Who knows if the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” will win the Golden Trophy next January? Voting for awards season has just begun, and the stars of the major contenders are busy on the “For Your Consideration” circuit. But if armchair fashion critics had an official vote, and achievement in red carpet styling was its own category, Elle Fanning and stylist Samantha McMillen would be the frontrunners.

The two have spent the weeks leading up to the Christmas release of A Complete Unknown creating looks that straddle the line between 1960s homage and contemporary runway. Whether it's something as big as an official premiere or as intimate as a talk show taping, Fanning's look has received unanimous praise. Elle Fanning has been regal throughout this press tour,” a tweet with 1.4 million views reads, referring to the actress in a heavenly white Gucci custom gown at the Los Angeles premiere of ‘A Complete Unknown’ on the Spring 2025 runway, A photo of Fanning in an oversized Saint Laurent suit and tie garnered 1.3 million views and an upvote rarely seen in online fashion forums: “Her stylist deserves a raise and a promotion.” If this were film criticism, Fanning's outfit would be called a “revelation” or a “triumph.” But since this is fashion, “she ate it up” is what the critics are saying instead.

It is practically instinct at this point to demand the perfect oversized suit for Anthony Vaccarello's Spring 2025 collection or to special order a strapless Prada gown. McMillen and Fanning have worked together since their pre-teen days starring in Steven Spielberg's “Super 8” in 2011. After 13 years on the red carpet together, the two have acquired a strategy that sets them apart from red carpet trends. They are distinctly different from red carpet trends. You may see thoughtful references, but never a matter-of-fact method of dressing or a shocking, awe-inspiring naked silhouette.

“Elle and I have always preferred to trace the era of the films and the movies she is promoting whenever possible when working on the press tour wardrobe,” McMillen said in an email.

Fanning plays Sylvie Russo, a fictionalized version of one of Bob Dylan's early girlfriends. A more rigorous interpretation of Fanning's style would include suede dresses and denim-on-denim, as she wears in the film with Dylan, played by Timothée Chalamet. The racks they called for for promotions in New York, Los Angeles, and London incorporate many from the Spring 2025 runway. A feather-lined Valentino dress here, a mod Chou-Chou/Ton shirt and skirt set there, and a Bottega Veneta suit somewhere in between, while simultaneously tipping its hat to the vintage aesthetic of the film. The campaign for A Complete Unknown focuses on early 1960s shapes and details in both masculine and feminine silhouettes,” McMillen explains. McMillen explains, “We also incorporated a folk singer vibe throughout.”

One of Fanning's Woodstock-worthy looks required a stop at the architect of the modern boho chic moment: Chloe's Chemena Kamali suggested a lace top worn with jeans and wedge sandals. Another look featured a suede coach jacket worn over a Wolford bodysuit and denim.

But there is a generally glamorous element to Fanning and McMillen's collaborations, which have earned heart emoji reactions online. Assisted by 60s beauty staples such as mod eyeliner, teased-up pigtails (custom Gucci), and soft curls and strategically placed bobby pins (Saint Laurent suit), the look is slightly reminiscent of the past without being “costume.” Nothing like copying and pasting notes from Fanning's New Jersey shoot. Like the Gucci she wore to this year's Cannes Film Festival or the Balmain couture she chose for the Met Gala.

“We don't want to state it outright,” McMillen says. As with any acclaimed performance, subtlety always wins out.