Jenna Ortega red carpet fashion in 2025 turned heads at every major event, solidifying her and her longtime stylist Enrique Melendez as a creative force in the industry. Together, they brought bold choices and iconic references to life, redefining the red carpet landscape with expressive, emotional looks that captivated both audiences and critics alike.
A Decade of Collaboration: Ortega and Melendez’s Style Partnership
Jenna Ortega’s journey with stylist Enrique Melendez began when she was just 14, emerging through roles on the CW and Disney Channel. By 2025, their nearly ten-year partnership had grown into one of the most watchful collaborations in the world of celebrity style, ensuring the pair landed in every conversation about innovative red carpet moments.
Their approach balances avant-garde shapes and unexpected textures with tributes to fashion history. An outstanding example was the moment Ortega wore the iconic newsprint Dior dress for the “Hurry Up Tomorrow” premiere—a true nod to both culture and couture. From star-studded debuts to the Met Gala steps, each ensemble resulted from thoughtful and mutual creative input.
“I don’t just show up and say, ‘You’re going to wear this today.’ It’s very much a conversation.”
– Enrique Melendez, Stylist
Throughout their years of collaboration, Melendez and Ortega never sought attention for its own sake. Their goal was never to shock, yet their ensembles consistently made a lasting impression, a spirit they aimed to carry forward into 2026 and beyond. As Melendez recalls,
“If we were really excited about something, I think that naturally showed,”
a guiding principle that remained central to their process as Ortega’s film projects—including “The Gallerist,” “Klara and the Sun,” and “Ghostwriter”—prepared to grace theater screens.
“If people love it, great. If they don’t love it, that’s OK, too,”
Melendez says.
“What’s important is that we feel good about it.”
– Enrique Melendez, Stylist
Before another year full of headline-worthy appearances, Melendez shared the personal stories behind Ortega’s most talked-about red carpet fashion of 2025.
Effortless Elegance at the 2025 ‘Vanity Fair’ Oscars Party
Jenna Ortega’s 2025 began with her debut at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, setting the tone for the year ahead. This event marked one of Melendez’s first significant dives into vintage that year, prompted by a rare opportunity to comb through Donna Karan’s vast 39-year archive. The standout choice emerged as a diaphanous, gently draped gown from Resort 2004, featuring light ruffles and a sheer trailing train—delivered with a distinctive Ortega twist.
Melendez adapted the gown by letting one tulle strap fall off Ortega’s shoulder, opening the neckline for a younger, modern feel.
“We wanted to make it a little more youthful,”
he explained—emphasizing the mindful tweaks that set Ortega apart on the carpet.
Making Statements at the 2025 Met Gala
When the Met Gala’s 2025 theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” was announced, Melendez immediately envisioned Balmain as Ortega’s designer for the evening.
“This feels like an Olivier [Rousteing] moment. We haven’t had that yet,”
Melendez remarked, referencing the former Balmain creative director’s anticipated involvement.
Olivier Rousteing, thrilled at the collaboration, helped the duo create a sculptural strapless gown constructed with actual metal rulers—an inventive, literal interpretation of the event’s “Tailored for You” dress code. Despite some hesitance from Ortega about the rulers being too on the nose, the final look drew attention as a technical and conceptual marvel.
“It was truly made to measure,”
Melendez noted, aligning perfectly with the theme’s call for personalized tailoring.
“Jenna was a little on the fence about the rulers, because she felt it might’ve been too on the nose,”
Melendez says.
Initially, Ortega’s look didn’t make many best-dressed lists—a surprise to Melendez.
“She didn’t make it into a lot of the [best-dressed] roundups of the evening,”
he observed. Some onlookers, including fashion fans, were confused about the choice of a metal dress for this specific theme. Over time, however, many recognized the cleverness behind the rectangular panels’ literal reference, and Melendez responded to the early confusion with characteristic composure.
“I think art is meant to be [inspected] from afar and then also appreciated in detail later on,”
he reflected.
Channeling New York Legacy at the ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ Premiere
Following closely on the heels of the Met Gala, Ortega took to the “Hurry Up Tomorrow” premiere in New York wearing an original Dior by John Galliano newsprint dress—a piece famous for its association with “Sex and the City” star Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw. Melendez recounted the inspiration struck while walking Madison Avenue, recalling,
“I was walking up Madison Avenue, racking my brain, and then I’m like, ‘What is more New York than anything in fashion?’ Sex and the City protagonist Carrie Bradshaw, and her Dior by John Galliano’s newspaper dress, was the answer.”
This rare Fall 2000 dress is not usually loaned out, and initially Melendez was denied the request. Still, his determination, guided by his mother’s advice, pushed him forward.
“If you don’t ask, you don’t get,”
Melendez shared. Eventually, with encouragement from HBO and Lionsgate, Dior agreed to lend the dress for one day, under strict conditions: no alterations and a hefty possible fee for damages.
“If we damaged it, we had to pay $250,000,”
he revealed. The dress arrived just in time, fitting Ortega perfectly.
“I was almost in tears, because it fit like a glove,”
he said. For both Ortega and Melendez, this garment symbolized more than style; it celebrated New York’s fashion culture and nostalgia.
“Jenna understands the culture behind Sex and the City, but she also knew how much I loved it. So she said, ‘I’ll definitely wear this, no problem.’”
Reinventing Gothic Glamour on the ‘Wednesday’ Press Tour
After a whirlwind awards season, Ortega refocused on her Netflix series with the “Wednesday” Season 2 press tour. The earlier promotional run for Season 1 famously featured black lace gowns—a nod to her gothic Wednesday Addams character. But Melendez wanted to move beyond repetition.
“I wanted to show up with something that felt a bit more curated for Jenna,”
he said.
In preparation, the pair explored inspirations pulled from the ‘90s, referencing style icons like Winona Ryder, Cristina Ricci, and Kate Moss, combined with the latest runway influences. Their search culminated in a dramatic, snake-scaled corseted gown: the Ashi Studio Couture Fall 2025 finale piece. Even before Ortega tried it on, it sparked her curiosity with its unique structure and bold silhouette, standing out even among coveted Dior options. The daring, corseted look became a critical favorite and solidified Ortega’s reputation for embracing artistic risk.
Ortega then wore custom GapStudio at a Netflix and Spotify celebration of the show, embracing her Wednesday persona through a grunge-inspired, charcoal gray jersey dress with a tumbling, distressed train. Melendez and creative director Zac Posen created the dress with a special wash and finished it just in time for the event.
“We were still working on it until the night of the premiere,”
Melendez remembers. Ortega even helped customize the dress in the final moments before the event, as Melendez recounted,
“Jenna took part in slashing some of the slits.”
Award-Worthy Innovation at the 2025 Emmys
Following the success of “Wednesday,” Ortega and Melendez set their sights on the 2025 Emmy Awards. Melendez was quick to focus on a highlight from Givenchy’s Fall collection—a pearl and jewel-encrusted illusion bodice, first worn publicly by Kaia Gerber. The piece, delivered in a protective box with a no-alteration clause, paired perfectly with Ortega’s proportions.
It was Ortega herself who suggested refining the look by pairing the ornate top with a skirt rather than its original trousers—a clever modification that
“made it a little more elegant for the Emmys,”
as she expressed to Melendez. The addition of a high slit added to its impact, resulting in a sleek yet glamorous final appearance.
Continuing the Metallic Theme at the 2025 Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Gala
For her final major red carpet appearance of 2025, Ortega leaned into the statement top trend at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Gala in October. In the weeks leading up to the event, Ortega attended several top runway shows, including those by Givenchy, Ann Demeulemeester, Christian Louboutin, and Jonathan Anderson’s debut for Dior. Out of these experiences, she and Melendez landed on a futuristic, hardware-inspired look from Grace Ling’s Spring 2026 lineup at New York Fashion Week—a decision that almost didn’t happen.
“Even up to the night of the event, we worried it was too similar to the Emmys look, because it was a hardware top and column skirt,”
Melendez admitted. This time, the metallic top took the shape of a bold chrome leaf, creating both visual continuity and a fresh take on the motif.
“I was losing sleep over it, because I didn’t want her to feel like she’s wearing [the same thing] back to back,”
he added. Yet, when the final photos surfaced online, Melendez felt reassured. Their decision paid off, further elevating Ortega’s reputation for daring, narrative-rich fashion.
The Lasting Impact of Ortega’s 2025 Red Carpet Fashion
Jenna Ortega’s red carpet fashion throughout 2025 not only showcased her growth and charisma as a Hollywood star but also placed her collaborative process with Enrique Melendez in the industry spotlight. Incorporating designs by legendary and rising creators alike, Ortega bridged nostalgic references, like Carrie Bradshaw’s memorable Dior moment, to futuristic and avant-garde tailoring by Grace Ling and Balmain. Iconic names such as Donna Karan, John Galliano, Zac Posen, Olivier Rousteing, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others contributed to a year defined by courageous and expressive red carpet storytelling.
Entering 2026, as new film projects and press tours beckon, Ortega and Melendez continue to prioritize authenticity and creative synergy over public opinion. With supporters and fashion fans paying close attention, Ortega’s every appearance becomes a cultural moment, inspiring conversation and setting trends for years to come.
