Those walking the streets of Lower Manhattan on Saturday may have noticed a small commotion taking place at City Hall, as hundreds of people swarmed around police officers escorting a mysterious figure down the steps. On closer inspection, this apparent criminal mastermind appeared somewhat familiar.
No, it wasn’t Donald Trump—even though, ironically, there has been a media circus all week in the exact same spot, as the public awaits the possible indictment of Trump in the ongoing “hush money” case. Turns out it involved another saga of (alleged) treachery and deceit. The heckling crowds were all hired extras for Joker: Folie à Deux, and the figure at the center was Lady Gaga, offering the first full-length look at her take on the character of Harley Quinn.
Starring opposite Joaquin Phoenix in the sequel to Todd Phillips’s Oscar-nominated box office smash Joker, which told the origin story of one of Batman’s greatest foes, Lady Gaga appeared to be fully in the zone as Phoenix’s henchwoman and love interest. (As anyone who’s followed Gaga’s acting career knows, when it comes to diving into a new role, she’s nothing if not committed.) NBC News reported that the film crew had enlisted around 700 extras to play protestors and that explosions were also planned; in pictures of the filming, the crowd booed and shouted as Gaga appeared to be escorted into a courthouse, turning around to furiously raise a fist at them.
Just as explosive as any Hollywood pyrotechnics, however, was getting a first look at Gaga’s style as Quinn. As anyone who’s been to a Halloween party since the release of Suicide Squad knows, Margot Robbie’s garish, girly take on the character’s style has plenty of admirers—but it appears that Gaga is taking a different tack. Working with Arianne Phillips, the award-winning costume designer behind Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and A Single Man, Gaga embodied Quinn in a way that was a little more bleary and bedraggled. In a red satin blazer with tulle sleeves, a corset top, a leather miniskirt, and sheer tights—all decorated with the character’s signature harlequin (geddit?) diamond print—the look had an intriguingly sleazy undertone.
Just what is it, exactly, that Quinn has been getting up to? We’ll have to wait until the film’s release in October 2024 to find out. But if this is what she’s wearing on set, then those red-carpet appearances can’t come quickly enough.
This article was originally published by Vogue.
