Jenna Ortega Elevates Gothic Style in Dolce & Gabbana and Silver Heels While Promoting Wednesday

Back in November 2022, Jenna Ortega leaned into her now-iconic Wednesday Addams persona during the show’s promotional circuit, delivering a gothic-chic look that still feels timeless today.

Styled by Enrique Melendez, she stepped out in a sharply tailored Dolce & Gabbana ensemble that paid homage to Nevermore Academy’s school uniform without ever crossing into costume territory.

Her outfit was all about contrasts — a cropped black jacket layered over a crisp white shirt, accented with a jacquard tie and jeweled tie bar, set against sweeping high-waisted palazzo pants and a classic single-breasted wool coat. The result was a sleek, modern twist on Wednesday’s uniform that blurred the line between character and red-carpet star.

Jenna Ortega, dressed in a Dolce & Gabbana ensemble, arrives at the Good Morning America studios on November 21, 2022 (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Her single-breasted coat revealed a flash of leopard-print lining, adding a playful twist to the otherwise dark palette.

She styled the look with loose auburn waves, a rich burgundy bag, and silver platform heels — a bold choice that not only elevated the outfit’s edge but also subtly boosted her petite 4 ft 11 ½ in (151.1 cm) frame. Known for wearing a US shoe size 6, Ortega’s footwear gave her ensemble both height and a touch of modern glamour.

Bringing her signature gothic style to New York City, Jenna Ortega is seen outside the Good Morning America studios on November 21, 2022, wearing a sleek Dolce & Gabbana ensemble complete with silver platform heels (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Jenna Ortega on Embracing Wednesday Addams and Preparing for the Role

First, she stopped by Good Morning America to talk about how she’s “been compared to Wednesday [her] entire life.”

She elaborated that she’s been told that they are both “very sarcastic and dry, and can be a bit morbid at times.” Jenna continued that she considers it a compliment to be compared to the iconic fictional character.

In the interview, Jenna also talked about the preparation she had to do to take on the role of Wednesday Addams. “She’s much more intelligent than I am. I started cello lessons and fencing lessons two months before we started shooting, and then continued throughout the eight-month shoot.”

She added that they “also did things like archery, I choreographed a dance, we did German, we did canoeing, we did boxing. After work I always had a lesson or something.”

The Art of the Deadpan: Not Blinking, Filming in Romania, and Working With Catherine Zeta-Jones

After that, she stopped by the Today Show to talk about her “deadpan face,” shooting in Romania, and her on-screen mother, Catherine Zeta-Jones.

When asked about her deadpan expression, Jenna mentioned that it “was something Tim [Burton] and I established very early on.”

The main thing was that Wednesday “doesn’t blink.” Jenna said that “[Tim] likes it when I tilt my chin down and look through my eyebrows, kind of a [Stanley] Kubrick stare. I relax all the muscles in my face, and then you just move your eyebrows and that’s pretty much all your reaction.”

It was hard to maintain and even more difficult to shoot without blinking. “I think I got kind of annoying about it on set to be honest because I would have to restart a take if I [blinked] because sometimes you start crying in the Romanian winter. There was all this wind in my face. I learned to blink on other people’s lines.”

The cinematography and set design of Wednesday were remarkable, and they’re thanks to the landscape of Romania, where they shot it. Jenna said that Romania “fit the gothic atmosphere of the show.”

When asked about her on-screen mother, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jenna jumped at the chance to sing her praises. “She is incredible. I feel like her humor is so underrated.”

“We were on set, and they were some of my favorite scenes that we shot because she was so open to improvise and have fun and try new things and, yeah, she just has great instincts,” Jenna gushed.

Double Wednesday Spotlight: Jenna Ortega Meets Christina Ricci

There’s someone else who couldn’t stop gushing about her Wednesday co-star: Christina Ricci, who famously portrayed Wednesday Addams in the ’90s film adaptations.

Christina Ricci and her husband, Mark Hampton, attend the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards at Cipriani South Street on November 7, 2022, in New York City (Credit: Darla Khazei / INSTARimages / Cover Images)

Christina Ricci attended the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards at Casa Cipriani in New York in a whimsical look.

The “Sleepy Hollow” actress wore a vibrant botanical motif dress featuring colorful, decorative blossoms, a laced bustier cutout, and metallic floral embellishments. The floor-length piece debuted as part of Rodarte’s Spring 2023 collection.

She joined a star-studded lineup that included the Kardashian-Jenner sisters and Addison Rae.

During the event, she talked to Extra’s Kaliegh Garris about Wednesday:

“I have a lot of, obviously, like, so much love and attachment to the Wednesday that I played and those movies, and so to be asked to be part of the new iteration was really meaningful to me. And working with Tim [Burton] again was great.”

When asked about Jenna Ortega stepping into the pointy boots of Wednesday Addams, Christina couldn’t stop raving about her performance. “Jenna is so incredible in the show. People are just going to freak out about how good she is.”

At the “Wednesday” world premiere in Los Angeles on November 16, 2022, both Jenna Ortega and Christina Ricci wore black outfits that paid homage to the show’s gothic aesthetic. Jenna Ortega, the star of the series, wore a black Versace gown with a lace slip and a black veil, creating a “gothic bride” look.

Christina Ricci, who famously played Wednesday in the ’90s films and has a role in the new show, wore a black Rodarte dress featuring a ruffled skirt and a sheer top with a subtle spiderweb design.

Double Trouble: Jenna Ortega and Christina Ricci both starred as Wednesday Addams in two different iterations of The Addams Family (Credit: Joce Zerojack / BauerGriffin / INSTA / Cover Images)

From Ortega’s gothic-chic rise to Ricci’s enduring red-carpet edge, both actresses continue to prove that Wednesday Addams’ influence extends far beyond the screen. Their shoe choices, in particular, have become defining style signatures worth revisiting.

Timeless Shoe Moments from Jenna Ortega and Christina Ricci