21 photos show Jenna Ortega's style evolution through the years
- Jenna Ortega is known for her evolving red-carpet fashion.
- The actor wore a white floral minidress to a movie premiere earlier in January.
- It's a stark contrast to the gothic looks she wore while promoting "Wednesday."
Jenna Ortega's style has evolved dramatically since her red-carpet debut in 2016.
The actor, best known for her roles in Netflix's "Wednesday," "You," and "Jane the Virgin," has experimented with a range of looks, from gothic glamour to floral elegance.
These 21 photos show how the young star's fashion has changed through the years.
Ortega wore a minidress with a sequinned bodice and leopard-print skirt at one of her first-ever red-carpet appearances in 2016.
Ortega wore a dress from Kohl's to a movie premiere in Los Angeles when she was 13. The event marked one of the actor's first-ever red-carpet appearances.
She reflected on the experience during an interview with Access Hollywood in December 2022. She said she got her hair and makeup professionally done for the first time before the event, which made her feel "somewhat pretty."
The following month, Ortega wore a lion-print hoodie and black shorts to the "Jungle Book" premiere.
She wore her hair in long curls and accessorised with a headpiece that had silver feather embellishments and blue nail polish.
In September 2016, she wore a floral two-piece to the Imagen Awards.
At the 31st Annual Imagen Awards in September 2016, Ortega was nominated for the Best Young Actor in Television award for her performance in the Disney Channel's "Stuck in the Middle." (The award ultimately went to Isabela Moner for her role in Nickelodeon's "100 Things to Do Before High School.")
Ortega wore a more formal look at this event, opting for a floor-length, rose-print skirt and a crop top in the same design. She wore her hair in loose curls and accessorized with multiple bracelets.
In April 2017, Ortega wore a floor-length striped gown that was said to have been inspired by Cher.
Ortega was known for experimenting with bold colors during this time, and her appearance at the "Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2" premiere was no different. She wore a purple-and-pink striped dress by Dhela with long sleeves and a metallic belt.
The look was inspired by Cher, according to an Instagram post by Ortega's longtime stylist Enrique Melendez.
She wore her hair straight and accessorized with a black clutch bag, drop earrings, and a statement ring by Sarah Magid, according to Melendez.
That same month, Ortega wore a semi-sheer gown with a ruffled bodice and gold open-toe heels.
Ortega's dress was designed by Red Valentino, the now-defunct label owned by Valentino which created more affordable designs for a younger audience.
She completed the look with a silver clutch bag and wore smoky eye makeup with her hair curled.
In March 2018, the actor attended a movie premiere in a one-shoulder striped dress by Tommy Hilfiger.
She completed the look with black heels and hoop earrings, and her hair was styled in a low ponytail by Gilbert Muniz.
Attending a Hollywood party in May 2018, Ortega opted for a black-and-pink ensemble.
Ortega wore pink skinny jeans and a black-and-pink Christian Dior bra over a long-sleeved pink shirt in a lighter tone. She accessorized with black heels, oversized hoop earrings, and wore her hair in a ponytail.
Ortega made a bold statement with her jacket at the Radio Disney Music Awards in 2018.
The actor wore a jacket with the printed message on the back: "I Do Care And U Should Too."
The slogan was a direct response to former First Lady Melania Trump, who wore a jacket with the message, "I Really Don't Care Do U" while boarding a plane to visit detained immigrant children in Texas in June 2018. Although she changed clothes before exiting the plane, Melania faced backlash from online critics.
Ortega's jacket was custom-designed by ArtDoctors in collaboration with her stylist Enrique Melendez.
"It's NOT about the jacket...it's about the message behind it. And the response to our @Flotus and to any elected government official who is insensitive and chooses to use poor judgement and lack of empathy," Melendez wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Ortega wearing the jacket.
The jacket was accompanied by a plaid crop top and matching pants, black heeled boots, and she styled her hair in a high bun.
Ortega attended a Golden Globes afterparty in 2020 wearing a nude semi-sheer gown with a thigh-high slit and a sweeping train.
She held a gold clutch and wore matching open-toe heels. For accessories, Ortega opted for a selection of rings and silver clips in her hair.
Ortega embraced the Barbiecore trend at her first-ever Met Gala in May 2022.
Ortego wore an all-pink outfit by Valentino, which consisted of a netted halterneck sweater dress adorned in sequins with matching tights and heels. She also opted for pink drop earrings, hair clips, and a selection of rings.
The following month, the actor wore a chic minidress to the MTV Movie & TV Awards.
Ortego wore an off-the-shoulder minidress with long sleeves by Valentino with platform heels. She also wore a selection of Tiffany & Co. jewelry, including layered diamond necklaces and rings.
Ortega changed things up by wearing a sheer lace Valentino dress to Paris Fashion Week in October 2022.
The black gown appeared to be an intended nod to Ortega's Netflix series, "Wednesday," in which she plays the titular character.
"And the countdown to next @wednesdaynetflix begins…" Melendez wrote in an Instagram post alongside a photo of Ortega in the dress two days after "Wednesday" premiered on November 16, 2022.
Ortega appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in another daring dress which had lace detailing and a high leg slit.
The gown was designed by Dion Lee and paired with black stilettos. Ortego wore her hair in a half updo, bringing the look together with a bright-red lip.
Ortego wore a gothic bridal look — complete with a black veil — for the premiere of "Wednesday" in November 2022.
Ortega wore a lingerie-inspired dress with a high slit and a black veil from Versace's spring/summer 2023 collection, CNN reported.
"When I was working on 'Wednesday,' I suddenly only ever wore black. I didn't know why. For some reason, my closet just lost all its color," Ortega said in an interview with The Cut in March 2023.
"But I have played characters where, no matter how good or at ease I felt in the clothes, it's just not something I would typically wear or I think is a good representation of myself," she added.
In January 2023, Ortega swapped out her "Wednesday" wardrobe for a nude gown with cutouts for the Golden Globes.
Ortega opted for an earthy gown with exaggerated sleeves, a dramatic train, and middle cutouts from Gucci's spring/summer 2023 collection, Vogue reported.
"What drew me to this look the most is it felt like enough of a departure from a lot of the darker looks I've been wearing lately," Ortega told the publication.
She accessorized with layered necklaces and stacked rings from Tiffany & Co., Vogue added.
Later that month, the star wore a hooded black Saint Laurent gown to Paris Fashion Week.
In one of her most daring looks to date, Ortega wore a floor-length, backless gown with a wrap neckline and a hood by Saint Laurent, People reported. She wore chunky gold bracelets and styled her hair with gelled wet-look bangs.
At the SAG Awards in February 2023, Ortega wore a strapless Versace gown with a thigh-high slit.
The actor wore a black strapless gown from Versace's 1994 fall/winter collection with black open-toe heels and a diamond choker necklace by Tiffany & Co. She wore her hair in loose waves with soft, wispy bangs.
The actor wore a custom Thom Brown dress with pearl and chain embellishments at the 2023 Met Gala in May.
Ortega's custom gown had long sleeves, a daring train, pearl and chain embellishments, and a bow detail. She accessorized with black-and-white heeled boots, knee-high sheer socks, and earrings and rings by Marli.
She changed things up with a sheer lace minidress at a movie premiere in December 2023.
Ortego wore a white minidress with long sleeves, a collared neckline, and embroidered sheer and lace embellishments by Adeam. She also opted for white platform shoes by Andrea Wazen and jewelry by Al Zain.
At one of her first appearances of 2024, Ortega attended the "Miller's Girl" premiere wearing another all-white ensemble.
Ortega wore a Valentino minidress with an illusion neckline adorned with 3D floral embellishments. She paired it with white Louboutin heels and a long-sleeved Sentaler coat (not pictured).
She styled her hair in short curls with curtain bangs and wore a pearl bracelet.
In one of her most elegant looks to date, Ortega wore a floral embroidered gown by Dior to the 2024 Emmy Awards in January.
The strapless dress had a semi-sheer skirt and was adorned with green and lilac florals. She accessorized with sparkly heels and a statement necklace.
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.
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