Dakota and Elle Fanning Show Off Their Opposing Sister Style

It’s a treat when we get to see sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning at an event together. Especially because it doesn’t happen quite so often anymore. The two have their own respective careers and the last time they walked a carpet together was four years ago at a screening for Dakota’s neon-tinged Teen Spirit. It was the talent of their shared stylist, Samantha McMillen, who reunited them (publically anyway) last night, which also doubled as an opportunity to show off McMillen’s skills and their own opposing styles.

On Tuesday night, the Fannings attended a dinner held by The Hollywood Reporter and Jimmy Choo, in honor of the magazine’s annual power stylists issue. McMillen dressed both of the actresses for the event, grabbing two looks from recent runway shows to get the job done. She put the elder Fanning in a red leather asymmetric dress from Loewe’s spring/summer 2023 collection. The neckline of the dress swoops down below the right breast where a faux anthurium comes in, over the shoulder, to complete the job of covering up Dakota. McMillen accessorized the quirky dress simply, adding a pair of gold Jimmy Choo sandals and no obvious jewelry. Jonathan Anderson’s anthurium-decorated dresses have become very popular among celebrities since the debut of this collection last year, with Dakota joining Zendaya, Emily Ratajkowski, and Adwoa Aboah in the list of those who have embraced the trend.

Next up was Elle, Dakota’s little sister, who went for a much more androgynous look courtesy of Stella McCartney fall/winter 2023. The actress wore a matching set from the brand, featuring a cropped gray striped suit vest and oversized trousers. Elle then wore black platform heels to keep her from absolutely swimming in the pants, and once again, McMillen kept the accessories minimal, adding just a gold watch and bracelets from Cartier.

The two looks exemplify the sister’s individual style. Elle usually has sleeker taste, gravitating towards brands like Saint Laurent, Khaite, and The Row for her more low key appearances compared to Dakota’s Rodarte, Alessandra Rich, and Prabal Gurung. Here, we see Dakota in a traditionally feminine look (albeit with a twist), while Elle is going for something more streamlined. That’s not to say the two always fit perfectly in these little boxes. Dakota has been known to grab Loro Piana, and Elle does a classic Hollywood red carpet moment like no one else. "They’re so different. They’re sisters, but I just look at them as different clients,” McMillen told Teen Vogue back in 2016. The stylist began working with Dakota in 2012 when she dressed the actress for the Met Gala. Six months later, Elle needed a stylist for a press tour and the young actress joined McMillen’s roster as well. “There are similarities in the attention to detail and the way that they plan for things. They both really love fashion and really go for it, which is really nice. I just have a lot of fun working with them.”