Jenna Ortega—On-Screen in ‘Wednesday,’ and off—Solidifies Goth as the Crowning Style This Season
- Amber Louise
- Nov 28, 2022
- 3 min read
The colour black has always been a staple colour for winter, but this season, it has taken a darker turn with the return of the goth style. This resurgence has been brought on by Netflix’s new hit TV drama, Wednesday—following the Addams Family’s teenage daughter as she navigates life at Nevermore Academy—which premiered on the streaming platform last week. Staring as Wednesday Addams, Jenna Ortega stole the spotlight, both on and off-screen, with her gothic looks.
Fashion has taken a new turn, with maximalism entertaining a more mysterious ambience. Despite gothic fashion being a mainstream style, it rarely makes an overwhelming appearance on the runway… Until this spring/summer fashion season. The release of Wednesday seems to be the cherry on the cake, encouraging the resurrection of the trend in luxury fashion.
Throughout the 8-part series, Ortega captured viewers with her hypnotizing Kubrick Stare, quintessential braided pigtails, and black and white ensembles. Costume designer Colleen Atwood created a wardrobe that distinctly resembled the original Wednesday Addams, but felt appropriately modern and kept Ortega’s portrayal of the character unique. Her looks consisted of harsh angles to accentuate Wednesday’s sharp features and different fabrics to create texture. Pointed collars were highlighted, not only in her iconic dress—worn by every iteration of the character—but in almost every look she sported. Other elements included layered turtlenecks, black and white checkered and striped tops, and cropped jackets for her casual wear. In typical Wednesday fashion, she even got her own version of the Nevermore Academy uniform… Heaven forbid she wore the classic black and purple get-up.
Still, it wasn’t those looks that sealed her fate as the reigning queen of gothic style, it was the black ruffled Alaïa Fall 2020 prom dress worn to the all-white themed Rave’N Dance. Albeit sticking to her typical colour palette (and managing to include a collar), this dress wasn’t something that she would typically wear. The ruffles of light and sheer fabric moved elegantly as she danced, giving her a feminine air that hadn’t previously been explored through her wardrobe. Colleen Atwood made minor changes to the ready-to-wear dress, removing some ruched fabric, adding an undershirt to the top, and accessorizing with a thick leather belt to accentuate the waist.
Embodying the character off-screen, Ortega and her stylist Enrique Melendez came together to refine her style. She stepped out in a multitude of outfits Wednesday could only dream of, with Melendez pulling looks from Versace, Dion Lee, and Valentino to name a few.
Debuting her new Wednesday-inspired style, Ortega attended Valentino’s Spring 2023 presentation in Paris at the beginning of October in a see-through lace slip. Lace has become synonymous with gothic fashion this season, so it's no surprise that Melendez incorporated the delicate fabric into almost every look he styled. Paired with sky-high patent platform heels and simple jewelry, she made a statement, straying from Valentino’s classic bright pink. Continuing this theme, Ortega wore a long sleeve dress by Dion Lee with a sheer lace underlay to Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the middle of November.
Possibly the most notable look from the press tour was Ortega’s outfit worn to the Netflix premiere on November 16th at the Hollywood Legion Theatre in Los Angeles. Pulled straight from Versace’s Spring 2023 collection, she stunned in a satin slip dress with lace appliques running down the side of the ribcage and a large slit up the right leg. Combined with a black lace-trimmed veil, Ortega was the epitome of a goth bride.
Leaning into Wednesday’s more androgynous style, Ortega wore a head-to-toe Dolce and Gabbana to The Today Show in New York City in mid-November. Seemingly a nod to her character's school uniform, the look consisted of a long black single-breasted wool coat with a matching cropped blazer and wide-leg trousers. Underneath, a crisp white button-up and black tie completed the sophisticated look.
Gothic styles have taken over this winter and will continue as an overarching trend on the runway well into the autumn of next year. Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday has already received widespread success, skyrocketing the dark and moody fashion trend into the top spot for style this season.
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