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Jenna Ortega Stuns in a Handmade Steel-Rod Dress at the ‘Klara and the Sun’ New York Screening

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Jenna Ortega has turned the press tour for ‘Klara and the Sun’ into a running fashion showcase. Working with her longtime stylist Enrique Melendez, the ‘Wednesday’ star has leaned into a sunny, almost method-dressing approach, choosing looks that echo the film’s themes of light and warmth.

The film itself marks a shift for the actress. Directed by Taika Waititi and adapted from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, it stars Ortega as Klara, a solar-powered Artificial Friend searching for the perfect home, who forms an immediate bond with a young girl named Josie. Columbia Pictures released it in theaters on October 23.

Ortega’s most talked-about look yet came at the film’s special screening in New York City. As Page Six highlighted, the actress dazzled on the carpet at the Crosby Street Hotel on Monday, October 19, where she was joined by co-star Amy Adams and Waititi.

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She wore a one-of-a-kind halter dress by emerging designer Elias Matso, featuring a plunging neckline, a fitted bodysuit, and a sheer skirt made of long strands of fringe. What made it remarkable was the material: the fringe was crafted from steel rods and crystal beads.

Ortega told PEOPLE that the gown was a one-of-one creation made entirely by hand, adding that the designer had been holding onto it for her and that it felt very fitting for the film. She paired the look with nude patent Christian Louboutin pumps, a sleek blowout and smoky makeup.

The gown has an impressive origin story. Matso, 24, created it as the finale look of his ‘Melt with Me’ thesis collection for Italy’s Polimoda fashion school, spending his senior year sculpting the piece.

The dress reportedly took 300 hours to make. Matso has explained that he chopped steel boning into thousands of pieces, painted some of them, and crimped each one with boning caps, which are typically used to shield the body from sharp metal ends.

According to the designer, Melendez showed the design to Ortega last month, and she was immediately on board. The result blurred the line between fashion and technology, a fitting choice for a film about an artificial companion.

Earlier that same day, Ortega appeared on ‘Late Night With Seth Meyers’ in a muted gold minidress with long sleeves, a plunging neckline, and knotted fabric at the waist. She then made a quick wardrobe change before heading to the screening.

Her style streak has stretched across continents. At the Rome Film Festival on October 17, she wore a Roberto Cavalli spring 2027 gown with gold Dolce & Gabbana platform sandals, and she also recently appeared in white on the cover of Vogue.

The fashion moments have arguably drawn as much attention as the movie itself. While Ortega’s press tour looks have earned widespread praise, early critical reception for ‘Klara and the Sun’ has been more mixed, with some observers noting that the buzz around her outfits has outpaced interest in the film.

Still, the steel-rod gown has become one of the most memorable red carpet moments of the season. It also gave a spotlight to a young designer whose craftsmanship turned an unusual material into wearable art.

For Ortega, the look capped off a press tour that has fully embraced the film’s sunlit spirit. Fans will be watching to see what she wears next as ‘Klara and the Sun’ continues its run in theaters.

What do you think of Jenna Ortega’s handmade steel-rod dress at the Klara and the Sun screening?

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