Lady Gaga’s Gothic McQueen-Era Givenchy Is True Fashion Mayhem
During her Mayhem era, Lady Gaga’s fashion has been defined by an assortment of macabre, avant-garde attire with dark twist. That reached a peak last night as she arrived to the premiere of Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga Mayhem Requiem. The star embraced this chapter’s gothic influences with a heartfelt burst of archival fashion.
Gaga arrived in a dark piece from Givenchy’s fall 1997 collection. Originally crafted by the late Lee Alexander McQueen, one of the first in the high fashion world to embrace her, her ensemble featured a gathered black silk skirt with a sweeping red and black hemline. The star’s look was complete with a bright red satin bodice paneled in sultry black lace, as well as a high neckline coated in glittering black beadwork. A matching bolero-style jacket with black fringed epaulettes, slit sleeves, and sparkling, swirling black beaded trim finished the style with a burst of added drama.
However, the presentation didn’t end there. Gaga accentuated her gown with a black fishnet veil that fully covered her face, as well as a large black lace fan. A bustling procession of white-clad background dancers strewing rose petals provided the dynamic finishing touch to her look.
The outfit’s dark tones and glamorous, intricate detailing was perfectly in sync with the bold signatures of her Mayhem album’s aesthetic. However, it also nodded to her extensive ties to McQueen. In her earliest years in the public eye, the British designer notably dressed Gaga on numerous occasions, including her iconic “Bad Romance” music video. Most recently, his archival designs have also been part of her Mayhem chapter, including the 1999 Givenchy gown and feathered 2009 dress she wore to this year’s Grammy Awards.
Model Yasmeen Ghauri in the Givenchy by Alexander McQueen fall 1997 show.
As Gaga’s Mayhem chapter closes, it also opens the door for a new fashion phase—which, if history is any inclination, could go the Hollywood glamour route. How this manifests remains to be seen. But with a dynamic Devil Wears Prada 2 cameo and original song launch, plus nonchalant street style outings in recent months, there’s no shortage of fashion-centric moments to continue Lady Gaga’s extensive style repertoire.
