As the gears start to grind on a brand new year, many of us are going through our wardrobes with wild abandon, clearing out pieces that you've never worn (mesh leggings! Bandage dresses!) Ready to make room for your 2026 sartorial journey. And I am most certainly, am no exception.
For the season ahead, I'm looking for new inspiration to breathe fresh air into my fits, and given that I have zero plans to leave the house for the foreseeable, I'm looking to the A-listers to cough up the goods.
© Getty ImagesAwards season is already in full swing with the Critics Choice Awards taking place recently, seeing stars such as Nobody Wants This' Leighton Meester wearing a glorious lavender gown by Carolina Herrera (spring pastels for the win), and Chase Infiniti in colour of 2025 butter yellow courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
But it was actress of the moment Mia Goth who, as usual, caught my eye, once again opting for a slinky off-the-shoulder number by Dior, which gently nodded to the historic looks she sported for her latest on-screen moment as Lady Elizabeth in Netflix's sensation Frankenstein, co-starring Jacob Elordi.
© Getty ImagesMia is known for her scene-stealing roles, and her relationship with actor Shia LaBeouf (the pair have been together on-and-off for 10 years and have a daughter, born in 2011), but for me, Mia is a criminally underrated style star. Let's dissect why.
The darling of the horror scene has seamlessly transitioned into an under-the-radar style star, opting for luxury labels that lean towards elegance, such as Dior, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.
© @sweetbabyjamieShe often works with stylist Jamie Mizrahi and, under her fashionable wing, has sported some of my favourite event looks of recent years, including Jonathan Anderson for Dior and incredible leather looks by Tod's.
But let's take it back to the early 2010s, when Mia emerged as the patron saint of offbeat indie cool. Fresh-faced and slightly otherworldly, she gravitated towards sheer dresses, slip silhouettes and ballet flats. Like the coolest girl you knew at school had wandered onto the red carpet by accident and decided to stay.
See, for example, the clean lines sported for the Louis Vuitton runway show Mia sported back in 2015, with tousled hair and undone makeup, at a time when people were seriously leaning into glam beauty - think Insta brows and heavy contour.
© Getty ImagesAs her film choices grew bolder, so did Mia's wardrobe. This was the period where minimalism crept in - but not the clean, influencer-approved kind that has dominated the last few years. Mia leaned into stark lines and clean silhouettes, but with details designed to stand out from the crowd and veer from the norm.
For example, her incredible Prada gown, sported at 2016's Met Gala. The theme that year was Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology, and her chartreuse gown looked futuristic yet ethereally beautiful simultaneously.
© FilmMagicShe would often be spotted in sculptural gowns with eerie simplicity, or barely-there makeup paired with something sharply cut, almost severe. Mia's looks didn't feel like she was trying to fit into the Hollywood mould, more like she was trying to carve out a space slightly to the left of it.
© Getty ImagesThen came her starring role in the horror movie Pearl, and with it, a full-blown aesthetic awakening. Gothic-inspired pieces took centre stage, think corsetry, blood-red lips, vintage silhouettes and references that felt plucked from a haunted dressing room yet still felt utterly modern. Her style - like her roles - took a turn for the theatrical, the macabre and the deliciously unhinged.
She embraced exaggerated femininity, flared skirts, delicate gloves and sharp tailoring. It was gothic for sure, but playful too, as showcased flawlessly at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival in an incredible Dolce & Gabbana look.
© Getty ImagesToday. Mia exists in a rare sweet spot - beloved by fashion houses, adored by the internet and uninterested in dressing like everybody else. Her recent looks balance polish and edge, sleek gowns with strange proportions and beauty looks that oscillate between ethereal and edgy.
Mia feels refreshingly trend-proof and deserves her well-earned status as my 2026 style hero.
