There’s only one Tilda Swinton. An Academy Award winner and the star of countless iconic films, Swinton has become a fixture at international film festivals, where she is always guaranteed to make the most of her time spent walking the red carpet.

For someone without a ‘signature style’, who has spent the last 20 years trialling more hairstyles and silhouettes than many actors will in their lifetime, Swinton’s bold fashion sense has more than made its mark on the film industry.

In the past two decades, Swinton has been just as likely to wear a suit as she is a gown. She’s dabbled with colours and prints, but throughout the years has also proven her unwavering commitment to metallics and grey. On the big screen and on the red carpet, she is truly one of a kind. So, let’s take a look back at her style evolution, starting at the turn of the new millennium.

2000

After working in theatre and television in her early career, Swinton eventually made the move to film, starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach. To the film’s 2000 premiere, Swinton wore a trench-style dress with a slick red hairstyle she returned to years later.

2001

Swinton is now a regular at Cannes and Venice international film festivals, but in 2001 she was sure to make her mark in a fruity gown with sheer gloves.

2002

Blue has since become one of Swinton’s go-to colours on the red carpet, and it all started here at Cannes Film Festival, back in 2002.

2004

Swinton made the most of her time in Cannes this year, attending the premieres of The Motorcycle Diaries and Clean.

2007

Silver and suits—two style choices Swinton has repeated a lot since 2007. And thank god for that, because she wears both exceptionally well.

2008

In 2008, Swinton won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Michael Clayton. She wore a one-sleeve black dress to mark the occasion.

2009

Proving she really can do it all, Swinton spent 2009 switching between power suits and skirts.

2010

The Berlin International Film Festival is held every February in Germany, and Swinton is a regular attendee. She recently praised the festival for adopting gender-neutral awards in 2020. “It just makes me sad to call yourself definitively heterosexual, definitively homosexual, definitively male, definitively female. It makes me want to go to sleep. So bravo, Berlin,” she said.

2011

Swinton has been nominated for three Golden Globe awards and is consistently among the best-dressed celebrities on the night.

2012

In 2012, Swinton was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in We Need To Talk About Kevin.

2013

While Swinton has stuck with a bright blonde crop for more than a decade now, she makes bold styling choices when it comes to her red carpet hair.

2014

In 2014, Swinton starred in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, which premiered at Berlinale.

2015

To the 72nd annual Venice Film Festival, Swinton wore a more traditional red carpet look than we typically see from her, stepping out in a butter yellow floor-length gown.

2016

Rounded shoulders are just one of the many silhouettes Swinton has tried on for size on the red carpet.

2017

Attending the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, Swinton attended a screening of Okja, directed by Bong Joon-ho.

2018

Red was on the menu in 2018, as Swinton wore the bright shade twice in Venice.

2019

When it comes to Swinton’s red carpet style, it’s best to expect the unexpected, as she switches from etherial gowns to a bright pink suit at the Marrakech International Film Festival.

2020

Another year, another perfect suit.

2021

Whether in neutrals or bright colours, Swinton always ensures every outfit has something to make it stand out from the crowd.

2022

Earlier this year, Swinton attended the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival in head to toe white. We can’t wait to see what the rest of 2022 brings.