“He comes to a fitting, almost like a student,” says Jason Bolden of his client, Josh O’Connor. The British actor has been steadily rolling out hit after hit of looks across the press tour for his sci-fi thriller Disclosure Day, buoyed by all the colors and louche shapes summer has to offer—plus a new assist from the celebrity stylist.

Over the years, O’Connor has established himself as a quiet force in television, theater, and blockbuster films: from the quaint British comedy-drama The Durrells to a memorable, Emmy-winning turn as a young Prince Charles in The Crown, the spellbinding La Chimera, a sexy serve in Challengers, and now Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster extraterrestrial drama. Working previously with stylist Harry Lambert, O’Connor’s image leaned coolly collegiate and cute.

Bolden and O’Connor first collaborated for the actor’s appearance at last season’s Dior Couture show—a moment that also inaugurated his role as Dior ambassador, having followed Jonathan Anderson from his tenure at Loewe. This burgeoning partnership with Bolden—widely celebrated in the stylist’s Instagram comments already—follows a whirlwind few months for the stylist: working with Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler for their massive Oscars night, and dressing everyone from Gigi Hadid in custom Miu Miu to Nicole Kidman in Chanel and Tariq Withers in Louis Vuitton at the Met Gala. “We jumped right into it for Josh and Disclosure Day,” says Bolden. (All while also working with the likes of Sebastian Stan and Cara Delevingne during Cannes Film Festival.)

“This has already been such a journey with Josh—he’s so fun and sweet, and we just laugh all the time,” he adds. “We decided to really play with his fashion. This is still a very new relationship for both of us; I’m happy it’s resonating with people.” Bolden likes to start each new styling relationship with a long conversation. O’Connor shared an image of an artist’s work he loved with Bolden, and they used that as an ongoing reference. “Josh is a true artist, and it allows you to be an artist too.”

Their first sartorial coup came at the start of the press tour in Paris, in the form of a cropped, patterned Lemaire v-neck knit paired with a brown-and-blue dotted and zig-zag patterned shirt over black jeans. With the mix of patterns, textures, and old-school shapes, the look felt both playful and classic, and a little nostalgic. “We all had something like that knit as a kid, and on Josh it just looks so cool,” says Bolden. But then, they added an elegant, slim gold Cartier Tank Américaine watch on top of his Lemaire-shirted wrist—O’Connor wanted the impressive timepiece to be on show, and Bolden styled it out. It’s just one of many moments where their penchant for subtle personality dressing has come into play.

Moving from press engagements in London to the U.S., there was a hazy brown three-piece Loro Piana suit, some relaxed dress pants, and a swirling purple paisley tie via Dries Van Noten, and a softly structured suit by The Row atop an airy striped blue shirt. For his appearance on The Tonight Show, O’Connor wore a butter yellow Dior shirt with a collar that stood to attention. Two very different Simone Rocha suits—one white and workwear-y, the other black pinstripe with a floral brooch—offered some whimsy, too. Experimenting with suiting silhouettes and accessories—like a wing-collared shirt, a watch over a cuff, or a pair of Jacques Marie Mage sunglasses—adds to the storytelling.

“We’re playing with proportions,” explains Bolden. “We’re doing something that might seem classical, modern, and simple, but that’s one of the hardest things to execute. His style is easy, lived in, effortless.”

And of course, for a house ambassador, there’s a lot of custom (not to mention fresh-from-the-runway) Dior. For the Paris premiere, O’Connor wore a custom tailcoat jacket with thick cable-knit braids; kept monochromatic and paired with silky suit pants, black shirt, and tie, it felt super playful yet sleek—and all very him. “This is classic Josh: cozy, easy, fun,” adds Bolden.

Dior has also been a big part of O’Connor’s recent off-the-red-carpet style moments: a cobalt blue logo tee and a slouchy chocolate brown shoulder bag that “everybody’s going crazy over,” as per Bolden. There’s a nod to British brands like Studio Nicholson with their easy tailoring and louche pants, as well as lots of vintage: baseball caps, a workman’s jacket and graphic tees with E.T emblazoned on them. “I think with Josh it always shines through when he’s happy with his look, and you see that when he’s out and about just wearing things he’d choose to wear himself,” says Bolden.

“I think Jonathan [Anderson] and Josh have this quite beautiful creative affinity,” says Bolden. “Jonathan is a genius: he can look at a flower or ceramics and evolve it into a gorgeous piece of clothing. Josh always has a way of seeing what’s natural and organic.” (Josh, too, loves pottery and collects ceramics.)

There’s been a bit more risk-taking and out-of-comfort-zone style outs, like a custom Hermès leather ensemble. Originally, it was a chocolate brown pant and navy shirt which they had made instead in black for a sleek, monochromatic moment. “Leather can feel so restricting, but this is very textural, and on Josh, it feels relaxed. Like … leather PJs in a way!” says Bolden.

As for what to expect from Bolden and Josh O’Connor, as summer unfolds—more pops of color, and finding the perfect pair of sunglasses. Bolden stays busy with his other portfolio of celebrity clients: Sebastian Stan, Cynthia Erivo, and Nicole Kidman on the precipice of a Practical Magic press tour next fall. What unites them? “I love authentic, true artists,” says Bolden, “And a true artist allows you to fully bloom and grow with them.”