Don't believe the doubters: if Lady's Gaga's recent musical success is anything to go by, she's still on a rocket to the moon. Her album artRAVE: The Artpop Ball debuted at No 1 on the Billboard 200 and the supporting tour has left fans and fashion journalists agog.
Key looks expected to set the flashbulbs popping in Dubai include an anime-inspired minidress in neon colours, offset by an oversized dreadlocked wig. Other costumes Mother Monster has donned so far during her 68-city tour feature lashings of latex, her trademark seashell bikini, towering headgear and wigs of platinum and verdant green.
Rumours continue to swirl as to exactly how many designers were the masterminds behind the ArtPop Ball’s pieces, with the American artist Jeff Koons among the creative’s confirmed.
Gaga set up her personal “think tank-cum-fashion maison”, Haus of Gaga, in 2008 and the in-house Australian designer Perry Meeks is also thought to be responsible for the jaw-dropping outfits that the entertainer has been wearing since her tour began.
Curious about what is heading our way, we asked two of the UAE’s style savants for their often conflicting takes on three of Gaga’s most outrageous get-ups.
THE PANEL:
Ashley Cadzow is social-media and content manager at Hug MENA in Dubai. His background is in fashion writing and styling in North America and Europe.
Nina Iskander is a certified image consultant and personal shopper based in Dubai.
LOOK I – Legs eleven
AC: This look takes me back to Yayoi Kusama's 2012 collaboration with Louis Vuitton, one that was filled with bright colours and polka dots. I'm not a fan of this look, the colour washes her out. Also, whoever told Gaga that latex looks good should be out of a job.
NI: Lady Gaga has a remarkably creative style and personality and we're constantly surprised by her new looks. The polka-dot costume is just another example of an outstanding outfit. She continues to push the style envelope, be it on stage or in her daily life
LOOK II – Winging it
AC: I'm quite a fan of this look. The Jeff Koons ball is an iconic symbol of her tour. The leotard encrusted with Swarovski crystals is something we could see during Couture Fashion Week in the coming seasons, too.
NI: I love this look.! The costume is extraordinarily beautiful, fitted perfectly. Her hair and make-up look gorgeous too. She's nailed it
LOOK III – A-hem to baubles
AC: I could joke that Gaga looks like a teenage blogger at her first Fashion Week. Nonetheless, it's an incredible outfit that pays homage to the 1990s fashion greats, Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. The fishnets have to go, though.
NI: Gaga is clearly making a statement with this outfit and the message is: "I'm crazy, but still feminine". It's a softer and more sensual look than we commonly see from her — she's a modern-day princess. Fabulous!
GAGA RETROSPECTIVE
Lady Gaga’s wardrobe is as memorable as her musical anthology. Our panel picked their favourite and most foul outfits from the archives.
GAGA GOLD
AC: My favourite Gaga look is one of her most understated. She wears a gorgeous, modern, Tarun Tahiliani sari, with a simple take on the iconic 1960s Greenwich Village hippie hairstyle. Everything about this look is perfect, from the draping to the intricate beading. J'adore.
NI: Gaga was amazing in Versace's campaign. In particular, I love this look (in the lilac Versace dress) where she appears very mermaid-like. The soft lilac shade compliments her skin tone and brings out a natural beauty. Speaking of which, it's refreshing to see her face "au natural" with muted make-up, as so often it's hidden with a face mask.
GAGA GAFFES
AC: This outfit (white knee-length dress with no shoes) is atrocious; it's a horrible mess. Very little is left to the imagination. I can't even start on the hair and make-up – Gaga looks like an unkempt Barbie doll that fell in a pile of baby powder. Horrendous.
NI: One of my long list of disliked Gaga looks is the one she wore to launch her ArtPop album in Germany last year. It doesn't seem to make much sense, from the Victoriana boots to the chartreuse dress coat, which clashes with the bulky amber fur sleeves. The silhouette doesn't do her any favours. As for the mask, something went wrong on the creative front and the whole ensemble just feels wrong.
• Tickets for Lady Gaga's show at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai on Wednesday cost Dh495 for general admission, Dh750 for grandstand seating and Dh1,295 for a Golden Circle Pass. Visit www.ticketmaster.ae to book.
