When it comes to artistic expression—be it through music, storytelling or fashion—few parallel the prowess of Lady Gaga. Since her debut in 2008, the pop icon has been a household name, lauded for her impressive vocal abilities, creativity and daring sartorial sensibilities. Today, she returns with her long-awaited sixth studio album Mayhem. While it hasn’t been long since Harlequin, a companion album she dropped for last year’s Joker: Folie à Deux, our last dose of pure, unadulterated Gaga had been 2020’s Chromatica, leaving little monsters and casual fans alike hungry for what the new record has to offer.
Already, she has swept charts with three singles from Mayhem—‘Abracadabra’, which the singer debuted mid-Grammys back in February to much fanfare, while her collaboration with Bruno Mars on ‘Die With A Smile’ became the fastest track to reach a billion streams on Spotify. A fashion and music chameleon, Gaga’s career has been one marked by dramatic transformations, surprising listeners each time with her unrivalled artistry. And sure as rain, she’s delivered another sonic and visual feast with Mayhem, drawing inspiration from her own sweeping discography, and then some. From the dark electropop of ‘Disease’, the ‘80s funk of ‘Killah’ to the carefree disco of ‘Zombieboy’, it’s a culmination of everything she’s put out thus far, and a testament to her pure, indiscriminate love for music—with the visuals on par.
Below, Vogue Singapore journeys through Lady Gaga’s most creative, showstopping fashion moments across her catalogue of music videos and short films.
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'The Fame': An icon in the making
Gaga knew who she was from a very early age. Her 2008 debut studio record The Fame centred her love for fame, and the idea of fame being a feeling rather than status—though one could say she was speaking her future into existence. “Basically, if you have nothing—no money, no fame—you can still feel beautiful and dirty rich,” she told MTV at the time. This notion is one that permeates it in every aspect.
When it came to fashion, The Fame was nothing short of a masterclass in crafting a signature look as a newcomer in the music industry. In the vein of conjuring fame and glamour into existence, Gaga blended handmade and vintage pieces with designer accessories, creating her own visual world that was a little rough around the edges, yet impossibly chic.
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Lady Gaga in a vintage romper and handmade disco ball bra in ‘Just Dance’
In the music video for her debut single ‘Just Dance’, Gaga sported messily distressed clothing, glossy leathers and massive over-the-top shades. Ringing true to the glitz and filth of fame, early iterations of the indie sleaze aesthetic featured heavily.
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Lady Gaga in a Betony Vernon neckbrace and Hi Tek shades in ‘Paparazzi’.
A unique aesthetic marked by chunky shades, glittery disco ball textures and a Bowie-inspired lightning motif—these were the details that re-emerged consistently throughout The Fame era.
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'The Fame Monster': Into the shadow of fame
A reissue of her debut record, The Fame Monster (2009) plunges into the darkest recesses of fame, learning to navigate romance in its shadow and the fears she experienced in her early adulthood and newfound celebrity status. Like its predecessor, it remained bold and sexy in many ways—yet there was a palpable vulnerability that lurks beneath. Musically, the record feels like a post-party breakdown, peeling back the glittery thrills of The Fame to unveil her emotional wounds.
Here, her style and colour palette take a darker, more daring turn, shifting between barely-there bodysuits, sheer lingerie and intricate gothic-inspired regalia. This era was also one that cemented Gaga’s status as a controversial pop and fashion icon in the cultural zeitgeist, and she welcomed every opportunity to make a statement—it was also here she started to express her support for the queer community more overtly in her art.
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Lady Gaga in custom razor blade shades by Tom Talmon Studios in ‘Bad Romance’.
Gaga continued to revisit iconic pieces from The Fame, rebuilding them in subversive ways; in ‘Bad Romance’, and ‘Telephone’. Her team reconstructed her iconic oversized shades out of razor blades and half-smoked cigarettes—a nod to the vices and “monsters” that prowl the shadow of fame.
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Lady Gaga’s caution tape outfit by Brian Lichtenberg in ‘Telephone’
The use of unconventional materials was especially prominent in ‘Telephone’, which saw Gaga wearing Coca-cola cans as hair rollers and a near-naked outfit made from caution tape from a crime scene.
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Lady Gaga in a crimson latex nun’s habit by Atsuko Kudo in ‘Alejandro’
While she previously called ‘Alejandro’ a song that represented her fear of sex, its visual was “a celebration and an admiration of gay love,” she shared with Times. Its visual drew from the struggle between conflicting identities of faith and sexual identity.
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Lady Gaga in a custom leather gun rifle harness bra by David Samuel Menkes in ‘Alejandro’
In this controversial music video, themes of military homoeroticism inspired the wardrobes of her and her dancers.
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'Born This Way': A love letter to the queer community
A powerful, anthemic ode to self-love and expression, Lady Gaga’s 2011 album Born This Way’s title track remains one of her most memorable songs to date, and for good reason. At the forefront of this record was Gaga’s love for the disenfranchised and downtrodden in society, and she made it a point to champion a cause close to her heart, spotlighting the struggles and passions of the queer community and in particular, that of her hometown, New York City. Born This Way was all about breaking free from expectations and celebrating otherness—and she made sure this was reflected in every facet of the album, from lyrics to visuals and fashion.
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Lady Gaga in an archival Philip Treacy hat, vintage France Look glasses and prosthetics by Millenium FX in ‘Yoü & I’
Most prominently, perhaps, were the ways in which she depicted the beauty of the other in Born This Way. Across its many music videos, Gaga fashioned herself and her dancers into a myriad of humanoid beings, from aliens to cyborgs and mermaids, reshaping the human form in unimaginable, breathtaking ways.
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Lady Gaga in a custom stained glass ensemble by Petra Storrs in ‘Born This Way’
In ‘Born This Way’, she leaned into her affectionate fan-given nickname of Mother Monster, bringing life to a prejudice-free alien race in a stunning stained glass window dress and matching neckpiece reminiscent of shiny, delicate insect wings.
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Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone in ‘Yoü & I’
While the more outlandish transformations of ‘Yoü & I’ were visually impressive, none stole the show the way Jo Calderone—Gaga’s male alter ego—did. “In a culture that attempts to quantify beauty with a visual paradigm and almost mathematical standard, how can we f**k with the malleable minds of onlookers and shift the world’s perspective on what’s beautiful? I asked myself this question. And the answer? Drag,” she shared with V in a collection of letters.
Originally conceived by Gaga and fashion photographer Nick Knight, the devilishly handsome, cigarette-smoking Jo first made his debut in a 2010 Vogue Hommes Japan editorial. Pushing the boundaries of fashion, art and gender expression, he returned in the ‘Yoü & I’ visual clad in a distressed Uniqlo T-shirt, stuffed cotton briefs and a pair of Dior trousers as one of her love interests.
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Lady Gaga in a blue leather ensemble by Alex Noble in ‘Judas’
Gaga also drew inspiration from subcultures that represented rebellion—best illustrated by the biblical biker gang saga that unfolds in the visual for ‘Judas’. Reimagining herself as a leather-clad Mary Magdelene, she donned an edgy blue leather ensemble, complete with a sacred heart stitched with Swarovski crystals.
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'Artpop': Art meets fashion
“Pop culture was in art, now art’s in pop culture, in me,” Lady Gaga sings on Artpop (2013) lead single ‘Applause’, and if one had to sum up this era in one line, this would be it. Conceptually, this album was more an exploration of art and beauty than a message-driven one, containing the kind of unbridled experimentation only a superstar of Gaga’s status could afford to take a risk on, and with it came a visual feast of where fashion met art at every junction. After all, the record does open with ‘Aura’, an eccentric blend of mariachi and EDM—and includes forays into dubstep and electronic rock in songs like ‘Swine’ and ‘Dope’.
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Lady Gaga in a John Galliano tulle gown in ‘Applause’
Naturally, this was an era that also saw an unparalleled expansion in her fashion palette, in addition to her musical one. Where past music video wardrobes were largely grounded in more monochromatic colour schemes and either skin-tight or structured pieces, Artpop saw more flowy, relaxed fabrics that mirrored her freedom of exploration.
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Lady Gaga in a custom tulle veil by Philip Treacy in ‘G.U.Y.’
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Lady Gaga in a custom corset and skirt by Olivier Theyskens and Pleaser boots in ‘Applause’
Her visuals also took inspiration from iconic art pieces and mythology during this era. In the ‘Applause’ video, she dons a skeletal white corset, bringing the pop-art vision of Andy Warhol’s 1967 screen prints of Marilyn Monroe to life—albeit in zombie-fied distress.
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Lady Gaga in La Perla swimsuit in ‘G.U.Y.’
For Artpop, Gaga also looked to mythology to propel her visual storytelling. While she modelled herself after Sandro Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ in ‘Applause’, her art film and music video for ‘G.U.Y.’ (which also featured tracks ‘Artpop’, ‘Venus’ and ‘MANiCURE’) also depicts her as a fallen angel, rising again as Aphrodite—the Greek counterpart to the Roman Venus.
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Lady Gaga in a Charlie Le Mindu bodysuit in ‘G.U.Y.’
Elsewhere in the art film, she channels the virtuous Artemis, goddess of the hunt, often seen as the foil to the passionate Aphrodite.
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'Joanne': The woman behind the icon
2016’s Joanne saw a dramatic shift in Gaga’s style, as she stripped back the layers to her theatrical on-stage persona. Largely inspired by the death of her aunt—who the record is named after—as well as her forays into acting, human emotion and connection formed the core of this album, which saw the pop superstar dabble in soft rock and country music. This, of course, reflected in her visual choices. Largely inspired by images of Americana, the cowboy hats she donned throughout its promotion were the most iconic look of this era.
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Lady Gaga in an American Apparel T-shirt and custom Muto-Little Costumes silk varsity jacket in ‘Perfect Illusion’
Across the visuals for Joanne, many of her outfits took a more casual, everyday tone, drawing on styles that were quintessentially American. Denim, of course, made frequent appearances in this era, as did cowboy boots and the occasional varsity jacket.
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Lady Gaga in a pink custom suit by Alexander Lewis and pink Lady Bianca hat by Gladys Tamez in ‘Million Reasons’
For her more fashion-forward looks this era, Gaga opted for effortless elegance, landing on impeccably tailored ensembles such as this pink Alexander Lewis suit in the music video for ‘Million Reasons’. Her colour palette also softened considerably to match the sonic and emotional tone of Joanne, often featuring a tender shade of pink dubbed “Joanne Pink”.
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Lady Gaga in a vintage Ossie Clark gown in ‘Joanne’
Her looks for the piano version of title track ‘Joanne’ in particular heavily featured vintage pieces, sourced from boutiques in New York City.
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'Chromatica': a futuristic love affair
Arriving just months into the pandemic, Chromatica (2020) was exactly the burst of the optimism the world needed. Centred on emotional healing in the face of adversity, the record saw Gaga return to her roots in dance music with an uplifting tilt as she battled grief, fibromyalgia and mental health issues. Where The Fame Monster offered a glimpse into her darkest impulses and experiences with fame, Chromatica sees her accepting the reality of her pain, yet choosing to grab happiness by the horns and wholeheartedly embrace joy regardless.
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Lady Gaga in a custom bodysuit by Garo Sparo in ‘Rain On Me’
In her vision for Chromatica, Gaga dreamed up an intergalactic saga where feuding warrior tribes join hands for healing, peace and a love for dance. Accordingly, she adopted a futuristic, cyberpunk visual aesthetic for the record, filled with holographic textures and uniquely structured pieces.
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Lady Gaga in a custom Vex Clothing bra and knickers and spiked belt by BITCHFIST in ‘Stupid Love’
This era’s fashion was defined by skin-tight latex and shiny pleather, with many an ensemble completed by knee-high Demonia boots customised by her creative team. Her newfound love for pink from Joanne came roaring back as well, this time in screeching shades of neon.
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Lady Gaga in a custom Vex Clothing bodysuit and Savannah vinyl corset boots from Penthouse in ‘Rain On Me’
Calling Chromatica the beginning of her healing journey, Gaga spoke about how radical acceptance has been integral in her experience. “I know that I have mental issues; I know that they [sometimes] render me nonfunctional as a human. But I radically accept that this is real,” she said via Apple Music. The ethos of the record shines through most clearly with the Ariana Grande collab ‘Rain On Me’. The clip begins with a wounded Gaga laying on the ground as daggers rain down on her—yet she chooses to get up and dance through the pain.
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'Mayhem': Everything old is new again
And now in 2025, we finally arrive at Mayhem. Visually, Gaga’s videos for singles ‘Disease’ and ‘Abracadabra’ hark back to the dark, offbeat theatrics of The Fame Monster and Born This Way, much to the delight of the masses. But it’s not just those eras that have influenced the creation of Mayhem. The unrestrained experimentation of Artpop, learning to shed her flashy exterior with Joanne and the emotional catharsis of Chromatica, not to mention her exploration of humanity and emotion through her prolific acting career—these constant reinventions were what created the visionary artist we see today.
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Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars in custom Muto-Little Costumes outfits in ‘Die With A Smile’
While originally thought to be a standalone single, the Bruno Mars collaboration ‘Die With A Smile’ was later announced to be on Mayhem, with Gaga calling it the record’s “missing piece”. Being a pop ballad with soft-rock leanings reminiscent of those on Joanne, it’s no surprise that its accompanying music video nods to the Americana aesthetic of that era, complete with cowboy hats and ‘70s Western-style outfits.
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Lady Gaga in a vintage floral nightgown in ‘Disease’
In the hauntingly cinematic visual for ‘Disease’, she plays different iterations of herself—from a more ordinary, floral nightgown-wearing version of her to a grotesque, masked villain—as they fight, run from and embrace one another, a personification of conflicting, complex emotions. “I allowed myself to be lots of contradictory things, and I think that’s real,” she tells Vogue of the record, and this visual drives that point home.
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Lady Gaga in a Dilara Findikoglu blazer, Stephen Jones hat and HARDSTYLE leather mask in ‘Disease’
The monstrous version of Gaga undergoes several changes throughout the video, the details of her costume evolving over time, though she is consistently clothed in all-black frankenstein ensembles, a mishmash of layers and accessories. Here, her outfit comprises no less than two dresses, a blazer and additional faux sleeves.
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Lady Gaga in a custom latex cape by Renee Masoomian, Maximilian Gedra latex hat and Balenciaga fetish gloves in ‘Abracadabra’
Perhaps the biggest single off Mayhem, the dancefloor-ready ‘Abracadabra’ delivers a theatrical, atmospheric soundscape and visuals. She revisits the drama of Born This Way—dominating silhouettes, a flair for the dramatic as well as plenty of leather and latex. Here, there are two versions of Gaga: the commanding, composed Lady in Red, and a wild, frenetic version of herself in white.
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Lady Gaga in an Olivier Theyskens catsuit and custom Samuel Lewis x Suman Gurung x ILONA cape in ‘Abracadabra’
This version of Gaga dons a skin tight pleather catsuit, along with a stunning lace cape made from upcycled old wedding dresses. In a moment straight out of a renaissance painting (and reminiscent of the water healing scene from the ‘G.U.Y.’ Artpop film), her dancers embrace her, later helping shed her cape as they break into a powerful dance sequence.
