“I’m kind of nervous about this,” says Lady Gaga, shrouded in electric silver Alexandre Vauthier ruffles and preparing to dive into a not insubstantial tome containing her life’s fashion. There is, of course, a lot of ground to cover. From the meat dress – “thrilling to wear” – to her fire bra – “we decided it was safer to shoot sparks” – Gaga’s outfits-cum-art pieces punctuate her riotous career. None more so than “the egg”, which needs little introduction.
“I was in the egg for three days,” Gaga recalls of the Hussein Chalayan orb she came encased in at the 2011 Grammys. “It’s representative of my devotion to my craft; I really wanted to be with myself.” While her outfit – not a receptacle! – helped to centre Gaga, the looks of the people tasked with carrying her proved more complex.
The night prior to the awards, she decided, “the fashion is wrong!”, and requested a complete do-over, but this time in Latex. The catch? Back then, sex shops were the only places that readily stocked fetishistic fabric – with the exception of one particular US bus company that apparently preferred wipe-clean seating. “Everyone’s fashion was made from the seats of a bus,” Gaga reveals of the last-minute sheer nude looks that deserve their very own spot in the rock and roll hall of fame.
Equally mesmerising? Her “whimsical” entrance to the 2013 American Music Awards, which saw her emulate the “Italian goddess” of her recent Versace campaign. Straddling a snow-white stallion fashioned from quilted Chanel bags – “the horse is my purse” – this was not even Gaga’s wildest look to date.
Watch the below video to hear the tales behind her most memorable fashion moments, and buy the December issue of British Vogue with Lady Gaga on the cover right now.
