In the gloomy halls of London's Natural History Museum, a scene worthy of Edgar Allan Poe unfolded. Jenna Ortega, as if stepped out of the pages of a gothic novel, revealed her new persona to the world&mdash;the queen of dark couture.

With the release of the second season of &ldquo;Wednesday&rdquo; on Netflix approaching on August 6, the actress embodied the most refined and dark version of herself, appearing in a Givenchy ensemble by Sarah Burton &mdash; a creation that has become a manifesto of gothic elegance for a new generation.

The Architecture of Dark Seduction

Her appearance at the premiere turned into a real theatrical performance. Jenna chose a Givenchy outfit from the Fall/Winter 2025 collection &mdash; the debut work of Sarah Burton, former star of Alexander McQueen, in her new role as creative director of the French fashion house. The sculptural and monumental outfit included a leather bullet bra &mdash; a detail that would have made Victorian moralists shudder and at the same time earned the approval of every self-respecting goth.
Puffed sleeves added theatricality to the look, transforming the actress into a living work of decadent art. Complemented by Jimmy Choo sandals and Givenchy jewelry, this outfit was the result of the painstaking work of stylist Enrique Melendez, who masterfully guided the star's stylistic evolution from Disney princess to muse of gothic couture.

In close-up detail, Jenna Ortega embodies a controlled and powerful sensuality. The focus is on the black leather bustier with a heart-shaped cut and the spectacular balloon sleeves, which give the look a sculpted, almost armor-like couture feel. The lack of pronounced eyebrows and the smokey eye makeup intensify the contrast between softness and severity. A tribute to the gothic aesthetic revisited with a fashionable twist, perfectly in keeping with the character of Wednesday.

With a dramatic pose that reveals her bare back, Jenna Ortega plays with the architectural sensuality of her Givenchy outfit. The oversized, padded sleeves dominate the scene, while the minimalist skirt flatters the figure without detracting from the upper body. The detail of the long gloves with metallic bracelets adds further strength to the look, evoking a dark couture icon in full control of her stage presence.

The original vision of the Givenchy ready-to-wear F/W 2025 look, worn on the runway with black patent leather ankle boots, enhances the idea of a heroic, sculpted figure. The rigid black leather top, the extremely voluminous padded sleeves, and the evening gloves with maxi gold chains create a dramatic, sculptural composition. The black pencil skirt with white trim represents the visual sobriety that contrasts and complements the top, balancing opulence and sartorial control.

An Evening Transformation in the Spirit of Decadence

The London evening brought a new metamorphosis. Jenna swapped her daytime armor for a suit by Ann Demeulemeester, a brand whose name is whispered among fans of dark aesthetics. The three-piece suit with a shoulder-accentuating jacket, waistcoat, and flared trousers with deep slits became a ghostly vision thanks to layers of black blouse flowing through the jacket's cutouts. This look embodied the romanticism of darkness, so dear to both the fashion house and the actress herself. Dizzying platforms lifted the figure to the heavens, while a bouquet of scarlet roses in her hands became the final touch to a gothic poem &mdash; a symbol of beauty born of darkness.

The return of &ldquo;Wednesday&rdquo; promises to be one of the biggest events of the year in the world of television series. The explosive combination of Jenna Ortega in her most iconic role and Lady Gaga as Rosalina Rothwood, a dark arts teacher at Nevermore Academy, creates the perfect storm of gothic drama.
The trailer plunges viewers into an atmosphere of even deeper darkness, with baroque sets, family secrets, and new mysteries weaving together into a web of intrigue. Lady Gaga, following her role as Harley Quinn in Joker 2, seems born for this role, perfectly fitting into the visual manifesto of Generation Z created by Tim Burton.
The interaction between the two protagonists &mdash; a mixture of rivalry and collusion &mdash; adds a new level to the narrative under the direction of the master of gothic aesthetics. The delayed release of the episodes (the first four on August 6, the rest on September 3) only fuels global anticipation.

Wednesday: Season 2 | Official Trailer | Netflix

Behind the gothic mask lies the cold mathematics of success. The triumph of the first season of &ldquo;Wednesday&rdquo; radically changed Jenna Ortega's financial situation. While the actress earned a total of around $250,000 for the first season, the second season brought her an astronomical $250,000 per episode, amounting to an impressive $2 million. This amount is proportional to the value Ortega brought to the project, playing a decisive role in turning the series into a global cult phenomenon. Her Wednesday became not just a character, but a cultural phenomenon, a style icon, and a symbol of the new gothic renaissance.

Jenna Ortega's transformation from a young Disney starlet to a modern-day goth muse is a rare case of an actress perfectly matching her role. Her portrayal of Wednesday Addams goes far beyond mere performance&mdash;it is the embodiment of a zeitgeist in which dark aesthetics have become a form of self-expression for an entire generation.

The Dark Queen: Jenna Ortega and her gothic elegance at the premiere of “Wednesday 2”

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