Mikey Madison's performance in the working-girl tragicomedy Anora, as the titular 23-year-old sex worker out of Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood, is the kind that can define a career. Back in May, Anora's Cannes Film Festival premiere earned the coveted Palme d'Or award for the best feature. All along the fall festival circuit—from New York City to Toronto, Zurich to London—Madison's gum-smacking, pole-dancing, big-hearted performance has been hailed as a revelation. The BBC's review headline says the actress already "leads the Oscar race." The Times put it more bluntly: "Mikey Madison deserves an Oscar."
There are still weeks until nominations are announced and months until the 2025 awards season gets underway. But in the meantime, Madison is hitting red carpet after red carpet to promote the film—a marathon press cycle requiring a wardrobe that meets the moment. It's a schedule that begs the question: If you're campaigning for what could be the award of a lifetime, what do you wear?
