Jenna Ortega is not a child of the ’90s. In fact, she wasn’t even born when the Versus Versace collection that inspired her latest look debuted on the runway at Milan Fashion Week in 1997.
But fans wouldn’t know if, judging by the full Versace look, replete with iconic Gianni Ribbon Sandals, that she walked the red carpet in on Tuesday, April 1, at CinemaCom in Las Vegas.
Ortega, 22, is currently promoting her new film, Death of a Unicorn. In recent months, she has taken method dressing to new heights, but her towering five-inch shoes took it to another level.
The substantial platforms embody the bold glamour that the late Gianni Versace made his signature and feature the brand’s recognizable bow bearing the Medusa logo at the center.
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Other young starlets, like Selena Gomez, have worn the beribboned Versace block heels before, but Ortega has continuously proven herself to be a superfan of the brand since she first burst onto the scene with her hit series Wednesday, which premiered in November 2022.
Days before the show hit Netflix, she attended the Los Angeles premiere in a black lace slip from Donatella Versace‘s 2023 Spring collection with a Wednesday Adams-worthy black veil.
At CinemaCon, however, Ortega’s look was the antithesis of Wednesday’s goth-glam wardrobe (which the actress once embraced so wholeheartedly that it became her signature aesthetic). Indeed, she made a strong case for “loud luxury” à la Versace in baby pastels and bold prints.
While the ensemble was a highlight on the brand’s Spring 2025 runway, the inspiration behind the looks, including Ortega’s, was a pivotal fashion show in 1997 — a year before Gianni’s death.
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The actress layered a purple double-breasted blazer over a semi-sheer collared shirt with an all-over poppies print and Medusa buttons, which she tucked into a pair of suede lilac shorts.
When Donatella presented the collection, she said she was drawn to Gianni’s Spring 1997 Versus Versace offering because “it was a joyful moment.”
“In the ’90s, there was freedom, happiness, not too much thinking, and being more casual [about] putting your clothes together,” she told Vogue at the time.
The house of Versace has been revisiting past collections, with varying degrees of specificity, since the 20th anniversary of Donatella’s brother’s passing in 2017. The most recent example came this February when she took what would become her final bow after her Fall 2025 fashion show. In March, after nearly 30 legendary years at the helm, she announced her new role as Vereace’s chief brand ambassador and named former Miu Miu image and design director Dario Vitale her successor.
The change in leadership became effective on Tuesday, April 1, which makes Ortega’s choice to wear a full Donatella Versace-era Spring 2025 look feel even more significant — and stylish.
