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Over time, corsets have evolved from a product of patriarchal restriction to a symbol of postmodern liberation—and the one stitched to Jenna Ortega’s latest dress took the evolution of the garment a step further.
Ortega is gearing up for the season two release of her hit Netflix show Wednesday, which premieres tomorrow with four brand-new episodes, followed by another four set to come out on September 3. And while anticipation around the show couldn’t be higher, much of the hype has centered around the lead star’s press-tour fashion, which winks to the Wednesday Addams aesthetic while demonstrating an edgier, sexier, and more daring side to Ortega. Thankfully, her work’s not finished yet.
On Monday evening, the Emmy nominee stopped by for an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, where she wore a distressed look styled by Enrique Melendez and pulled from the Elena Velez Fall 2025 collection.
At the center of the ensemble was a tattered, patchwork corset that extended into a girdle, featuring tears and exposed seams, as well as belt-like sashes forming the sleeves and hanging from the waist. Thanks to these damaged details, the design transformed a piece that’s often intimate and seductive into something a little more disconcerting, a little freakier.
As for the rest of the dress, the pencil skirt featured a diagonal slit going up the side, with rough-edge hems and variations in the color of the fabric, as if it were aged or stained. Speaking of color, the whole ensemble came in a sort of nude ballerina pink, adding a subtle softness to an otherwise punk design.
Finally, Ortega completed the fit with a pair of nude, mesh sandal heels and a croc-skin top-handle bag to match, and she winked to the hardware on her dress with a silver chainlink necklace. For beauty, she kept the gothic tones going with bleached brows and smoky eyes, leaving her hair down in dark, middle-parted waves.
Ortega wore another look from Velez’s “Leech” collection last week—that one a ruched beige dress covered in strands of bleached-blonde hair.
Back in 2024, the New York City-based designer spoke to Harper’s Bazaar about the meaning behind her creations. She said, “A lot of my inspiration revolves around complicated and paradoxical representations of womanhood: our proclivity toward wickedness, moral ambiguity, and application of eroticism.” It’s certainly something to consider with a character like Wednesday in mind.
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