- 12 hours ago
Jenna Ortega’s stylist Enrique Melendez joins Who What Wear co-founder Hillary Kerr to break down the Wednesday star’s season 2 press looks and her evolution from Disney kid to gothic-glam fashion icon. From the latex Ashi Studios gown to the bejeweled Givenchy top at the Emmys, Enrique reveals how Jenna’s most daring looks came to life.
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00:00I'm the one who kind of wants to put an exclamation point on things.
00:02And I'm like, hey, we have to have a moment.
00:04Yeah, you know what I mean?
00:05So she's like, all right.
00:06You're putting her in a 30-pound bejeweled, like, talk.
00:08You sound like her right now.
00:12Last time we sat down, we were just coming off of season one of Wednesday.
00:17And everyone in the entire Who, What, Where team was obsessed with everything that you were doing with Jenna.
00:22And we were very excited for the return of Wednesday this year because we knew that we would have lots
00:27of incredible looks to write about.
00:29And thank you for bringing them to us.
00:31You make our job much easier.
00:33First of all, everyone should go back and listen to that first episode because you did such an amazing job
00:38of walking us through your trajectory, Jenna's style trajectory.
00:43All of it was fabulous.
00:43But let's talk about it.
00:45We'll give, like, a little bit of a synopsis to start.
00:47And then we'll get into everything that you've been up to since then, if that sounds okay.
00:51Absolutely.
00:52Okay, good.
00:53Okay, so you started working with her, as we established before, when she was just 14.
00:58And had the job of helping her transition out of really being perceived as just a Disney star.
01:06So how did you guys start to figure out what her true style was?
01:09Honestly, at the beginning of her career, we kind of followed a blueprint, so to speak.
01:15Zendaya.
01:16That's a good one.
01:17She was doing Selena Gomez, Dove Cameron, Sabrina Carpenter.
01:21They all had a show on Disney, and they kind of followed a business model, how they kind of transitioned.
01:28Not broken.
01:28Yeah, yeah.
01:30But I think as she got older, everything that we were wearing wasn't representative of who she was, as she
01:36was obviously discovering herself.
01:38And I'm discovering new things about her as we started to work together.
01:42So I think just as we started spending more and more time together, she started booking different types of roles.
01:50And I think we just kind of explored what her actual personal style was and also what she would gravitate
01:58to in wearing on red carpets and press and stuff like that.
02:01And I think Wednesday was the first time we really had a full-on press tour.
02:06Well, the evolution has been phenomenal.
02:08It has been really interesting to watch.
02:10I can see how in sync the two of you are and how you continue to push it and move
02:16forward.
02:16So how much of the gothic influence and sort of the edgier, more dramatic, and extremely beautiful aesthetic that we
02:24see in her looks today is Wednesday-inspired or perhaps method-dressing or influenced by it?
02:32And how much of it is it just like what the two of you gravitate towards?
02:37For example, like if starting tomorrow, she suddenly decided, like, all I want to do is be the next Julia
02:43Roberts in a certain era of her career and do lighthearted rom-coms, would it suddenly change, like, her press
02:49looks or your strategy?
02:50Interesting question.
02:51Yeah, I think everything that we do is obviously very authentic to her personal taste.
02:56And I think her being a fan of the horror genre, I think that just naturally sometimes when you're looking
03:02at two things on a rack and something's, you know, bubblegum pink or aqua blue, she's going to gravitate to
03:09the grays and the blacks just because, or even the earth tone.
03:12I think naturally that's just her aesthetic.
03:14So if she was to book one of those type of rom-com roles, I think we would find some
03:20way to kind of go into the, you know, the darker palettes.
03:25Rom-com silhouette, but in black.
03:27Exactly.
03:28So talking about that style journey, there is a noticeable shift and continued evolution, as we've discussed, from season one
03:34to season two.
03:35For season one, there was still a lot of black and white and lace and leather and tailoring.
03:40And lots of those aspects showed up again for season two.
03:44But I feel like you really expanded upon that original framework.
03:48No one knew what a hit it was going to be when you were preparing for press for season one.
03:52And you very much knew what a hit it was when you were preparing for season two press.
03:57So what did those conversations look like?
03:59What was the strategy like?
04:00What was the planning like?
04:02Jenna is, you know, a family to me.
04:04And I was like, I just don't want to disappoint her in this first fitting.
04:07You know, at the end of the day, like, I was like, what are we going to do?
04:10And I don't like to, like, bombard her with questions while she's, because she was filming another project.
04:15And I know she's, like, paying attention to that.
04:19So I'm just out.
04:21So you just had to do magic on your own and hope that it worked?
04:24Well, it was a rainbow of options or directions that I just kept playing back and back in my head.
04:29And I'm like, we've done the black and the lace and the sheer.
04:32Like, I don't want it to be boring when I go into this fitting with her.
04:37I want her to feel like something new.
04:39You know, like, she has to promote this.
04:41She has to feel great in what she's wearing.
04:42And I was just like, what am I going to do here?
04:44Because I'm like, obviously, all of those elements, black and lace and all of those make sense.
04:50But I'm like, there has to be another way to kind of capture the essence of, you know, the Tim
04:56Burton world.
04:57So I just started pulling away, like, anything that, you know, kind of inspired me.
05:02But like a week before, I'm about to fly to London to have this large fitting for 2022 looks.
05:09And she's like, hey, what are you thinking for this Wednesday tour?
05:13And I'm like, I love that you reached out because I'm like, I want to know what you're thinking.
05:16And she's like, well, I just want to feel mature.
05:20Don't want to feel like a child.
05:22I'm really feeling in this 90s world.
05:25Just 90s inspired clothing in her personal closet.
05:28You know what I mean?
05:28Like meaning minimalist.
05:30Minimalist.
05:30Very.
05:31Like almost stark.
05:33Absolutely.
05:34Yeah.
05:34Like old Calvin Klein.
05:36Old Calvin Klein.
05:36Absolutely.
05:37You were hitting it.
05:38Yeah, exactly.
05:38I just started doing some major edits.
05:40So at that point, I was like, all right, cool.
05:43Kate Moss, Christine Ricci, Winona Ryder and like old editorials with them.
05:49And they still captured the essence of goth, but in a glam way.
05:53Yeah.
05:53And so I just looked at a lot of references there and flew to London and was like, all
06:00right, cool.
06:01It's a shot in the dark.
06:02It was a full room of, I don't know.
06:04It was too many racks.
06:06It took a day to set up everything.
06:08You wanted options.
06:09I wanted options.
06:10A, I wanted to make sure that she was covered because we didn't have a lot of conversation.
06:14That was the only conversation.
06:15It was about 10 text messages.
06:17It wasn't much about the direction that she wanted to go.
06:20So I was like, still not sure what direction we were going to go with.
06:24So I feel like it's like a choose your own adventure at that point.
06:27Like, no, absolutely.
06:28We start with this one piece and we can go here or we could go here or we could go
06:30here
06:31and you're prepared for all of it.
06:32But you have to be prepared for all of it because.
06:35Absolutely.
06:35She is in the middle of something and you can't stress her out by asking her a thousand
06:38questions and you just have to figure it out there.
06:40Right.
06:41That's a perfect analogy.
06:43We get there.
06:45And honestly, the Ashi studio was the first thing.
06:48She was like, what is that?
06:50And I was like, oh no, she's, she does.
06:54You said she didn't like it?
06:55She's like, oh, what did you bring to this fitting?
06:58Like, because we talked to each other like that.
07:00She's like, that's really cool.
07:02Like, I definitely, I want to try that on.
07:04And that kind of set the tone for that choose your own adventure.
07:07And I was like, all right, cool.
07:09It's interesting because it's like, yes, it's setting the tone for we're going directional
07:12and a strong point of view and like almost elements of futurism with that minimalism.
07:19But then also there, there's like, like Gothic romance to it in its own way, but it's subtle.
07:25It's not as literal as lace might be necessarily.
07:28I just want to get this description right.
07:30So it was a semi-sheer latex and it has a really subtle snake skin print.
07:36So it almost looks wet in certain places.
07:39And I love, it had that crazy cinched waist and then the flared hip.
07:43And I think part of what really, I mean, there's a lot that works about it.
07:48But then when you throw in the glam with like the bleached eyebrow and the strong lip
07:55and like the low pony with the ears, just peeking through a little bit, it's like the right dress,
08:00but then how the whole thing comes together.
08:01Because if you, if she had done all of this and then went, tried to go old Hollywood for glam,
08:06that is a very different effect and it negates the work.
08:09How do you also work with the team to say like, this is the full direction?
08:13Because the truly the glam choices made it all sing and all in such an editorial voice.
08:23But that part's out of your control.
08:25So how do you get it all to work together?
08:28Thankfully, we have a beautiful team.
08:30Having people that are totally collaborative and malleable and want to make sure that everyone
08:36on the team is happy with their work.
08:37And this is a piece of art.
08:39You know what I mean?
08:40It's like something that, you know.
08:41Sculptural and minimal.
08:43Absolutely.
08:44And I think Jenna, being a lover of art, wanted to always keep to the integrity of the look
08:51because she, it comes from her.
08:53Like, obviously, I'm always going to fight for a fashion look, but she knows like, hey,
08:58this is what it needs to give.
08:59I need to give this or whatnot.
09:01So.
09:01And that is giving editorial.
09:03Yeah.
09:03Which you do not always see on the red carpet.
09:05Yeah.
09:05Which is why I think we all like the Met Gala and like less so the Oscars.
09:09Exactly.
09:10It's just, it's interesting, you know.
09:12And interesting could be on two sides.
09:14Like some people love it and some people are like, what?
09:17You know what I mean?
09:17So, but that's great.
09:19It's art and that's what art is.
09:20And so conversation, conversation with Cesar and Melanie hair and makeup.
09:25As soon as we did the fitting, I'm sending out the images and they're like, oh, wow.
09:30Like everyone's will starts to turn because usually like this was two days before the premiere.
09:35You know what I mean?
09:36So usually like we have more than a couple of days that we're, we know what we're doing
09:39on a press tour, but again, she's filming and what she's filming.
09:43She currently has no eyebrows and that wasn't actually even supposed to happen.
09:47But honestly, when we went through the fitting pictures, everyone's like, wait, this helps
09:53translate the looks even more.
09:55And so I was like, oh, okay, great.
09:57I agree.
09:58Because it's that 90s thing too.
10:01Like that was part of the look.
10:03Absolutely.
10:03Thinned out.
10:05Or bleached entirely.
10:07Yeah, bleached eyebrows.
10:07Yeah.
10:07It was only supposed to be for the first two days and we were going to change the bleached
10:10eyebrows.
10:11It was supposed to go back to brown.
10:12Obviously it stayed.
10:14With hair and makeup, like they are such beautiful artists.
10:17Like again, like they understood the taste level is aligned.
10:21You know, Jenna had her notes, but also just Cesar and Melanie came to the table with what
10:26made sense.
10:27Like even like the hair, how it had a bend, you know, that came up last minute.
10:32He's like, Cesar's like, does it need a bend or does it, because it was going to either
10:35be a straight, but that, that made those little details make a difference, you know?
10:41It's so crazy.
10:42Yeah.
10:43And with the lip, like it was going to be a nude lip to kind of make it look kind
10:46of
10:46alien-esque.
10:47But then again, she's like, no, Melanie's like, I feel like it needs a lip.
10:51And that happens the way it happens, you know?
10:53And like, I don't know, there's something just really exciting about those little details
10:57that just happen while we're looking in the mirror as she's getting her hair and makeup
11:02done.
11:03It also, to me, when I saw that, like it speaks to a level of yes, artistry, but also confidence.
11:08Confidence for Jenna and herself and her taste level and her team and that everyone was working,
11:14like firing on all cylinders, like really making an editorial look for this big moment.
11:20It's splashy.
11:21It might be divisive to some people who do not understand and that's okay.
11:26And to be comfortable in that, like to me, that's a level of confidence that shines
11:31through and I loved it.
11:32I mean, the entire editorial team at Who, What, Where was like losing their minds over
11:37it.
11:37And we were just like, thank you for feeding us.
11:39Like, this is so good.
11:41This is, it's really, it's exciting and electrifying to see someone because it feels so powerful
11:46and it feels like her owning her own power in this way.
11:50That is ultimately really inspiring.
11:53Yeah.
11:54Okay.
11:54So I also want to talk about this look, which is a custom tattered t-shirt dress by Zach Pozen's
12:03Gap Studio.
12:04This was for an event celebrating part two of season two's release.
12:08As former Gap employee, like there's just that part of me that makes me so excited about
12:13this.
12:13I'm assuming that was very special for you too.
12:15Yes.
12:16But tell me how this all came together.
12:18We met Zach Pozen at an event and they were like, we have this dress that we want to get
12:27made.
12:28It's like a white t-shirt.
12:30I was like, oh, that's really cool.
12:32But it doesn't really speak to the project.
12:34To the, yeah, to the project.
12:36Yeah.
12:37Or the person.
12:38It's like really cool.
12:38And I love it.
12:39I want to make this happen.
12:41And also with timing, it wasn't going to happen.
12:43And so then I'm like, oh, we're getting another screening in New York in the beginning of
12:48September.
12:49And so I reached back out and can we revisit that t-shirt dress?
12:56So what about if we do like some type of, not acid wash, they actually do like this environmentally
13:03safe tumble wash is what they call it.
13:05And I'm like, let's make it look like a grunge t-shirt.
13:09You know what I mean?
13:10Like, let's give it that vibe.
13:11They totally were into it.
13:12You know, like Zach and his team that is understood that that's what needed to happen
13:16in order for it to work.
13:17Yeah.
13:17We get there and she's still on the fence.
13:19You know, like I think sometimes you have to kind of see it on your own body in order
13:24to kind of understand what it's giving.
13:26Well, visualization is hard in that way.
13:28And it's like something like I can visualize something.
13:31I can visualize the outfit and then I actually go and put it on.
13:33I'm like, well, actually, that's not really working the way I thought it was or vice versa.
13:37Last minute, like something was missing in that 90s grunge world.
13:40It was like, let me see one of your bras.
13:42And it was like a lacy bra.
13:45And like we cut it up and we put it underneath that dress.
13:48It gave that that lacy element that spoke to the Wednesday season one season one.
13:56And also, it was such a beautiful dress.
13:59It was so beautiful that we were like, I was like, I feel like this needs to have some
14:04distressing or tattering going on.
14:05Like I feel like that.
14:06Too perfect.
14:07Yeah.
14:08It was too perfect.
14:09It was beautiful.
14:09It could have been anywhere.
14:11But that's what I think really kind of took it over the edge.
14:16And even Jenna chimed in and was like, yeah, can we slash it around the legs and here?
14:20And she was like, yeah, here, you know.
14:22So you guys customized it?
14:24That's amazing.
14:25Do you have to ask when you do that?
14:28Or do they just trust you?
14:29Always.
14:29I think it's somebody's, it's somebody's, it's someone's work.
14:35And Zach, you know, creative mind put that together.
14:40But, you know, I think he was gracious enough to, you know, collaborate with us on that.
14:44That's so cool.
14:46To make it the moment that it was.
14:47So I also want to talk about this very Victorian adjacent Vivian Westwood look for the Paris
14:53premiere, which was a chocolate brown gown.
14:56I'm going to find a photo of it.
14:57It was actually like a aubergine.
14:59No way.
15:00Like a deep purple.
15:01I know it reads.
15:02In my photo.
15:03Okay.
15:03No, in a lot of photos, people, I get that, I get that question a lot.
15:07I love that.
15:09So it has the corsetry.
15:11It has the belt.
15:13Talk to me about taking.
15:14And this is from the fall 2025 runway, correct?
15:17So how do you like make a runway look work for a client like Jenna, where, you know, it's,
15:26she's obviously not as tall as a runway model.
15:30And also like, you're going to make it your own with accessories and other things.
15:33So walk me through that process a little bit.
15:35Well, that look almost didn't happen.
15:38Why?
15:38I have to say that because we did a whole fitting and then, you know, the event that
15:43it was actually was not a premiere.
15:45It was a fan event.
15:46And, you know, Vivian Westwood, obviously they want their looks to be on major red carpets.
15:51So they were like, wait, we looked this up.
15:54This is a fan event.
15:54We'd like to save this dress for another moment.
15:56I'm like, we've already fit for this.
15:58Like, I don't know.
15:59Like it is, it's going to be a moment.
16:02And it's like, I know it's set up as a fan event, but it's, it's the Paris event.
16:07Like this is the moment.
16:08And so it was a lot of back and forth.
16:11Thank you, Vivian Westwood for allowing us to wear that because it did end up getting so
16:16much press.
16:17So I was really stressed out about that one because it was the night before.
16:20And I was like, we could have pivoted and done something else.
16:24But that again, I feel like it was perfect for Paris.
16:28Did you customize it in any way?
16:30Talk to me about the accessories because that is a great necklace.
16:32Was that runway?
16:33The necklace was Lori Rodkin.
16:35Jenna saw it laying on the bed when we were doing a fitting.
16:38She's like, there we go.
16:40That's, that needs to go on me for this look.
16:42And I was like, oh, I didn't know.
16:44Again, I bring a plethora of options and she's the one who accessorized.
16:49I thought it would be a great option, but I didn't know if it was going to be something
16:53that she gravitated to.
16:55So I love how collaborative the two of you are.
16:57Yeah, absolutely.
16:58I love fittings with her because-
17:00Because you don't know what the outcome is going to be necessarily.
17:02We don't know what the outcome is going to be, but I always make sure that she's covered
17:05and at the end of the day that, you know, we're both happy with it.
17:08What an interesting backstory to that look, though.
17:11They're like, wait a second.
17:12I don't know about this.
17:13Yeah, I was like, oh my God, please.
17:14Like, no, we're going to make it a moment.
17:16All of the heads over there, like, hey, please.
17:18But, you know, that's one of the things that I find so interesting about interviewing folks
17:22in your line of work is that I think that the general public has this idea of, like,
17:26what styling is probably based on the Rachel Zoe project back in the day on Bravo.
17:32And it's like, there's a lot of negotiation.
17:34Brands want certain things they want.
17:36And it's not just the right person.
17:38It's the right event.
17:39And what is the event going to be?
17:40And I don't think folks always understand, like, how much of a back and forth that that can be
17:45and that you are, you have your strategy.
17:48You are incorporating Jenna's strategy.
17:50You are perhaps incorporating the project strategy or thinking about that piece of it.
17:57And then there's the brand piece of it.
17:58And then, like, everyone, there's so many different inputs that you have to consider.
18:03It's not just a matter of, like, I'm going to put this dress on this person and let's go.
18:08End of story.
18:09Right.
18:09Absolutely.
18:09Okay, so I, now this is the part that I've been really excited to talk about,
18:13is all of the Sarah Burton Givenchy looks that have been coming up lately.
18:18You have styled Jenna in a number of different Givenchy looks.
18:22And we have to talk about it.
18:23So first of all, like, obviously, like anyone who has eyes, I'm obsessed with Sarah Burton's work.
18:29I love everything that she did at McQueen.
18:31I think she is such a genius.
18:33And she's now with another very storied fashion house with Givenchy.
18:38Why do you think that the combination of Sarah Givenchy, Jenna, like, why does that work so beautifully in your
18:46mind?
18:46Well, first off, like, Sarah Burton is such a beautiful human being.
18:51Like, when we got to meet her, great.
18:53But she knows how to dress women.
18:55She's a woman who loves women.
18:58And if you see her last show, like, she had a, you know, a range of, you know, different body
19:02types on her runway, which I thought was a super beautiful thing.
19:05We had a couple premieres before Wednesday.
19:09And I was requesting these looks, but they weren't available because you have editorial time.
19:16Like, these are all, they're just not available.
19:18Ad campaigns.
19:19Ad campaigns.
19:20And actually, yeah.
19:20There might be one garment and it's flying around the world.
19:23And it's being shot by Vogue Korea.
19:26And then it's going to Elle Australia.
19:28And it's flying around the world.
19:30And it's for successy.
19:31Right.
19:32So it's, no, no, it's not available.
19:33And I'm like, oh, okay.
19:35But the first look that was available was the, um.
19:40Was it the red?
19:41The puffer.
19:43The black?
19:44Sleeve.
19:45Yes.
19:45Okay.
19:46Just for anyone who doesn't know, this is a black leather three-piece look with a pencil skirt, a bra,
19:53and exaggerated sleeves, which is from the fall 2025 collection.
19:57Yes.
19:58And this was for the photo call for Wednesday in London.
20:02Yes.
20:02It's so sculptural.
20:04Yeah.
20:04It's so daring.
20:05It's so strong.
20:06It's so stunning.
20:08Yes.
20:09That was the first look, actually, that we did before the premiere.
20:14And we thought it was going to be like a photo call where you have a bunch of, you know,
20:18photographers standing outside.
20:19But it was an actual contained, controlled photo shoot.
20:22Shot it in a museum in London.
20:25So you had a whole editorial moment photo shoot?
20:27We actually were supposed to be done.
20:30Like, we shot with the cast and she shot a couple of, you know, pictures solo.
20:35But I was like, please, can we shoot some more in this look?
20:39I have Sarah Burton, Givenchy.
20:40Like, we've got to get more out of it.
20:42Yes, yes, yes.
20:42Yes, absolutely.
20:43So later on, she was on the stairs.
20:46She did all kinds of different things.
20:48And those images actually ended up being the ones that not only Netflix used, Givenchy loved them.
20:54They used them and posted them on their social.
20:57It also showed Givenchy that she could still wear a runway look.
21:03Because she's, you know, she's 5'1".
21:05And the runway model is, you know.
21:08Not.
21:09Not.
21:09You know, that kind of opened the door to kind of like, oh, okay.
21:13So like once they saw what you could do.
21:15Yes.
21:16And then all of a sudden it's like, okay.
21:18And that's also the first time you had worked with her, especially at Givenchy.
21:22So there's a new level of trust that has to happen.
21:25Absolutely.
21:26And a relationship that has to be built.
21:27And we have to be very respectful of that.
21:29And it was built after that, I bet.
21:30Yeah, they were super happy.
21:32I was super happy.
21:33Jenna was super happy.
21:34And, you know, Jenna being a fan of Sarah Burton and her work.
21:38I want to know, too, about this red sheer look, also Givenchy.
21:45That is from the current collection.
21:46And she wore this to the 2026 show.
21:51Yes.
21:51Talk to me about how do you go about, like, did they assign you a look?
21:55Again, after the Emmys.
21:57Which we're going to get to.
21:58Yeah, after the Emmys look.
22:00Which was such a moment.
22:04They invited her to the show.
22:07And we were like, great.
22:08You know, when you go to the show, you usually wear the last collection.
22:14You choose the Lex from the last collection.
22:16So I was totally open for that.
22:20But, you know, Sarah actually reached out and was like, I would like to make her a look.
22:26Or to, from the new collection for the show, I would love to trust her.
22:30Like, just for the folks at home, like, I really want to nail this, hammer this home.
22:34Like, that is major.
22:37Yeah, it is.
22:37That is, like, trust and acceptance and appreciation and mutual.
22:42I mean, that is unlocking a huge moment for a client, for yourself as well.
22:47Like, that is very brand building.
22:50Yeah, absolutely.
22:51I mean, when she's walking into the show, that's the first time anyone's seen that look.
22:57Before it even walked the runway, you know?
22:59And so, again, we're super humbled by that.
23:02So, I also want to talk about one of my favorite looks of all time, which is the look that
23:09Jenna wore to the Emmys, right?
23:13So, first of all, have you seen the movie Death Becomes Her?
23:18Absolutely.
23:18Is this a reference?
23:20So, I thought I...
23:21Is this giving Isabella Rossellini?
23:23I always thought that in my head.
23:26I didn't think that the world was going to...
23:29The fashion world was going to actually pick up that reference.
23:32I actually was going to post it on my Instagram, like, hey...
23:35To school everyone.
23:36No, I was going to be like, living my Isabella Rossellini, Death Becomes Her Dreams.
23:40But before I could even get there, they were, like, showing in and tagging me and stuff.
23:46And it was great to see, because she's a huge fan of her as an actor and the movie, obviously.
23:51The movie's everything.
23:51Yeah.
23:51So, talk to me about this, because, first of all, I read that it weighed, like, 20 or 30 pounds.
23:57Yeah, super heavy.
23:59This is the most daring or revealing in some ways.
24:04So, talk to me about how the two of you came to pick this look and then know that it
24:10was right, and then also, like, get it placed correctly.
24:13Yeah, that was stressful.
24:14I would imagine.
24:15Yeah.
24:18So, again, I've been gunning for that look for months.
24:22So, after the puff sleeve, doors were open, and so...
24:26Now, suddenly, it was available?
24:28It was available after all the editorials, campaigns, and everything.
24:31I was like, hey, we have the Emmys coming up.
24:34Can this look be available?
24:36And they said yes.
24:38It's a work of art.
24:39Like, that can't be tailored or anything.
24:41It has to either work or not.
24:43Oh, right.
24:44So, like, then I'm like, okay, cool.
24:45They ship it to New York in this huge crate that needs to be rolled.
24:50So, the look is paired with some trousers on the runway.
24:53So, I just asked Javonshi, can you send a couple different versions, maybe leather, like a tuxedo pant, maybe just
24:59something for the evening.
25:00And so, willing this coffin up to Jenna's room, and she's like, opens the door, like, what is this?
25:11I was like, this is the look.
25:13And so, it took even to open up the container and, like, undo all the packaging.
25:19It came with a whole docket of, like, how to package it and unpackage it and how to place it
25:26on someone.
25:28And you need two to three people.
25:30So, I had to call, you know, her assistant, Lizzie, to come and help.
25:35And so, she was helping me in this fitting.
25:37And so, we placed it on her body and, like, what?
25:42It totally works.
25:43This is crazy.
25:44Obviously, there needed to be some nip-tucking everywhere, like, just to make sure that everything's placed properly.
25:51But honestly, yeah.
25:53But she was like, this is really heavy.
25:56I mean, talk about a weighted vest.
25:57Yeah, yes, absolutely.
25:58But she's always such a trooper.
26:01But the one thing she did was, again, I love that it's a collaborative, you know, conversation.
26:06She was like, I love the trousers.
26:09She's like, but I feel like it needs to maybe be a skirt of some sort.
26:14And, again, we were going back to Sarah Burton saying, hey.
26:17Ha-ha.
26:19We'd like to interpret your runway vision.
26:21Right.
26:22She said, yeah.
26:23She's like, I would love to make her a custom.
26:25I think she made her two skirt options, which was really great.
26:29And it was one high-waisted and one low-waisted.
26:31Because, again, in my head, I'm like, we've never shown, like, midriff or belly button.
26:37So, she had two options for us.
26:39And it was up to the day, 10 minutes before we were deciding, are we doing the low-waisted one
26:44or are we doing the high-waisted one?
26:46And we ended up on the low-waisted.
26:49Well, it was a triumph.
26:50Yeah.
26:51That was, I mean, like, breath taken away.
26:54Yeah.
26:55Incredible.
26:55Because, again, it's art.
26:57It's sophisticated.
26:58Yeah.
26:59It's stunning.
27:01It's interesting.
27:02It is the opposite of a mermaid dress.
27:05Yeah.
27:06Yeah.
27:06In a jewel tone.
27:07Yeah.
27:08And, you know, like, that is the sort of, like, fashion directional editorial moment that, again, we do not always
27:14see on a mainstream red carpet.
27:16Yeah.
27:17And it looks so beautiful and so cool and so interesting.
27:20Yeah.
27:20And all at the same time.
27:22So, I was just like.
27:23Yes.
27:23Like, we're always really happy when it's perceived well.
27:26Well, I don't want to give away any of your future strategy.
27:29Okay.
27:29But I'm curious, now that we've just concluded a fashion month, are there any collections or trends?
27:37Or any hints that you can give us at things that you've been looking at that have caught your eye?
27:43You don't have to give me, like, an exact look number because I know you want to keep that to
27:47yourself.
27:47Is there anything that you were really excited about that you saw over the course of fashion month this season?
27:52Loeve, Bottega, Calvin Klein, Acne, Grace Ling.
27:56She's a designer based in New York.
28:00I think she's really creative and she finds innovative ways to create her looks.
28:05It was great to be at Jonathan Anderson's first show of Dior.
28:08Like, wow, that was very exciting to be in that room, you know?
28:14Yeah.
28:14Yeah.
28:14I also want to talk a little bit about styling some of Jenna's more, quote unquote, low-key looks.
28:19Yeah.
28:20The ones that aren't necessarily for, like, those big marquee red carpet moments.
28:25Are there certain brands that you lean on?
28:27How do you think about the strategy for, it's a press look, it's still a major moment, but it's not,
28:32like, the red carpet.
28:33It's interviews.
28:35Yeah, I think Jenna, she puts some pretty hard parameters when it comes to that, I think, which I love
28:42because I know that when I'm pulling for, like, a smaller press moment that sometimes my crazy ideas don't make
28:51sense for this.
28:52So I really kind of stay in super chic.
28:55Again, I go back to her personal style, which is, you know, clean lines, simple, even that, like, that 90s
29:03aesthetic, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy kind of, she loves just simple statement, not even statement.
29:10Like, simple foundational statements.
29:13Foundational pieces.
29:14Like, that's just her vibe.
29:15Doesn't need to shout.
29:16Yeah.
29:17Just make it chic.
29:18That's her all day.
29:19I'm the one who kind of wants to put an exclamation point on things.
29:22Oh, really?
29:22And I'm like, hey, we have to have a moment.
29:24Yeah, you know what I mean?
29:25So she's like, all right.
29:25You're putting her in a 30-pound bejeweled, like, top.
29:28You sound like her right now.
29:29I got a text from her because we're going back and forth about Academy Gala tomorrow.
29:32She said, I want to wear something.
29:34I can sit in?
29:36I want to wear something.
29:37What's the word she used?
29:38Hold on.
29:39You tell me.
29:40She's like, but I would love to wear something practical one day.
29:44And I said, you know what?
29:46You're like practical magic?
29:47Yeah.
29:48What version of practical do we mean?
29:51Practical on Mars?
29:52Yeah.
29:52Like, okay.
29:53So.
29:54You've had so many amazing moments with her over the last couple of years.
29:58When you look back, like, what are you most proud of?
30:01I'm always so interested in, like, what part really resonates for you as an artist.
30:08I think the relationship that we've had and how we're growing.
30:12And I think in Hollywood, I feel like it's very, it's a very fickle place.
30:17Transactional.
30:17And I feel like very transactional.
30:19And it can be and sometimes it should be, I guess.
30:23But I feel like the relationship, it's a testament to, like, the respect and love we have for each other.
30:29Because I feel like a lot of people say, like, oh, you guys, you just do a really great job
30:34with her.
30:35I'm like, no, I think it's because we understand and we've known each other for so long.
30:39And we do a great job together.
30:41Yeah.
30:42We do a great job together.
30:43It feels like we're hanging out sometimes just in fittings.
30:47And I'm really proud of our relationship because in this world, like, people are like, oh, I'm going to hire
30:53another stylist or I'm going to hire this because I want a different look.
30:55And I think, like, I think that's fine.
30:57I think that's great.
30:59Everyone should do what they want to do.
31:01But I think also sometimes just having a person that understands you.
31:07And I feel like some of the best collaborations come from people who have worked with each other for a
31:11long time because they push each other in different directions.
31:16And they're like, oh, I think you should do this.
31:18And, like, you know, versus finding someone else who, you know, you kind of have to start over.
31:24Does that make sense?
31:25We call it institutional knowledge.
31:27Yeah, absolutely.
31:29Yeah, because, like, you know where the bodies are buried.
31:31You know where the references are.
31:33You know where the stories are.
31:34You are steeped in the history of the person and their experiences and their insecurities and their proud moments.
31:42And, you know, every beat that she's hit.
31:46So you're not going to repeat it.
31:47Like, you don't have to learn the lore.
31:49You don't have to read the book because you were there for every page of it being created.
31:53We were in a glam moment one time.
31:55And, like, I can say something.
31:57I can say two words, but I don't even finish my sentence.
31:59And she's like, oh, is it too much like the – it's kind of like the Devil Wears Prada and
32:04Miranda Priestly and Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci's character.
32:09And he's like, is it too much like the – oh, no, I thought that.
32:12But, like, they're speaking in code.
32:14And someone said that on set one day.
32:17Like, you guys – I want to know what you guys are talking about.
32:19You guys don't even finish your sentence.
32:21You guys speak in code or something.
32:22And I'm like, oh, shit, we kind of do.
32:24Because we just understand and we know the references of what we're talking about or what we wanted to do.
32:30And I think that's really special because it keeps things interesting.
32:34Yeah.
32:34You know?
32:35Well, I love it.
32:37That sounds very healthy.
32:37Yeah, it is.
32:39It is.
32:41Like, therapeutically healthy.
32:42It is.
32:42It is.
32:43It is.
32:43It's great.
32:44Well, congratulations.
32:46I'm just going to keep making you come back over and over and over again.
32:48I would love to.
32:49Because we always have so much to talk about.
32:50Yeah, it's so great.
32:51You are just such a joy every time I see you.
32:55The pleasure is truly mine.
32:56Yeah, thank you.
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