At Sundance, Elle Fanning Won’t Let Blizzards and Subzero Temperatures Stop Her

Sidney Hall is just one movie among the many, many films Elle Fanning is juggling right now — she has six slated for this year alone, and projects announced into 2018 as well. And Sidney Hall, which premiered at Sundance this week, comes immediately on the heels of a breakout 2016 for the young actress, a year in which she starred in Nicolas Winding Refn’s controversial The Neon Demon, the widely heralded Mike Mills film 20th Century Women, and the period drama Live by Night. All this is to say, the younger Fanning has had plenty of red carpet practice to prepare her for the year ahead. Her first major challenge of the year: looking chic in subzero weather, the constant threat of a blizzard bearing down, at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Who: Elle Fanning.

When: Wednesday, January 25.

Where: The premiere of Sidney Hall with Michelle Monaghan and Margaret Qualley at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

What: A silk chiffon top with a neck tie by Lanvin, now under the creative direction of Bouchra Jarrar, with a black coat by Nomia, black wide-leg trousers, and heels, her hair pulled into a ballet bun.

Why: While 2016 was Fanning’s year of ultrafeminine dresses à la Alexander McQueen or Elie Saab, 2017 is shaping up to be the year she goes full Cate Blanchett, favoring posh trouser ensembles. She wore a pink Max Mara coat with a pale blue bow-tie top earlier in the week, a candy-colored play on menswear; here, she turns to suiting guru Bouchra Jarrar at Lanvin to outfit her most recent premiere. While many stars have turned up bundled in layers and puffer coats to brave the Utah mountain chill, Fanning is somehow immune to the weather. Her ensemble is winter-appropriate, but not necessarily the most insulating. We applaud her boldness.

Though Dakota doesn’t know, Elle Fanning sometimes watches — and cries over — her old talkshow videos: