“Showtime.” For Jenna Ortega.
The 21-year-old actress' latest outfits aren't as strange or unusual as they seem — at least not for the lead actress in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice.
The actress has been promoting the sequel on red carpets around the world, paying homage to the 1988 cult classic “Beetlejuice” by celebrating the original film's funky fashion.
As a recent homage to the original film, Ortega and her team got creative with a structured grey and black Harris Reid ensemble inspired by the statues created by Catherine O'Hara's Delia Deetz in the original film. According to stylist Enrique Melendez:.
At the London premiere, the set included black velvet opera gloves and a miniature model of the supposedly haunted Dietz family home used as a handbag.
In Venice, Ortega dazzled in a custom red sheer Dior gown with a heart-shaped top and pleated bottom, a homage to Winona Ryder's character Lydia Deetz's iconic red wedding dress.
The young actress seems particularly fond of Michael Keaton's Beetlejuice wedding outfit.
She paid tribute to the style twice, wearing a different take on a burgundy suit.
Ortega wore a custom burgundy suit by Paul Smith in Venice and a burgundy blazer dress with contrasting red lapels and pillar-box red lights by Alexander McQueen in London.
At another press conference, Ortega was photographed wearing a flowing floral gown by Giambattista Valli Paris, a handbag dedicated to a recently deceased person and makeup to look like the deceased.
The handbag, which is based on the creepy handbook featured in the film, seems to be a popular accessory among Ortega and fans of Beetlejuice.
While the look may not match the rest of the gothic “Beetlejuice” lookbook, Melendez shared The look was apparently inspired by Geena Davis' character Barbara Maitland in Beetlejuice.
Ortega stayed in character throughout the trip, and was spotted arriving at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in his role as Adam Maitland, played by Alec Baldwin.
Ortega wore a black and white checked blazer over a red top, paired with a pleated khaki Sansfaff miniskirt.
One of the looks that garnered the most attention was Ortega's look, which was a near replica of Lydia Deetz's final look.
The actress replicated the outfit with a navy blue Thom Browne sweater customized with the emblem, a white-collared button-down shirt, and a plaid skirt.
This was the first time she was seen clutching a handbag meant for the deceased.
Is there any look more reminiscent of “Beetlejuice” than a striped suit?
Ortega delighted fans in a long-sleeved pinstripe suit dress by Dolce & Gabbana, a look that Melendez described as “soft goth glam La Bella Mafia vibes.” Beetlejuice would probably never have worn designer clothes.
Ortega stunned while out in New York in a cropped tuxedo jacket, a translucent black lace dress and matching platform heels.
The look is reminiscent of Lydia's black veiled outfit.
Attending the film's premiere in Mexico, Ortega dazzled audiences in a custom strapless teal Lurin dress with a shrunken head molded into the structured bodice and sewn around the legs.
This unique feature is a fun homage to the shrunken heads in '80s movies, and one that may pop up in the new sequel.
Ortega walked a separate carpet in Mexico wearing custom-made, patented Mary Jane snakeskin-pattern platform shoes inspired by the snake's head in the first film.
In keeping with the dark, eerie atmosphere and shoes of the “Beetlejuice” film world, the actress wore an archival Vivienne Westwood dress, which Melendez said “really exists in the Tim Burton world.”
The dress was covered in nude colored fabric that ran down her chest and arms with black sequin swirls running all over her body.
