The past month has been beset by Beetlejuice-mania. The cast of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice—including Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Michael Keaton, and Jenna Ortega—have been making their press rounds at the Venice Film Festival and beyond, promoting the sequel to the classic 1988 film. So what better time than now to tap Ryder to revisit her Life in Looks for Vogue? In a new video, the star looks back on some of her most iconic film roles and red carpet outfits to date.
Of course, Ryder’s trip down memory lane had to begin with when she first portrayed Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice back in the 1980s. “I credit Tim Burton and this movie for launching my career,” says Ryder, adding that she naturally had the perfect look for the part. “They didn’t have to do much with me to make me look the way that I did; I looked very much the same as Lydia. I was super pale and I had dyed my hair L’Oréal blue-black.” That year was a big year for the star—as she also portrayed Veronica Sawyers in the camp-classic Heathers. She recalls being an instant fan of the script—and the costumes. “Each Heather is a different color. We decided on blue for Veronica. Blue, to me, is almost bruised; I felt like she was going through a lot of emotional bruising.”
The 1990s, meanwhile, is when Ryder emerged as a style icon off the screen—thanks to her impossibly-cool grungy wardrobe of leather jackets, jeans, and slip dresses. Ryder recalls attending the 1991 premiere of The Commitments. “I was wearing my old Doc Martens, my precious Tom Waits T-shirt that I wear all of the time, and a leather jacket that was my mom’s.” The star also looked back on her distinctive approach to red carpet dressing—like when she wore a vintage black Pauline Trigère dress to the 2000 Oscars. “I’ve worn it a few times, because it’s so beautiful. I wore it once without the cape,” says Ryder.
As for a more recent fashion highlight, Ryder also gave fans a teaser of what to expect from the wardrobe in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, to be released Friday, September 6. “[Costumer] Colleen Atwood is so brilliant—a true genius. She really helped me keep Lydia, but also bring her more into where she is in the movie, which is struggling a bit.” Ryder, meanwhile, is thriving.
Above, watch Ryder’s full Life in Looks video.
Director: Catherine Orchard
Director of Photography: Frances Chen
Editor: Michael Suyeda
Producer: Gabriela Marie Safa
Associate Producer: Lea Donenberg
Gaffer: Julia Gowesky
Assistant Camera: Jack Kelly
Audio: Lily van Leeuwen
Production Assistant: Quinton Johnson
Production Coordinators: Ava Kashar, Tanía Jones
Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Post Production Coordinator: Scout Alter
Supervising Editor: Erica DeLeo
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Associate Director, Post Production: Nicholas Ascanio
Director, Video Talent: Lauren Mendoza
Director, Content Production: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Filmed on Location: Fouquet’s New York
