Jenna Ortega is taking goth to ethereal new heights

One of Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, Tim Burton’s Wednesday has finally returned for its highly anticipated season two. Along with new cast members including Lady Gaga, Billy Piper and Joanna Lumley, the show’s second season has also delivered a heavy helping of fashion moments courtesy of Jenna Ortega’s stylist, Enrique Melendez. 

From Willy Chavarria to Simone Rocha and Ann Demeulemeester, Ortega’s recent red carpet looks are a distinct move away from her previous style, taking goth to new ethereal heights. Accompanied by some ghostly new bleached brows, Ortega has grown out of the gimmicks and ventured beyond all-black. The Ashi Studio look was proof of this: a nude snakeskin gown that featured a torn peplum, it was deliberately symbolic of Ortega parting ways with her old aesthetic, literally ‘shedding’ her past style. The look, which quickly went viral across social media, was the beginning of a new chapter in her red carpet evolution, a journey that Melendez knows better than anyone, having worked with the star since she was 14 years old. 

Below, we catch up with the stylist, who reveals the one look he had to fight for, his mood board references, and what item he carries with him at all times. Click through the gallery above for all of Ortega’s Wednesday season two press tour looks so far. 

When did you first fall in love with fashion? 

Enrique Melendez: Watching old movies with my grandmothers. I was always drawn to the wardrobe and the small details of what the characters were wearing. I was never great at sketching, but I loved to recreate what I saw on screen in my little drawing book.

I began styling professionally when I received my first paycheque from it, about 15 years ago. But I feel like I was styling every time I’d go to my closet to put together an outfit for myself as a child. I think it’s truly an art form. How I chose my outfit was how I felt that day, and that was the story I wanted to tell.

You first started working with Jenna Ortega when she was just 14. How has her style evolved since then? 

Enrique Melendez: I think naturally, your style evolves with the more you become exposed to. We figure out what works best for us as we experience more, and that's a constant process. Whether it be travelling or meeting new people. We all naturally evolve by the people and places we encounter.

Jenna’s looks for the Wednesday season two press tour have been getting a lot of attention on social media. Why do you think these recent looks are creating such an impact? 

Enrique Melendez: It’s been truly humbling to see people appreciating the looks we put together, I never take that for granted. People feel the looks are authentic to Jenna, which makes me happy. In initial conversations with her, she really wanted to do something that didn’t feel too gimmicky or costume-y, but still celebrated the essence of the show, all while promoting it in a fashionable, interesting way. So if that’s one of the reasons the looks are resonating, I’m all here for it. 

What was on the mood board (other than The Addams Family)? 

Enrique Melendez: Mentally, I kept a lot of 90s references while pulling, Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss, for example. There were even a couple of references to Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie and the 90s costume design, especially when it came to the Ann Demeulemeester looks. 

Do you have a favourite look from this press tour? 

Enrique Melendez: They're all special to me, because they're moments created with people I love, respect and admire. But, it’s between two. The Ashi Studio latex snake skin look. It was the look that set the tone for this press tour. A ‘shedding’ of the idea that it was going to be another press tour with all black. I was on the fence about how Jenna was going to receive it and wondering if she would see it as being too camp. But when I presented it, she immediately gravitated to it and it made me so happy! This is where glam is super important, because it can go left really quickly. But Cesar Ramirez and Melanie Inglessis executed it perfectly – it was goth, but not on the nose.

The other look would be the Ann Demeulemeester grey flared trouser suit. I fought so hard to get a hold of that look in time because it’s so Jenna, and I knew she’d love it. Stefano Gallici is killing it over there at Ann Demeulemeester.

What’s a fashion rule that you live by? 

Enrique Melendez: Tailor your clothes, please. It shows you care. You don’t have to spend hundreds and thousands on clothes. Save your money for the tailor. I don’t think you can say anything bad about someone whose clothes look tailored for them.

What’s something that can always be found in your styling kit? 

Enrique Melendez: Black safety pins. I can not put a thread through a needle to save my life, but I can work magic with some safety pins if I need to!

What piece of advice would you give to a young stylist starting out in the industry? 

Enrique Melendez: Lead with integrity. Always remember, every job you take, you’re closer to your next big break.