All the Details on Lady Gaga's Style Exhibition Straight from Its Curator Nicola Formichetti
Lady Gaga kicked off her Las Vegas residency, Enigma, last December and now that she’s about to embark on the second leg of her journey, she’s taking things to the next level. The superstar performer just launched a very special style exhibit — Haus of Gaga/Las Vegas at the Park MGM.
The new exhibition features over 10 years of her most iconic outfits, displayed for her little monsters to admire. And to celebrate opening day on May 31, she made a very special appearance in a one-of-a-kind outfit.
Gaga arrived to the party in a custom Laurence & Chico orange tiered tulle skirt which she paired with leopard-print sunnies and a special message tee. Her cropped black cap-sleeve top reads “Don’t be a drag, just be a queen” a lyric from her 2011 hit “Born This Way.”
During the night she and the exhibit’s curator, Nicola Formichetti (the man responsible for her meat dress at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards), took surprised fans on a tour and later Formichetti gave PEOPLE an exclusive interview about the exhibition.
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“Just like Enigma encapsulates her career trajectory, Haus of Gaga / Las Vegas is a retrospective of her most iconic looks all in one place for the first time, from the “Paparazzi” cigarette shades to this year’s Met Gala ensembles,” Formichetti, Haus of Gaga member and curator tells PEOPLE. “Throughout the space, fans can see many of her looks worn during some of her most well-known music videos that she also performs during the Enigma show. We really wanted to create something spectacular to celebrate her career and for her fans to experience with the return of her Enigma show.”
What they assembled was a collection of her most influential and iconic fashion moments of her career, including her MTV VMA meat dress, which Formichetti says is his favorite look they’ve collaborated on together.
“It’s really hard to choose just one, but the meat dress by Franc Fernandez is at the top of the list for me. Not only was it fun to see it come to life, but it’s a look that has really made an impact on the entertainment and fashion worlds and Little Monsters everywhere, even nearly 10 years later,” says Formichetti.
There’s also the phone headpiece from her 2009 hit music video Telephone with Beyoncé.
And of course, the Versace iridescent bodysuit from her show stopping 2017 Super Bowl performance.
“There were, of course, so many different looks to choose from for such an intimate space, so it certainly wasn’t an easy process to pick just 40 pieces,” Formichetti says. “That said we’re really proud of the outcome and feel the space really gives fans a full view of her career and how impactful fashion has been for it over the past decade.”
With so many stop-and-stare style moments, Formichetti says there was never a look that he was hesitant to have Gaga wear on the carpet.
“I think the fun part about working with Gaga on all of these looks is that you never really know how something is going to show up on the red carpet,” he explains. “Luckily, everything we’ve worked on together has ended up as a success for us. We’re always adding and tweaking her look pretty much up until she steps foot onto the carpet.”
And most of that success has come from the high-fashion designers she’s collaborated with.
“From day one Gaga has always embraced fashion in a big way — she’s more than just a musical artist and never let the boundaries of what artists typically do and don’t do hold her back. When she first started out, the fashion and music industries were very different. When we collaborated with Alexander McQueen for the “Bad Romance” music video in 2009 working with a designer in that capacity was unheard of. Now, fashion and music are synonymous.”
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After the exhibit, select items will go up for auction with 100% of proceeds donated to the Born This Way Foundation, the nonprofit co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta to support the mental wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world.
Concert-goers can also find Enigma merchandise that will be exclusively available at the Haus of Gaga/Las Vegas at Park MGM.
