The Stunning Style Transformation Of Mikey Madison

Actor Mikey Madison was the name on everyone's lips when she won an Academy Award for her starring role in the movie "Anora" in 2025. The young Hollywood ingénue has emerged as a favorite not just as a master of her craft, but on the fashion scene, too. With her recognizable jet-black hair and pale skin, Madison has made her presence known on red carpets by wearing super-stylish gowns that always make a vivid fashion statement.

During a conversation with Vogue Singapore in October 2024, Madison confessed that she has been interested in fashion since she was little, but as an adult, she ended up picking casual outfits that were more about comfort. That image is definitely a stark contrast from the haute couture gowns that she's worn throughout the award season; the many red carpets that led to Madison winning her first Oscar turned her from a comfy dresser into a fashionista with her own stylist. " ... it felt a little unnatural to put a gown on, and I was like, 'I don't really know what I like and what I don't like.' So, it's nice, because I now have a much better sense of that and it's great to be guided a little bit," she explained. In the past 10 years of her career, it's clear that Madison has grown into a stunning young lady who has come a long way from her earliest red-carpet days.

Mikey Madison made her commercial debut in 2016 when she was cast in the FX series "Better Things." During the Television Critics Association August 2016 Summer Press Tour, Madison kept it simple while still highlighting her slender figure. She wore a plum-colored knee-length bodycon dress with thin straps. The dark-purple color of her dress was a great complement to her dark hair and light skin. She chose a classic pointed-toe black pump for her footwear and didn't add any jewelry or accessories.

While this look definitely showed promise, you can sense that Madison was a red-carpet newbie at this time. Her outfit was a safe choice, especially considering she didn't choose to embellish her ensemble in any way. It was clear from the start that Madison was a stunning beauty even when she tried to master minimalist dressing with a "less is more" look. Luckily as the actor matured, so too did her sense of style and willingness to experiment with fashion.

Once Mikey Madison got more comfortable on red carpets, she began to dress in bolder outfits. She became playful with the types of dresses she would wear and even switched up her hair and makeup on different occasions. This was evident when Madison walked the red carpet at the premiere of "Atlanta Robbin' Season" in February 2018. She had matured from girl to woman and from Hollywood novice to red-carpet vixen.

Madison stunned in a shiny textured dress with geometric patterns that caught the light as she moved. The dress gave the illusion of an alligator skin in a silver tone. It appeared that strips of the fabric were cut and re-sewn onto the dress to create eye-catching shapes and lines throughout. This ensemble was on the cheeky side with a completely bare back and no sleeves, even showing off Madison's ribcage tattoo. The dress fit to her shape and had a thin halter neckline. She completed the outfit with silver high heels and elegant dangle earrings.

After Mikey Madison appeared in the Quentin Tarantino film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," she attended the film's 2019 Los Angeles premiere with an ode to classic Hollywood in a fitted ivory gown. The dress had beading down the bodice and skirt, and on the straps that were covered by Madison's illustrious beach waves. The cut at the bottom of her skirt was sewn to give the illusion of a curtain. She even included a classic combo of black and white by pairing the gown with dark sparkly heels. On the wrong person, this dress would look too simple and make the wearer look washed out compared to its ultra-light tone. But Madison's dark, flowing hair and pouty pink lips made her the perfect starlet to bring this dress to life.

Madison continued to celebrate Old Hollywood at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, where she may have been manifesting her future Oscar win with her outfit. She matched the Oscar statue itself when she walked the red carpet in an elegant golden gown. Parallel gold straps on her dress provided support for the low neckline. The asymmetrical skirt showed off her killer legs and matching grecian gold shoes with a slight heel. Madison kept her hair simple and straight to put focus on the chic choker necklace she was wearing on her neck. The tall necklace featured gold rounded hoop shapes that dangled colorful gems below.

It appears that black is Mikey Madison's signature go-to color, most likely because it matches her dark hair and eyes. But when she's wearing noir, Madison goes beyond the casual ways to style a little black dress. At the final season celebration for FX's "Better Things," she went really bold with a super-low-cut dress that exposed everything down to her navel. Her hair was the curliest and most voluminous we had ever seen from her. Madison made it clear that she was meant to be front and center on the red carpet, and she definitely wasn't hiding in the shadows anymore.

Even when Madison has added a bit of color, it has usually been a subtle addition to an already black outfit. For example, she kept with the dark, horror aesthetic when attending a red-carpet premiere of the movie "Scream" in 2022. (Madison played the character Amber in the fifth movie of the "Scream" franchise). She wore a bohemian-style velvet gown that was decorated with florals against a black framework. The neckline and waist were lined in black and the low neckline exposed Madison's black bralette. She completed the look with dark stockings and black pumps.

Throughout the award season and press tour for the Oscar-winning "Anora," Mikey Madison emerged as an in-demand leading lady. She wore tasteful flowing gowns at events in the U.S. and overseas, including the BAFTA Awards. At the Cannes Film Festival, Madison strayed from solid colors and went with multiple floral visuals — including a youthful pink two-piece skirt-and-top combo from Chanel over a black bodysuit.   

On Oscar night when Madison won the award for best actress, she wore a stunningly sweet Dior gown that combined a girly-pink hue with a black silhouette. The garment was inspired by a Dior dress design from 1956, and Madison looked picturesque in the updated style. (If only the worst-dressed celebs at the 2025 Oscars had done the same!) After winning her Academy Award, Madison let her hair down at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She smiled wide as she wore a timeless black gown with a bubble skirt and a strapless V neck. She completed the outfit with a gorgeous ruby-red pendant necklace that makes us excited to see where Madison will take her style in the near future.