Undergoing a dramatic make-under for her role as feisty heroine Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo film, Rooney Mara has burst onto our fashion radar. Her incredible versatility teamed with a timeless sense of style makes her a worthy fashion icon. We take a look at her red carpet hits over the past couple of years.

Before she transformed for the role of computer hacking, tattoo-loving Lisbeth; Rooney’s soft brown hair and wide-eyed appeal suited her lady-like demeanour. Wearing easy, vintage-inspired print dresses, like at the 2009 premiere of Dare, her early style consisted of blush tones and sweet silhouettes. At the 2010 Nightmare on Elm Street premiere, Rooney looked angelic in Alberta Ferretti with her hair pulled back into a romantic loose ponytail. Little did the fashion press know the dainty young lady would soon undergo a dramatic makeover in preparation for her first major movie role.

A raven, choppy crop, bleached eyebrows and additional piercings soon graced Rooney’s face as she fully embraced Lisbeth’s tough aesthetic. Turning up at the pre Golden Globe party in January, Rooney still manages to look demure in Lanvin x H&M. One of many more all-black ensembles, Rooney proves wearing black head to toe never has to be boring, mixing textures keeps it fresh and interesting. At the Rodarte Spring show she softened her look with peachy makeup and nude courts; while sticking to her new found love of dark clothing.

Obviously still drawn to nude colour palettes, Rooney turned up at the CFDA fashion fund awards in the palest slip dress. The gorgeous, yet colour-draining silk number was given a new lease of life with Rooney’s edgy blunt cut fringe and her commendable choice of rich plum lipstick. With her eyebrows dark again, Rooney still had the Lisbeth look but a little less harsh. We can’t help but think this dress looked all the better for Rooney’s strong new look!

As Rooney jet sets across the world for the various premieres of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo she brings out one fabulous look after another. From the Paris Louis Vuitton outfit to the New York Prabel Gurung look – we cannot get enough of her style.

However, our favourite look and one Rooney received a wave of praise from the fashion press for, was the stunning Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci Couture collection dress. Proving that her ‘gothic’ makeover also lends itself rather well to a more sophisticated evening look, the actress is scoring style points in cities across the globe with her premiere worthy wardrobe. Showing the world that while Lisbeth has undoubtedly had an impact on Rooney’s own style, she is quite happy to leave the piercings at home!

As we get into the swing of 2012 we have high hopes for this style siren and hope she keeps this very flattering look.