 |
| Lady Gaga as she appears in the music video for her 2008 hit , "Poker Face" |
Since Steffani Germanotta hit the pop world in 2008, it’s safe to say that the mainstream has gone gaga for the lady. New York native Lady Gaga has entertained our eyes as much as our ears with her flamboyant fashion sense. This post is to highlight the artistic team behind the force that is Lady Gaga. From stage sets, to ensembles, to music videos, the team responsible for getting Gaga where she is today is called the Haus of Gaga. This 18 member team is comprised of multiple fashion designers, art directors, stylists, and dancers. So yes, for all those who were fans of the meat dress—thank this team. They’re responsible.
Gaga has established herself, over the past four years, as a walking fashion statement that advertises the simple message of being yourself. Promotional campaigns revolving around her album such as “The Fame Monster,” serve as proof.
The music video to her most successful “Fame Monster” single to date, “Bad Romance,” illustrates her fight to retain individuality and to not be swallowed by the successes of her newfound fame. The video oozed of everything pop from signature dance moves, to product placement, to set design, to fashion. The Haus of Gaga put together scenes depicting Gaga being forced to drink vodka, dancing in a futurist designed bathhouse with “monsters” dressed in white leather suits, and posing in the center of several diamonds floating mid air. This video also introduced her concept of the “monster” (her positive flip of the word “freak” which she equates with individuality, for empowerment purposes) to which she refers to her dancers as, and also introduces the signature “monster” dance (which I find suspiciously similar to a Michael Jackson Thriller move). As for advertising, she is portrayed in multiple outfits, one of which includes heels designed by the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen.  |
| Hedi Slimane's contrasting photos of Germanotta were meant to illustrate her struggles with fame |
Her tour which followed the release of the Fame Monster took place between 2009 and 2011. All of the sets’ designs were created by the Haus of Gaga, including animated backdrops, white and gold leather costumed outfits, and animated shorts to serve as interludes throughout her set
Pop culture analysts and critics have compared Gaga as a grand scale artist who parallels Michael Jackson and Madonna, in regard to her showmanship. The Haus of Gaga is a low key force that I personally feels deserves more credit for their achievements have only elevated Gaga to the status of a renaissance woman.
Rex Macapinlac '13
Image credit: Wikipedia