What Melbourne fans wore to Lady Gaga’s ‘Mayhem Ball’
IMAGE VIA @hollyvillagra/instagram
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY
Paws up.
There are very few artists who inspire the kind of fashion-obsessed fan base that Lady Gaga does. Whether it was her oversized ‘Poker Face’ sunglasses, the red lace Alexander McQueen dress at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, her 2010 VMA’s meat dress, the latex Atsuko Kudo dress she wore to meet the Queen in or one of the many high-fashion runways she’s walked, Gaga shows that style and music go hand-in-hand.
Not only has she been a sartorial muse for legendary designers, including Thierry Mugler and Alexander McQueen, she’s also been a constant advocate for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community and for being unapologetically yourself.
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Naturally then, when Lady Gaga rolled into Melbourne for the first stop of ‘The Mayhem Ball’ tour in Australia, fans went all out in showing their devotion. For some, that meant dedicating two months to crafting a custom rhinestone and tulle look. For others, showing up for Gaga simply meant wearing something from their wardrobe that makes them feel as good as her music does.
Candy Brat, digital creator
I attended both Melbourne shows so I had two outfits! For night one, I was in the pit so I had a more sensible outfit. I wore a grey tank top with an image of Lady Gaga from the Fame Monster era, and then I layered over a mesh top embroidered with the lyrics from ‘Born This Way’ from a Vietnamese brand called Datt. I paired this with my favourite jeans and sneakers from New Balance.
For night two, I had a seat so I could have a bit more fun with my look. I made an outfit out of hair and I dyed it turquoise to match Gaga’s hair circa 2011. In particular, her look the CFDA awards that year is one of my favourites. I wore a spiked bra under the hair with Maroske Peech booty shorts, fishnets and boots by Invasive. And I finished the look with makeup inspired by Gaga’s Mugler runway appearance from 2011 (another of my favourite looks of all time!).
Harry Reid, digital creator
There comes a time in every gay boy’s life where he must choose one pop diva to ride for until death does them apart. I knew as soon as I heard Lady Gaga’s siren song at the beginning of ‘Bad Romance’ that it was her and I forever. The feeling only intensified as she quickly became known for turning avant garde looks that had me questioning whether I wanted to be with her, or be her.
All that’s to say, as a lifetime Little Monster I had grand designs to recreate a specific look for the Mayhem Ball, but it honestly crept up on me so I opted to just put together a look that encapsulated the general Mayhem vibe.
Things were looking a little touch and go until I was scrolling on Facebook Marketplace (my favourite shop in the world) when I found the perfect shirt, with geometric tailoring, a corset-back and lace up sleeves. I paired it with my platform New Rock boots that I thrifted from Goodbyes, a black pleated skirt, lots of silver jewellery and black eyeliner to create a gorgeously steampunk look. #PawsUp
Kate DLC
I was heavily inspired by Gaga’s red Mayhem character and wanted to create a look that was both strong, yet uniquely feminine. Her use of colour blocking in her Mayhem looks was of great inspiration.
My outfit consists of a rhinestoned corset, lace body suit, tule skirt, harnesses and a statement headpiece with the words ‘Love’ and ‘Death’ rhinestoned on the sides. The words are a reference to the song ‘Abracadabra’, which is my favourite song on the album. This costume took two months to plan and create, but was definitely worth it!
Maddie Canning, designer of Cold Wash Only
Colour and texture are what I usually lean into day-to-day, but for a Gaga concert I like to take both ideas up a notch. Most of my pieces are thrifted. The top is from an op shop and the skirt was originally a dress that I cropped into a skirt. The tights came from a stash owned by an iconic older diva who had kept them brand new for years, and the collar is a ’70s placket cover that I added ties to so it could work as a neckpiece.
@maddie.canning @coldwashonly_
Maggie and Katie Zhou, writer and artist
I wore my thrifted Vivienne Westwood T-shirt paired with pants from Singaporean brand, Plop, a necklace from Graedance, and my Specsavers x Vivienne Westwood glasses to Gaga. I went as a low-key little monster – comfort, with a bit of edge.
My younger sister Katie says she “didn’t go for a specific vibe, [she] just went off Pinterest”. This meant wearing my hand-me-down mesh long-sleeve, an old Supré singlet and pants she got in Vietnam. Her friend Liz made the crochet bolero, her friend Sophia made the earrings, and the belt chain was a gift from another friend. (We get it, you’re popular!)
We both had the same favourite Gaga look – her costume for Dead Dance designed by Sailor D Gonzales, Elias Martian and Orchid Satellite. It was darkly whimsical; very theatrical and kooky. Perfectly Gaga.
Holly Villagra, Fashion Journal‘s Branded Content and Production Coordinator
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I remember sitting right in front of the TV in 2009, watching Lady Gaga stride through an all-white bathroom in Alexander McQueen’s Plato’s Atlantis collection, singing about love and revenge. From that moment, I was hooked.
For this concert, I want to draw on that same otherworldly McQueen-esk energy with deep jewel tones and a fun silhouette. I opted for the Drawstring Top and Frilled Capris in the Garden print by one of my favourite Australian, locally-made, size-inclusive labels, Cakey Sportsman. There’s no other label I’d rather be wearing while putting my paws up screaming the lyrics to ‘Abracadabra’.
Read more about Lady Gaga’s ‘Mayhem Ball’ here.
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