Lady Gaga Really Knows Her Fashion S***, According to Costume Designer Lou Eyrich
Lou Eyrich in an emerald ensemble on the red carpet at the Costume Guild Designers Awards. (Photo: Getty Images)
Costume Designer Lou Eyrich, a rather inspired and eccentric dresser, is best known for her work on American Horror Story, Scream Queens, Glee, and Nip/Tuck. Being Ryan Murphy’s go-to girl for all things fashion, she also played a major part in dressing the Countess, the role inhabited by Lady Gaga on the latest season of American Horror Story: Hotel.
During cocktails at the 18th Costume Designers Guild Awards on Tuesday at The Beverly Hilton, Eyrich mentioned that to achieve the murderous character’s glamorous look, she picks up many items at vintage stores in Los Angeles and New Orleans. Her short list of hotspots in Hollywood include The Way We Wore, Golyester, and Decades. Asked if price was concern when purchasing from the haute shop, Decades, she replied, “It’s not my money.”
In addition to being bought online from sites such as eBay and Etsy, a lot of the fashion for the miniseries was found in the Bayou. “I miss that city so much,” revealed Eyrich of New Orleans, where the show was shot. “We did so much shopping in New Orleans. Magpie, Bambi Deville’s. It’s like any city, they have everything. But they have the French Quarter, which is delicious. And their vintage stores are smaller, but the people are so nice and accommodating. They’ll go in their own closets and dig stuff up for you. I love them.”
Eyrich’s favorite vintage find was only seen on FX for a blink of an eye. “There was a hat that Gaga wore. You hardly saw it because it was in an elevator,” she said. “You could see that it was full-on beading when you shook your head. It looked like Liza Minnelli from the ’70s. it was awesome.”
But before sourcing the items for the character, Eyrich found inspiration by watching vintage horror films. “But I didn’t watch any vampire movies,” she explained, “because I didn’t want to alter what I had in my head. I didn’t want [the vision] to shift in a different direction. But I did listen to a lot of music from old horror movies and vampire movies, because that inspires me.”
Gaga helped shape the character’s look as well. “She knows her s***,” Eyrich said. “She’s so on it. We completely collaborated. She knows what works on her. And I never heard her say an unkind word to any of her staff or her team. I was blown away.” But the singer wasn’t the only cast member to leave a lasting impression. “One of the best things of 2015 for me was getting to meet and work with Jamie Lee Curtis. She’s a goddess and a hero. ”
Turns out, Eyrich herself is pretty great, too. She won the award for Outstanding Contemporary Television Series that evening for her work on FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel and was dressed in a curvy cap and futuristically-structured suit. “I had this designed for American Horror Story, and it never got worn so I thought I’d give it a good home. I’m just using it for the day. It will go back into the cage tomorrow.”
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