The top looks of Quvenzhané Wallis

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Quvenzhané Wallis is becoming something of a cult icon. No, the 9-year-old best actress nominee did not win the 2013 Academy Award for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. Yet, her ubiquitous presence on red carpets during awards season has rendered her an important starlet to watch. Having just been cast as Annie in the remake being produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z, Wallis will soon assume one of the most iconic roles for a child.

Plus, Wallis was recently spoofed — a sign one has been etched into the public’s imagination.

Kevin Hart’s send-up of her “muscle man” move reminiscent of her scenes from Beasts during his Saturday Night Live stint captured the feeling many have for her: Quvenzhané is cute no matter what she does.

Not that she needs the help, Quvenzhané also seems to love using fashion to further express that intangible sprightliness that fills audiences with delight. The pint-sized thespian spent the weeks leading up to the Oscars parading in a variety of dresses and hairstyles that showed Wallis’ penchant for easily enchanting us. It was almost impossible for onlookers not to comment on her clothing and accessories, which were off the charts in terms of adorableness.

Could Wallis be on the road to becoming a tween style star?

TheGrio asked Beagy Zielinski, a celebrity stylist for clients such as Kelly Rowland, Tyra Banks, and Toni Braxton. An expert who has been in the fashion industry for nine years, Zielinski has also honed her craft for top fashion magazines such as ELLE, in addition to working for Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley.

Beagy mused on where Quvenzhane’s evident love of fashion might take her.

“She is still really young, so her style is influenced by what she is exposed to and looks up to, which at this stage in life for most little girls are cartoons, fairy tale princesses and women in the family,” Zielinski told theGrio. “She definitely adds little details  to make it her own, like the doggy purse and dressing in some of her favorite colors like pink and purple or blue, which shows off her personality — but she has a looooooong way to go to really find and define her personal style.”

After making a big splash at the Oscars in her Armani gown, complete with puppy purse, how Quvenzhané’s style might develop has become an exciting question to consider. But the stylist cautioned us not to take her current interests as an indication of where she might go.

“Since at this age most children don’t have much say in what they wear or what their parents buy for them, I don’t think we really have seen her style just yet,” Zielinski said. “And that’s okay. It’s part of growing up. She may go through a tomboy phase, or a really high fashion phase, or a grunge phase. The sky’s the limit for this fresh palate to develop, and I can’t wait to see where she goes with it.”

If Wallis’ fashion sense develops at all concurrently with her career, the path of her style evolution should be quite an exciting trajectory.

Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.