Make Mine A Mulligan

2010 was the year when fashion fell in love with Carey Mulligan. Whatever that elusive ‘It’ is that some stars naturally possess, Carey's Prada pockets runneth over with. Perhaps it lies in the combination of spirited youthfulness and beyond-her-years wisdom that served her so well in 2009’s coming-of-age film An Education. Or maybe it’s that schoolgirl smile of mischief that appears from behind the bike shed, bored and boisterous, at red-carpet events and photo shoots. But on top of all that, it’s her charming sense of style that really cements her status as Britain's brightest young thing.

What's likeable about Carey is that she’s so much more than a clothes horse: there’s an unpretentious delight in the way she works designer gear, like one playing dress up rather than just dressing up. Who else would wear a cutlery-encrusted prom dress to the Oscars? Or rock a mauve Miu Miu mini amongst a sea of floor-sweeping gowns at the Met Ball? Carey's sartorial choices shy away from the usual fake-tan-and-tits territory (just try and imagine her bandaged up in an Hervé Léger body-con number) and instead keep us guessing with quirky, contemporary designs that never take themselves too seriously. Carey, you are hereby crowned 2010's Queen of Cool. Here are her red-carpet highlights from the past year:

Next up for Carey is a starring role opposite Keira Knightley in the film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, released this February. If you've read the book you'll agree that the plot's pretty grim, set in a dystopian alternative reality with few laughs to lift a love story that’s sodden with sadness. Will I go and see it anyway? Hell yes – there’s nothing that Mulligan grin can’t conquer. Take a look at the trailer below...