the-shoulder, neckline ruffle She stopped by the SCAD Film Festival to accept the “Breakthrough Award,” wearing a Celine mini-dress with an off-the-shoulder neckline and ruffles. I don't think she saw or heard a noise."

”I don't think she heard a noise.

Anora is the one who got Madison many red carpet appearances, but not the one she and Mizrahi think of when they look at the racks of gowns; the two are the ones Madison wears in her Herve Leger bandage dress and pleather pumps with her on-screen character They knew Madison would not be on a press tour in a Herve Leger bandage dress and pleather pumps, dressed as a method dresser like her screen character “Annie. From day one,” Mizrahi says, ”she seemed consistent in her point of view, unfazed by anything. 'She wasn't necessarily trying to dress like her character.'

Instead, Mizrahi takes the same approach that she uses with all her clients. 'I think it's about feeling really authentic and dressing in a way that makes you feel good, comfortable, and shows your best self. And not trying to play a role in real life.

Mizrahi thinks of Madison's Anora press tour outfits as a story. Each costume has its own details and is by a different designer, but when the two step back, a consistent line emerges.

The red carpet story is defined by elegant shapes, classic colors, and items that make Madison a timeless talent rather than a girl of today. Some journalists have called Madison's rise to fame a Cinderella story, but she is not wearing a princess gown on the carpet. Mikey has developed a penchant for a neutral, timeless palette of blacks, whites, creams, and reds. 'Simple silhouettes, nothing too elaborate.'

Stylists must take practical considerations from the look. 'She has a really beautiful figure and she wears her clothes very well, but at the same time she's petite,' Mizrahi explained. 'She has a really beautiful figure and wears her clothes very well.'

Their months-long journey produced a series of moments that ignited the fashion group's chat. In Zurich, Madison appeared in a strapless Rodarte gown with a voluminous tiered skirt. At the Toronto International Film Festival and the Los Angeles premiere of “Anora,” she tried her hand at a red carpet variation of white: a draped, high-neck Fendi gown and a drop-waist Proenza Schouler moment. At the fourth annual Academy Museum Gala, she shined brightest in a silver sequin-coated Louis Vuitton gown.

There's a bit of playfulness in things like acrylic nail polish Schiaparelli gowns and neon green Chanel floral numbers, but for the most part, the energy of Old Hollywood is tied to equally buzz-worthy films, and going into the film festival season, all Madison aligns with the stars who come out with trophies in hand. It's all the result of weeks of careful fashion coordination by Mizrahi: after each carpet, the two debrief each other about what they liked, what they didn't like, and who they'll wear next.

“It was really more edited and specific, as opposed to having a rack of clothes with lots of choices,” Mizrahi says.

“It was a great experience for us because it allowed us to learn, experiment, and try things out in preparation for the awards season.”

Whether or not Mikey Madison and Anora sweep all categories next spring, Mizrahi says his approach to the awards circuit carpet will not change. 'I think that's a really exemplary and cool thing to be able to do when you're starting your press tour,' he said.”