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The Who What Wear Podcast
Stylist Enrique Melendez on Jenna Ortega’s Gothic Glam Style Evolution and Those Viral Wednesday Season 2 Press Looks
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- [00:00]
A
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B
Welcome to the who what Wear? Podcast, your direct line to the designers, stylists, beauty experts, editors and taste makers who are shaping the ever evolving world of fashion. I'm who what Wears Co Founder and Chief Content Officer Hilary Kerr and today I'm sitting down in studio with celebrity stylist and friend of the pod Enrique Melendez. Enrique has been included in the Hollywood Reporter's list of the top 25 celebrity stylists two years in a row and just received an InStyle Image Maker Award for his work styling actress Jenna Ortega, and rightfully so. The two have been working together for nearly a decade to develop the Wednesday star's signature style. Enrique joined us back in 2023 to talk about Jenna's bold gothic looks for the Wednesday Season one press tour. Now he's back to talk to us about how he and Jenna took things to the next level with the release of season two of Wednesday. Enrique tells us the stories behind some of the many show stopping looks, from the futuristic nude gown Jenna wore to the series London premiere to the Victorian Vivienne Westwood dress she wore in Paris. And we definitely talk about her incredible Emmys look and all of the incredible Sarah Burton for Givenchy looks that Jenna has been wearing. Make sure to click on the link in the episode description to watch the best bits of this interview on YouTube. It's all coming up on who, what Where. Last time we sat down we were just coming off of season one of Wednesday and everyone in the entire who what where? Team was obsessed with everything that you were doing with Jenna. And we were very excited for the return of Wednesday this year because we knew that we would have lots of incredible looks to write about and thank you for bringing them to us. You make our job much easier. First of all, everyone should go back and listen to that first episode because you did such an amazing job of walking us through your trajectory. Jenna's style trajectory, all of it was fabulous. But let's talk about it. We'll Give like a little bit of a synopsis to start and then we'll get into everything that you've been up to since then, if that sounds okay.
- [03:00]
A
Absolutely.
- [03:01]
B
Okay, good. Okay. So you started working with her as we established before, when she was just 14 and had the job of helping her transition out of really being perceived as just a Disney star. So how did you guys start to figure out what her true style was?
- [03:18]
A
Honestly, at the beginning of her career, we kind of followed a blueprint, so to speak. Zendaya, That's a good one. She was doing Selena Gomez, Dove, Cameron, Sabrina Carpenter. They all had a show on Disney and they kind of followed a business model. How they kind of transitioned to not broken. Yeah, yeah. But I think as she got older, everything that we were wearing wasn't representative of who she was as she was obviously discovering herself. And I'm discovering new things about her as we started to work together. So. Yeah, so I think just as we started spending more and more time together, she started booking different types of roles and I think we just kind of explored what her actual personal style was and also what she would gravitate to in wearing on red carpets and press and stuff like that. And I think Wednesday was the first time we really had a full on press tour.
- [04:14]
B
Well, the evolution has been phenomenal. It has been really interesting to watch. I can see how in sync the two of you are and how you continue to like push it and move forward. So how much of the gothic influence and sort of the edgier, more dramatic and like extremely beautiful aesthetic that we see in her looks today, is Wednesday inspired or perhaps method dressing or influenced by it? And how much of it is it just like what the two of you gravitate towards? For example, like if starting tomorrow, she suddenly decided, like, all I want to do is be the next Julia Roberts in a certain era of her career and do lighthearted rom coms, would it suddenly change like her press looks or your strategy?
- [04:59]
A
Interesting question. Yeah, I think everything that we do is obviously very authentic to her personal taste. And I think her being a fan of the horror genre, I think that just naturally, sometimes when you're looking at two things on a rack and something's, you know, bubblegum pink or aqua blue, she's going to gravitate to the grays and the blacks just because. Or even the earth tones. I think naturally that's just her aesthetic. So if she was to book one of those, one of those types of rom com roles, I think we would find some way to kind of Go into that, you know, the darker palettes.
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B
Rom com silhouette, but in black.
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A
Exactly.
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B
So talking about that style journey, there is a noticeable shift and continued evolution, as we've discussed, from season one to season two. For season one, there was a lot of black and white and lace and leather and tailoring, and lots of those aspects showed up again for season two. But I feel like you really expanded upon that original framework. No one knew what a hit it was going to be when you were preparing for press for season one. You very much knew what a hit it was when you were preparing for season two press. So what did those conversations look like? What was the strategy? Like, what was the planning?
- [06:10]
A
Like, Jenna is, you know, family to me. And I was like, I just don't want to disappoint her in this first fitting. You know, at the end of the day, Like, I was like, what are we going to do? And, like, I don't like to, like, bombard her with questions while she's. Because she was filming another project, and I know she's, like, paying attention to that. So I'm just out.
- [06:29]
B
So you just had to do magic on your own and hope that it worked well.
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A
It was a rainbow of options or directions that I just kept playing back and back in my head, and I'm like, we've done the black and the lace in the sheer. Like, I don't want it to be boring. When I go into this fitting with her, I want her to feel like something new, you know, like, she has to promote this. She has to feel great in what she's wearing. And I was just like, what am I gonna do here? Because I'm like, obviously, all of those elements, black and lace, and all of those make sense, but I'm like, there has to be another way to kind of capture the essence of, you know, the Tim Burton world. So I just started pulling away, like, anything that, you know, kind of inspired me. But I, like, a week before I'm about to fly to London to have this large fitting for 2022 looks, and she's like, hey, what are you thinking for this Wednesday tour? And I'm like, I love that you reached out. Because I'm like, I want to know what you're thinking. And she's like, well, I just want to feel mature. Don't want to feel like a child. I want. I'm really filling in this 90s world. Just 90s inspired clothing in her personal closet. You know what I mean?
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B
Like, meaning minimalist.
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A
Minimalist. Very.
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B
Like, almost stark.
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A
Absolutely. Yeah.
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B
Like Old Calvin Klein.
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A
Old Calvin, Absolutely. You were hitting it. Yeah, exactly. I just started doing some major edits. So at that point I was like, all right, cool. Kate Moss, Christina Ricci, Winona Ryder, and, like, old editorials with them. And they still captured the essence of goth, but in a glam way. And so I just looked at a lot of references there and flew to London and was like, all right, cool. It's a shot in the dark. It was a full room of. I don't know, it was too many racks. It took a day to set up everything.
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B
You wanted options?
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A
I wanted options. A. I wanted to make sure that she was covered because we didn't have a lot of conversation. That was the only conversation. It was about 10 text messages. It wasn't much about the direction that she wanted to go. So I was like, still not sure what direction we were gonna go with.
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B
So I feel like it's like a choose your own adventure at that point. Like, no, absolutely. We start with this one piece, and we can go here, or we could go here, or we could go here. And you're prepared for all of it, but you have to be prepared for all of it because Absolutely. She is in the middle of something, and you can't stress her out by asking her a thousand questions. And you just have to figure it out there. Right?
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A
That's a perfect analogy. We get there and honestly, the Ashi Studio was the first thing. She's like, what is that? And I was like, oh, no, she's.
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B
She said she didn't like it.
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A
She's like, oh, what did you bring to this fitting? Like, because we talk to each other like that. She's like, that's really cool. Like, I definitely. I want to try that on. And that kind of set the tone for that. Choose your own adventure. And I was like, all right, cool.
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B
It's interesting because it's like, yes, it's setting the tone for. We're going directional and a strong point of view and like, almost elements of futurism with that minimalism. But then also there. There's like slight gothic romance to it in its own way, but it's subtle. It's not as literal as lace might be, necessarily. I just want to get this description right. So it was a semi sheer latex, and it has a really subtle snakeskin print, so it almost looks wet in certain places. And I love it had that crazy cinched waist and then the flared hip. And I think part of what really. I mean, there's a lot that works about it, but Then when you throw in the glam with, like, the blue and the strong lip and, like, the low pony with the ears just peeking through a little bit, it's like, the right dress, but then how the whole thing comes together, because if you. If she had done all of this and then went. Tried to go old Hollywood for glam, that is a very different effect, and it negates the work. How do you also work with the team to say, like, this is the full direction? Because the truly. The glam choices made it all sing and all in such an editorial voice, but that part's out of your control. So how do you get it all to work together?
- [10:36]
A
Thankfully, we have a beautiful team, having people that are totally collaborative and malleable and want to make sure that everyone on the team is happy with their work. And this is a piece of art. You know what I mean? It's like something that's sculptural and minimal. Absolutely. And I think Jenna, being a lover of art, wanted to always keep to the integrity of the look because she. It comes from her. Like, obviously, I'm always gonna fight for a fashion look, but she knows, like, hey, this is what it needs to give. I need to give this or whatnot. So.
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B
And that is giving editorial.
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A
Yeah.
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B
Which you do not always see on the red carpet.
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A
Yeah, it's right.
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B
Which is why I think we all like the Met Gala and, like, less so the Oscars.
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A
Exactly. It's just. It's interesting, you know, and interesting could be on two sides. Like, some people love it, and some people are like, what the.
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B
You know what I mean?
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A
So. But that's great. It's art, and that's what art is.
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B
And so conversation.
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A
Conversation with Cezar and Melanie, hair and makeup. As soon as we did the fitting, I'm sending out the images, and they're like, oh, wow. Like, everyone's will starts to turn because usually, like, this was two days before the premiere. You know what I mean? So usually, like, we have more than a couple days that we know what we're doing on a press tour. But again, she's filming, and what she's filming. She currently has no eyebrows. And that wasn't actually even supposed to happen. But honestly, when we went through the fitting pictures, everyone's like, wait, this helps translate the looks even more. And so I was like, oh, okay, great. I agree.
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B
But it's that 90s thing too. Like, that was part of the look.
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A
Absolutely. Thinned out or bleached entirely. Yeah. It was only supposed to be for the first Two days. And we were going to change the bleached eyebrows we were supposed to go back to. Obviously, it stayed with hair and makeup. Like, they are such beautiful artists. Like, again, like, they understood the taste level is aligned. You know, Jenna had her notes, but also just Cesar and Melanie came to the table with what made sense. Like, even, like, the hair, how it had a bend, you know, that came up last minute. He's like, Cesar's like, does it need a bend or does it. Cause it was gonna either be a straight. But that. That made those little details make a difference, you know?
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B
It's so crazy.
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A
Yeah. And with the lip, like, it was gonna be a nude lip to kind of make it look kind of alien esque. But then again, she's like, no. Melanie's like, I feel like it needs a lip and that happens the way it happens, you know? And, like, I don't know, there's something just really exciting about those little details that just happen while we're looking in the mirror as she's getting her hair and makeup done.
- [13:11]
B
It also, to me, when I saw that, like, it speaks to a level of, yes, artistry, but also confidence. Confidence for Jenna in herself and her taste level in her team, and that everyone was working, like, firing on all cylinders. Like, really making an editorial look for this big moment. It's splashy. It might be divisive to some people who do not understand, and that's okay. And to be comfortable in that, to me, that's a level of confidence that shines through. And I loved it. I mean, the entire editorial team at who what where was like, losing their minds over it. And we were just like, thank you for feeding us. Like, this is so good. This is. It's really. It's exciting and electrifying to see someone because it feels so powerful, and it feels like her owning her own power in this way, that is ultimately really inspiring.
- [14:01]
A
Yeah. Thank you.
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B
Okay, so I also want to talk about this look, which is a custom tattered T shirt dress by Zac Posen's Gap Studio. This was for an event celebrating part two of season two's release as former Gap employee. Like, there's just that part of me that makes me so excited about this. I'm assuming that was very special for you too.
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A
Yes.
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B
But tell me how this all came together.
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A
We met Zach Posen at an event, and they were like, we have this dress that we want to get made. It's like a white T shirt. I was like, oh, that's really cool. But it doesn't really speak to the project. To the. Yeah, to the project that we're doing. Yeah. Or the person. It's, like, really cool, and I love it. I want to make this happen. And also with timing, it wasn't going to happen. So then I'm like, oh, we're getting another screening in New York in the beginning of September. And so I reached back out and can we revisit that T shirt dress? So what about if we do, like, some type of not acid wash? They actually do, like, this environmentally safe tumble wash is what they call it. And I like, let's make it look like a grunge T shirt. You know what I mean? Like, let's give it that vibe. They totally were into it, you know, like, Zach and his team that is understood that that's what needed to happen in order for it to work. Yeah. We get there, and she's still on the fence, you know, Like, I think sometimes you have to kind of see it on your own body in order to kind of understand what it's giving.
- [15:35]
B
Well, visualization is hard in that way. And it's like something like, I can visualize something. I can visualize the outfit, and then I actually go and put it on. I'm like, well, actually, that's not really working the way I thought it was. Or vice versa.
- [15:45]
A
Last minute, like, something was missing in that 90s grunge world. I was like, let me see one of your bras. And it was like a lacy bra. And, like, we cut it up and we put it underneath that dress. It gave that lace element that spoke to the Wednesday season one. Season one. And. And, oh, also, it was such a beautiful dress. It was so beautiful that we were like. I was like, I feel like this needs to have some distressing or tattering going on. Like, I feel like that too.
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B
Perfect.
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A
Yeah, it was too perfect. It was beautiful. It could have been anywhere. But that's what I think. Really kind of took it over the edge. And even Jenna chimed in and was like, yeah, can we slash it around the legs? And here? And she was like, yeah, here. You know, just.
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B
So you guys customized it. That's amazing. Do you have to ask when you do that, or do they just trust always?
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A
I think it's somebody's. It's somebody's. It's someone's work. And Zach, you know, creative mind, put that together, but, you know, I think he was gracious enough to, you know, collaborate with us on that.
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B
That's so cool.
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A
Make it the moment that it was.
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B
So I also want to talk about this very Victorian adjacent Vivienne Westwood look for the Paris premiere, which was a chocolate brown gown. I'm going to find a photo of it.
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A
It was actually like, a aubergine.
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B
No way.
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A
Deep purple. I know. It reads in my photo.
- [17:12]
B
Okay.
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A
In a lot of photos, people. I get the. I get that question a lot.
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B
I love that. So it has the corsetry. It has the belt. Talk to me about taking. And this is from the fall 2025 Runway, correct?
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A
Yeah.
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B
So how do you, like, make a Runway look work for a client like Jenna, where, you know, it's. She's obviously not as tall as a Runway model, and also, like, you're going to make it your own with accessories and other things. So walk me through that process a little bit.
- [17:44]
A
Well, that look almost didn't happen. Why say that? Because we did a whole fitting, and then, you know, the event that it was actually was not a premiere. It was a fan event. And, you know, Vivienne Westwood, obviously, they want their looks to be on major red carpets. So they were like, wait, we looked this up. This is a fan event. We'd like to save this dress for another moment. I'm like, we've already fit for this. Like, I don't know. It is. It's gonna be a moment. It's like, I know it's set up as a fan event, but it's. It's the Paris event. Like, this is the moment. And so it was a lot of back and forth. Thank you, Vivienne Westwood, for allowing us to wear that, because it did end up getting so much press. So I was really stressed out about that one because it was the night before, and I was like, we could have pivoted and done something else, but that, again, I feel like it was perfect for Paris.
- [18:36]
B
Did you customize it in any way? Talk to me about the accessories, because that is a great necklace. Was that Runway?
- [18:41]
A
The necklace was Lori Rodkin. Jenna saw it laying on the bed when we were doing a fitting.
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B
She's like, there we go.
- [18:48]
A
That's. That needs to go on me for this look. And I was like, oh, I didn't know. Again, I bring plethora of options, and she's the one who accessorized. I thought it would be a great option, but I didn't know if it was gonna be something that she gravitated to.
- [19:04]
B
So I love how collaborative the two of you are.
- [19:06]
A
Yeah, absolutely. I love fittings with her because you.
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B
Don'T know what the outcome's gonna be.
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A
Don't know what the outcome is gonna be, but I always make sure that she's covered. And at the end of the day, that, you know, we're both happy with it.
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B
What an interesting backstory to that look, though. They're like, wait a second. I don't know about this.
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A
Oh, my God, please.
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B
Like, no, we're gonna make it a moment.
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A
All of the heads over there like, hey, please.
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B
But, you know, that's one of the things that I find so interesting about interviewing folks in your line of work is that I think that the general public has this idea of, like, what styling is probably based on the Rachel Zo project back in the day on Bravo. And it's like. Like, there's a lot of negotiation. Brands want certain things they want, and it's not just the right person. It's the right event. And what is the event going to be? And I don't think folks always understand, like, how much of a back and forth that that can be and that you are. You have your. You are incorporating Jenna's strategy. You are perhaps incorporating the project strategy or thinking about that piece of it. And then there's the brand piece of it, and then, like, everyone, there's so many different inputs that you have to consider. It's not just a matter of, like, I'm gonna put this dress on this person, and let's go. End of story.
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A
Right? Absolutely.
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B
Okay, So I now, this is the part that I've been really excited to talk about is all of the Sarah Burton Givenchy looks that have been coming up lately. You have styled Jenna in a number of different Givenchy looks, and we have to talk about it. So first of all, like, obviously, like anyone who has eyes, I'm obsessed with Sarah Burton's work. I love everything that she did at McQueen. I think she is such a genius. And she's now with another very storied fashion house with Givenchy. Why do you think that the combination of Sarah Givenchy, Jenna, like, why does that work so beautifully in your mind?
- [20:55]
A
Well, first off, like, Sarah Burton is such a beautiful human being. Like, when we got to meet her, great. But she knows how to dress women. She's a woman who loves women. And if you see her last show, like, she had a range of different body types on her Runway, which I thought was a super beautiful thing. We had a couple premieres before Wednesday, and I was requesting these looks, but they weren't available because you have editorial time. Like, these are. They're just not available.
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B
Ad campaigns.
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A
Ad campaigns.
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B
And actually, yeah, there Might be one garment. And it's flying around the world and it's being shot by Vogue Korea, and then it's going to Elle Australia, and it's flying around the world and it's for classy.
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A
Right. So it's. No, no, it's not available. And I'm like, oh, okay. But the first look that was available was the.
- [21:49]
B
Was it the red, the puffer, the black sleeve?
- [21:53]
A
Yes.
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B
Okay. Just for anyone who doesn't know, this is a black leather three piece look with a pencil skirt, a bra, and exaggerated sleeves, which is from the fall 2025 collection. And this was for the photo call for Wednesday in London.
- [22:10]
A
Yes.
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B
It's so sculptural. It's so daring. It's so strong. It's so stunning.
- [22:17]
A
Yes. That was the first look, actually, that we did before the premiere. And we thought it was going to be like a photo call where you have a bunch of, you know, photographers standing outside. But it was an actual contained, controlled photo shoot. Shot it in a museum in London.
- [22:33]
B
So you had a whole editorial moment. Photo shoot.
- [22:36]
A
We actually were supposed to be done like we shot with the cast, and she shot a couple, you know, pictures solo. But I was like, please, can we shoot some more in this look?
- [22:47]
B
I have Sarah Burton, Givenchy. Like, we gotta get more out of it.
- [22:50]
A
Yes, please, Absolutely. So later on, she was on the stairs. She did all kinds of different things. And those images actually ended up being the ones that not only Netflix used. Givenchy loved them. They used them and posted them on their social. It also showed Givenchy that she could still wear a Runway look. Cause she's, you know, she's five' one, and the Runway model is, you know, not. Not, you know, that kind of opened the door to kind of like, oh, okay.
- [23:22]
B
So like, once they saw what you could do.
- [23:24]
A
Yes.
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B
And then all of a sudden it's like, okay. And that's also the first time you had worked with her, especially at Givenchy. So there's a new level of trust that has to happen and a relationship that has to be built.
- [23:35]
A
You have to be very respectful of that.
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B
And it was built after that. I bet. Yeah.
- [23:39]
A
They were super happy. I was super happy. Jenna was super happy. And, you know, Jenna, being a fan of Sarah Burton and her work, I.
- [23:47]
B
Want to know too, about this red sheer look, also Givenchy, that is from the current collection. And she wore this to the 2026 show.
- [23:59]
A
Yes.
- [24:00]
B
Talk to me about how do you go about, like, did they assign you.
- [24:03]
A
A look again after the Emmys, which.
- [24:06]
B
We're gonna get to.
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A
Yeah. After the ending look, which was such a moment, they invited her to the show, and we were like, great. You know, when you go to the show, you usually wear the last collection. You choose selects from the last collection. So I was totally open for that. But, you know, Sarah actually reached out and was like, I would like to make her a look or two from the new collection for the show. I would love to dress her, like.
- [24:39]
B
Just for the folks at home. Like, I really want to nail this hammer this home. Like, that is major. That is, like, trust and acceptance and appreciation and mutual. I mean, that is unlocking a huge moment for a client, for yourself as well. Like, that is very brand building.
- [24:58]
A
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, when she walked. She's walking into the show. That's the first time anyone's seeing that look before it even walked the Runway. Runway, you know? And so, again, we super humbled by that.
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B
So I also want to talk about one of my favorite looks of all time, which is the look that Jenna wore to the Emmys. Right. So first of all, have you seen the movie Death becomes her?
- [25:26]
A
Absolutely.
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B
Is this a reference? So is this giving Isabella Rossellini?
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A
I always thought that in my head, I didn't think that the world was going to. The fashion world was going to actually pick up that reference. I actually was going to post it on my Instagram, like, hey, to school living. No, I was going to be, like, living my Isabella Rossellini. Death becomes her dreams. But before I could even get there, they were, like, going in and tagging me and stuff. It was great to see because she's a huge fan of her as an actor and the movie. Obviously, the movie's everything. Yeah.
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B
So talk to me about this, because first of all, I read that it weighed, like, 20 or 30 pounds.
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A
Yeah. Super heavy.
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B
This is the most daring or revealing in some ways. So talk to me about how the two of you came to pick this look and then know that it was right, and then also, like, get it placed correctly, because. Yeah, that was stressful, I would imagine.
- [26:24]
A
Yeah. So again, I was. I've been gunning for that look for months. So after the puff sleeve, doors were.
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B
Open, and so now suddenly it was available.
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A
It was available after all the editorials, campaigns, and everything. I was like, hey, we have the Emmys coming up. Can this look be available? And they said, yes, it's a work of art. Like, that can't be tailored or anything. It has to either work or not.
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B
Oh, right.
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A
So, like, then I'm like, okay, cool. They ship it to.
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B
I can't even imagine New York. And it's huge crate.
- [26:57]
A
Crate that needs to be rolled. So the look is paired with some trousers on the Runway. So I just asked Givenchy, can you send a couple different versions? Maybe leather, like a tuxedo pant, Maybe just. Just something for the evening. And so willing this coughing up to Jenna's room. And she's like, opens the door, like, what delivery? I was like, this is the look. And she. So it took. It took even to open up the container and, like, undo all the packaging. It came with a whole docket of, like, how to package it and unpackage it and how to place it on someone. And you need two to three people. So I had to call, you know, her assistant Lizzie to come and help. And so she was helping me in this fitting. And so we place it on her body and, like, what? It totally works. This is crazy. Obviously, there needed to be some nip tucking everywhere, like, just to make sure that everything's placed properly. But honestly. Yeah, but she was like, this is really heavy.
- [28:04]
B
I mean, talk about a weighted vest.
- [28:06]
A
Yeah. Yes, absolutely. But she's always such a trooper. But the one thing she did was, again, I love that it's a collaborative, you know, conversation. She was like, I love the trousers. She's like, but I feel like it needs to maybe be a skirt of some sort. And again, we're going back to Sarah Burton saying, hey, we'd like to interpret.
- [28:28]
B
Your Runway vision, right?
- [28:31]
A
She said, yeah. She's like, I would love to make her a custom. I think she made her two skirt options, which was really great. And it was one high waisted and one low waisted. Because again, in my head, I'm like, we've never shown, like, midriff or belly button. So she had two options for us. And it was up to the day. Ten minutes before we're deciding, are we doing the low waisted one? Are we doing the high waisted one? And we ended up on the lower.
- [28:58]
B
Well, it was a triumph.
- [28:59]
A
Yeah. Thank you.
- [29:00]
B
That was, I mean, like, breath taken away incredible. Because, again, it's art. It's sophisticated, it's stunning, it's interesting. It is the opposite of a mermaid dress in a jewel tone.
- [29:16]
A
Yeah.
- [29:16]
B
And, you know, like, that is the sort of, like, fashion directional editorial moment that, again, we do not always see on a mainstream red carpet. And it looked so beautiful and so cool and so interesting and all at the same time. So I was just like, thank you. Yes.
- [29:32]
A
Like, we're always really happy when it's received well.
- [29:34]
B
Well, I don't want to give away any of your future strategy, but I'm curious now that we've just concluded a fashion month, are there any collections or trends or any hints that you can give us at things that you've been looking at that have caught your eye? You don't have to give me, like, an exact look number because I know you want to keep that to yourself. Is there anything that you were really excited about that you saw over the course of Fashion Month this season?
- [30:00]
A
Loew, Bottega, Calvin Klein, acne. Grace Ling. She's a designer based in New York. I think she's really creative and she finds innovative ways to create her looks. It was great to be at Jonathan Anderson's first show of Dior. Like, wow, that was very exciting to be in that. In that room, you know?
- [30:22]
B
Yeah, yeah. I also want to talk a little bit about styling. Some of Jenna's more quote unquote, low key looks.
- [30:28]
A
Yeah.
- [30:28]
B
The ones that aren't necessarily for, like, those big marquee red carpets moments. Are there certain brands that you lean on? How do you think about the strategy for. It's a press look. It's still a major moment, but it's not like the red carpet. It's interviews.
- [30:43]
A
Yeah. I think Jenna said she puts some pretty hard parameters when it comes to that, I think, which I love, because I know that when I'm pulling for, like, a smaller press moment, that sometimes my crazy ideas don't make sense for this. So I really kind of stay in super chic again. I go back to her personal style, which is, you know, clean lines, simple. Even that. Like that 90s aesthetic. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, kind of. She loves just simple statement. Not even statement.
- [31:19]
B
Like simple foundational, Foundational pieces.
- [31:22]
A
Like, that's just her vibe.
- [31:24]
B
Doesn't need to shout.
- [31:25]
A
Yeah.
- [31:26]
B
Just make it chic.
- [31:26]
A
That's her all day. I'm the one who kind of wants to put an exclamation point on things.
- [31:31]
B
Oh, really?
- [31:31]
A
We have to have a moment. Yeah. You know what I mean?
- [31:33]
B
So she's like, you putting her in a 30 pound bejeweled, like, top.
- [31:36]
A
You sound like her right now. I got a text from her because we're going back and forth about Academy gala tomorrow. She said, I want to wear something.
- [31:42]
B
I can sit in.
- [31:44]
A
I want to wear something. What's the word she used? Hold on.
- [31:47]
B
You tell me.
- [31:49]
A
She's like, but I would love to wear something practical one day. And I said, you know what?
- [31:55]
B
You like practical magic. What version of practical do we mean practical on Mars? Like, okay, you've had so many amazing moments with her over the last couple of years. When you look back, like, what are you most proud of? I'm always so interested in what part really resonates for you as an artist.
- [32:17]
A
I think the relationship that we've had and how we're growing. And I think in Hollywood, I feel like it's very. It's a very fickle place, and I feel, like, very transactional. And it can be. And sometimes it should be, I guess, but I feel like the relationship, it's a testament to, like, the respect and love we have for each other. Because I feel like a lot of people say, like, oh, you guys are. You just do a really great job with her. I'm like, no, I think it's because we understand and we've known each other for so long, and we.
- [32:48]
B
We do a great job together.
- [32:50]
A
Yeah, we do a great job together. It feels like we're hanging out sometimes just in fittings. And I'm really proud of our relationship because in this world, like, people like, oh, I'm gonna hire another stylist, or I'm gonna hire this, because I want a different look. And I think, like, I think that's fine. I think that's great. Everyone should do what they wanna do. But I think also sometimes just having a person that understands you and I feel like some of the best collaborations come from people who have worked with each other for a long time because they push each other in different directions and they're like, oh, I think you should do this. And, like, you know, versus finding someone else who, you know, you kind of have to start over. Does that make sense?
- [33:34]
B
We call it institutional knowledge.
- [33:36]
A
Yeah, absolutely.
- [33:38]
B
Yeah. Because, like, you know where the bodies are buried, you know where the references are, you know where the stories are. You are steeped in the history of the person and their experiences and their insecurities and their proudness moments. And, you know every beat that she's hit. So you're not going to repeat it. Like, you don't have to learn the lore. You don't have to read the book because you were there for every page of it being created.
- [34:01]
A
We were in a glam moment one time. And, like, I can say something. I can say two words, but I don't even finish my sentence. And she's like, oh, is it too much like the. It's kind of. It's kind of like devil words. Prada and Miranda Priestly and Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci character. And he's like, like, she's like, is it too much like the. Oh, no, I thought that. But like, they're not. They're speaking in code. And someone said that on, on set when they're like, you guys, I want to know what you guys are talking about. You guys. You guys don't even finish your sentence. You guys speak in code or something. And I'm like, oh, we kind of do. Like, because we just understand and we know the references of what we're talking about or what we wanted to do. And. And I think that's really special because it keeps things interesting. Yeah. You know?
- [34:44]
B
Well, I love it. That sounds very healthy.
- [34:46]
A
Yeah, it is. It is.
- [34:48]
B
And like, therapeutically healthy.
- [34:50]
A
It is, it is, it is. It's great.
- [34:52]
B
Well, congratulations.
- [34:54]
A
Thank you.
- [34:54]
B
I'm just gonna keep making you come back over and over and over again. Cause you always have so much to talk about.
- [34:59]
A
Yeah, it's so great. You are just such a joy every time I see you.
- [35:03]
B
The pleasure is truly mine.
- [35:05]
A
Yes.
- [35:05]
B
Thank you, thank you, thank.
- [35:09]
A
You.
- [35:13]
B
A huge thank you to celebrity stylist Enrique Melendez. Make sure to subscribe to our show wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss an episode. And while you're there, I'd also be so grateful if you'd rate and review us. If you have any guest suggestions or any other feedback, drop us a line at Podcast who what Where? Or you can find us on social at who what where. See you next Wednesday on the who what Where Podcast. This episode was produced by Hilary Kerr, Summer Hammeris and Natalie Thurman. Our production assistant is Raven Yamamoto. Our editor is Ko Takasuki Chernovin. Our audio engineers are at Glen Canyon Audio, and our music is by Jonathan Leahy. Shopify's point of sale system helps you sell at every stage of your business. Need a fast and secure way to take payments in person? We've got you covered. How about card readers you can rely on anywhere you sell?
- [36:29]
A
Thanks.
- [36:29]
B
Have a good one. Yep, that too. Want one place to manage all your online and in person sales? That's kind of our thing wherever you sell. Businesses that grow, grow with Shopify. Sign up for your $1 a month trial at Shopify. Com. Listen. Shopify. Com Listen.