No one is doing role-inspired dressing quite like Ortega. Her wardrobe reads like a mood board for the characters she plays: every outfit is a performance, every public appearance a carefully staged beat in a larger aesthetic narrative. Last night she leaned into that DNA and gave us a sartorial wink to a ’90s cult classic — Death Becomes Her — without once feeling like a costume party stunt. It was clever, referential and razor-sharp.
She arrived in Sarah Burton’s Givenchy in a look that was part armour, part jewellery, all theatre: a suspended network of gemstones and pearls draped across the torso — a nearly naked top that read like costume-jewellery elevated to couture — balanced by a sleek black high-slit skirt that kept the silhouette modern and sophisticated. The way the crystal chains caught the camera flashes was almost choreographed; each move made the top tinkle and shimmer, so the look felt alive rather than static. Strappy platform heels lengthened the line, while Pomellato jewels added grown-up polish — the whole thing balanced provocation with poise.
If you know Death Becomes Her, you’ll spot the riff: Ortega’s gemstone-laden top evokes Isabella Rossellini’s seductive, slightly sinister wardrobe without ever copying it. To everyone else it was simply one of the most arresting, avant-garde red-carpet moments of the night. Fashion obsessives will also recognise the piece from Givenchy’s Autumn/Winter 2025 campaign, where Kaia Gerber modelled the crystal-chain top — so Ortega’s choice did double duty: a nod to Sarah Burton’s new voice at Givenchy and a savvy, culturally literate reference.
This moment sits perfectly inside Ortega’s recent fashion playbook. During the Wednesday season-two press tour she debuted a leather-and-latex Givenchy look that felt like a teaser for this more cinematic turn; last night’s outfit was the payoff. Reuniting onstage with Catherine Zeta-Jones — who plays her on-screen mother Morticia Addams — to present Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Ortega turned the presentation itself into a tiny gothic tableau. It wasn’t accidental: it was storytelling by outfit.
