On the same day as the opening premiere of the 78th Cannes Film Festival, New York City celebrated a red carpet of its own. Jenna Ortega arrived at the May 13 premiere of the thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow in a collector's item. The Wednesday star stepped out in the Fall/Winter 2000 Christian Dior newspaper dress, the same one donned by Sex and the City's beloved Carrie Bradshaw in the third season when she confronts Big’s ex-wife, Natasha, then again in Sex and the City 2, pictured below.
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The choice feels particularly poignant considering Ortega's character in the film, Anima, is portrayed as an enigmatic woman who enters the orbit of Abel Tesfaye’s (AKA The Weeknd) fictionalized persona, setting off the domino effect of a dark chain of events. The monochrome, black-and-white palette of the iconic Galliano-era Dior frock, first seen on the Fall/Winter 2000 runway during Paris Fashion Week, subtly echoes the film's noir undertones.
Ortega credited her stylist Enrique Melendez for the style choice, saying, “He was thinking, ‘Ahh man, New York, New York. What’s a good New York-themed film?’ And there’s probably nothing more New York than Carrie Bradshaw,” the iconic dress was sourced from Vintage Luxury’s archives for the event.
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The vintage Dior midi, a shorter version than the one that walked the 2000 runway, boasts a cowl neckline, a subtly tiered skirt, and a playful handkerchief hem. Adding a touch of unexpected glamour, the dress features a striking backless design punctuated by a single strand of delicate diamond chain tracing the spine. While Emily Ratajkowski offered a more casual take in 2023, pairing her Miaou take on the iconic look with knee-high black boots for a New York City jaunt, Ortega and stylist Melendez elevated the look with strappy metallic heels.
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Adding another layer to night’s references, Ortega and Melendez amplified the Sex and the City connection with a plush, full-length fur coat for the festivities afterwards. The piece echoed the iconic outerwear Bradshaw famously layered over her pajamas for a New Year's Eve visit to Miranda, further solidifying Ortega's red-carpet moment as a tribute we’ll never forget.
