Hollywood’s favorite goth ingenue is using method dressing and vintage callbacks to inspire her fashion narrative.
Jenna Ortega has come a long way from her Disney Channel days. In just a few years, she’s transformed from a teen sitcom sweetheart into a burgeoning style icon with a penchant for gothic glamour. This post-Wednesday fashion evolution didn’t happen by accident – it’s the product of personal growth, bolder creative choices, and a strategic partnership with a stylist who understands her vision. The result is a confident new image that feels as authentic as it is eye-catching—one that has turned Ortega’s wardrobe into a conversation point of its own, making the young actress an unexpected fashion reference for Gen Z.
As a child actress on shows like Stuck in the Middle, she often wore playful outfits fitting a Disney star – bright colors, youthful silhouettes, and fun patterns. Back then, a typical Jenna look might include a sweet mini dress paired with platform sneakers. But as she took on more complex roles in projects like the thriller You and the drama The Fallout, her style started to mature. Hints of a darker, edgier aesthetic crept in – a lace trim here, a shift toward sleeker cuts there – foreshadowing the bold fashion direction to come. Ortega began gradually trading pastels for black and preparing to claim a more sophisticated style identity.
Then came the Wednesday effect, which pushed Ortega’s fashion sense fully into goth-glam territory. Portraying Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s hit Wednesday series clearly influenced not just her career, but also her closet. Suddenly, the star began leaning into Victorian collars, black-on-black ensembles, and statement pieces with a spooky or vintage flair. Nowhere was this transformation more evident than at the show’s Los Angeles premiere, where Ortega showed up looking like a modern-day gothic bride. She wore a stunning black lace gown from Versace’s Spring 2023 collection – complete with a dramatic tulle veil – as a cheeky nod to her Addams family alter ego. “It just felt appropriate,” she explained to W Magazine about her decision to wear the veil, noting, “If I was gonna wear black like everyone else, I probably should make a deal out of it… I put it on and I just knew that this is probably what I should do.”The moment went viral in fashion circles – here was a young star daring to be different, setting the tone for a new chapter in her style story.
Emboldened by the success of Wednesday, Ortega has continued to craft a distinct style persona – one that’s dark, yes, but also undeniably directional. At the 2023 Met Gala, Ortega wore a show-stopping Thom Browne ensemble that blended camp and couture: a waist-cinching black corset, a dramatic hoop skirt bursting with ruffles, and pearl-studded chains evoking a Victorian mourning gown. It honored the Gala’s Karl Lagerfeld theme while nodding to her Wednesday persona, complete with a sharp white collar and black tie detail.
Ortega has welcomed this darker aesthetic. “I’ve always respected goth culture… I’ve always had a darker sense of humor, but I never felt like I was able to express that. Now I feel like I can embrace those qualities in myself,” she told Vogue, reflecting on how Wednesday empowered her to lean into edgier style choices.
A key player in Ortega’s fashion evolution is her longtime stylist, Enrique Melendez, who’s worked with her since she was 14. As her roles have matured, so has her style. “It just blossomed into what it is today: a true collaboration… And as she gets older, she doesn’t hold back on what she really wants – I love that,” he told Vogue. Known for mixing vintage elements with a modern edge, Melendez brings Ortega looks that balance lace with leather, elegance with bite. Whether she’s in a frilly princess dress or a cut-out gown, there’s a sense of deliberateness to every look.
Ortega also embraces what could be called “method dressing”—aligning her style with her roles. During the press tour for Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice sequel, she channeled Lydia Deetz one night in a blood-red Dior gown, and the next in a custom Harris Reed look that screamed “Beetlejuice.” For the UK premiere, she stunned in a Harris Reed Fall 2024 teal gown with black velvet paneling and a trailing mermaid skirt, complete with velvet gloves and layered Fabergé rings. The look felt like a continuation of the film’s world, blurring the line between actor and character.
All of this has helped Ortega cement her place as a fashion force. In the past year, she’s emerged as one of Hollywood’s new “It-girls,” with designers from Versace and Dior to Harris Reed eager to dress her. But what sets her apart is how she inspires Gen Z fans to embrace fashion as self-expression—to mix vintage with edge, and to lean into individuality. Jenna Ortega’s style evolution reads like the coming-of-age arc of a modern icon: unapologetic, intuitive, and entirely her own.
