Jenna Ortega delivered one of the most buzzed-about fashion moments of the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, stepping onto the red carpet in a daring Givenchy ensemble that paid homage to a cult classic.
The “Wednesday” star, 22, stunned in a nearly naked jeweled top designed by Sarah Burton for Givenchy, paired with a sleek black column skirt featuring a thigh-high slit and Christian Louboutin shoes. She accessorized with Pomellato jewelry, completing the dramatic look with a wet hairstyle and bold red lipstick that amplified the outfit’s edge.
Style journalist Zanna Roberts Rassi revealed the outfit was delivered in a coffin-shaped box, describing it as “made of extra-large jewels and not much else,” while predicting it would dominate social media feeds.
Channeling ‘Death Becomes Her’
Ortega’s jeweled ensemble quickly drew comparisons to Isabella Rossellini’s character Lisle von Rhuman in the 1992 film “Death Becomes Her”. In the movie, Rossellini played the enigmatic socialite who tempts characters portrayed by Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn with an elixir of youth. Her iconic costume included layered beaded necklaces that left little to the imagination — a clear reference point for Ortega’s jeweled Givenchy top.
Ortega’s connection to “Death Becomes Her” actually extends beyond the Emmys carpet. Just a year earlier, she co-starred in Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste” music video, which was packed with film references — including direct homages to the 1992 classic. Carpenter and Ortega recreated scenes inspired by the movie’s opulent visuals and darkly comic tone, with Ortega even stepping into a role that echoed the film’s themes of beauty, rivalry, and resurrection.
The choice marked a noticeable departure from Ortega’s gothic-inspired wardrobe, which has often been tied to her role as Wednesday Addams. Instead of leaning into her usual dark palette, she embraced high-fashion glamour while still nodding to cinematic history.
From Gothic Red Carpets to High-Fashion Statements
Getty ImagesOrtega has steadily built a reputation for “method dressing,” where her red carpet fashion reflects the characters and projects she is promoting. During the press tour for “Wednesday”, she consistently wore gothic-inspired pieces in black and structured silhouettes. She carried that approach into the 2024 promotional cycle for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, channeling Michael Keaton’s Beetlejuice and Winona Ryder’s Lydia Deetz through her looks.
Her boldest statement before the Emmys came at the Venice Film Festival, where she wore a red Dior Haute Couture gown that many fans linked to Lydia’s red wedding dress. Between snakeskin gowns, corseted Vivienne Westwood creations, and now her Givenchy jeweled top, Ortega continues to show range on the red carpet while evolving her style from gothic roots to boundary-pushing couture.
Although she wasn’t nominated this year, Ortega presented onstage alongside her Wednesday co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones, handing the award for best supporting actress in a comedy series to Katherine LaNasa for “The Pitt.” Still, it was her jeweled Givenchy look that captured attention and further solidified her status as one of the night’s standout stars.
