“Wednesday,” Netflix’s new original series from director Tim Burton, hits theaters on November 23rd. The eight-episode series is a fresh take on “The Addams Family” TV and film adaptations made over the past 58 years. Less than two weeks later, on-screen goth has seeped into youth fashion.
Wednesday Addams, once played by a deadpan Christina Ricci in the ’90s, gets a makeover. This time, Jenna Ortega, 20, showed Wednesday’s stoicism in gothic attire and dark eyes. Despite her peers, the character’s palette doesn’t stray too far from black and white, but still captivates her audience. A crisp white shirt, layers of black tulle and two braids were a glimpse into Wednesday’s world. Now, Gen Z is channeling their new anti-heroine heroine with a gothic costume revival.
Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, who has starred in Sleepy Hollow and Edward Scissorhands, lives up to the tradition of Wednesday in her latest collection, but in a way that is very relevant to our young people. She has had a thoughtful modern makeover. Clothing resale app Depop has reported a 1,000% increase in searches for Wednesday-inspired clothing since early November. “I feel like she should be a part of today’s world,” Atwood said. “I wanted it to be a sleek, modern look that audiences would relate to. I didn’t want her to be this weirdo who always wore black.” Wednesday’s astute views on identity politics are directly relevant to today’s strong-willed young people.
Even before Wednesday’s launch, major fashion houses including Prada, Gucci, Simone Rocha, Thom Browne and Rick Owens supported this dark gothic aesthetic with layering of white shirting and black charcoal material. Once rooted in the broad similarities of the Addams family, a stylistic aesthetic has come off the screen and into the masses. With this reimagining, it’s now easier to understand the brutal origins of Wednesday’s look.
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