Vogue readers recently elected Lady Gaga as 2010's Best Dressed Person. The competition was stiff, with Gaga beating out such fashionable contenders as Anna Wintour-favorite Blake Lively, First Lady Michelle Obama, Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede, and Brit It-Girl Carey Mulligan, among others. In choosing Lady Gaga, an artist who dresses primarily in costume, has the line between theatrical costume and fashion become even more blurred?
Don't get me wrong- I like fashion risk-takers. I love them, actually. I'd rather see a row of Anna Piaggi-wannabes than Jennifer Aniston-emulators any day. The fanciful and the outrageous are what make fashion exciting, in my opinion. Sure, there are hits and misses along the way, but you can't hit a home run if you're not willing to swing the bat. Lady Gaga is certainly a risk-taker who brings excitement and attention to the fashion industry. However, do her costumes represent her personal style? The purpose of theatrical costume, according to art historian Anne Hollander, "is to catch the eye with something unusual" (Seeing Through Clothes). Gaga accomplishes this summa cum laude, but she does so in a different manner from other fashion risk-takers like Daphne Guinness, Tilda Swinton, and the late Isabella Blow- all of whom dress(ed) in a manner which reflects their personal style.
Lady Gaga's personal style, as captured by the paparazzi, seems to be as bold as her costume choices, but perhaps not as fashionable. She has been photographed shopping (in the winter, no less!) without pants many times, wearing fishnets or sheer tights instead. She also wears heels that are typically favored by the women-of-the-night set and not the A-list fashion crowd. Fashion choices like these represent a lack of taste to me, even if they are bold and daring. One can take risks in fashion while still being appropriate, I believe.
So, if Lady Gaga won Best Dressed for her costumes and not her personal style, is she truly the year's best dressed woman? And what is the difference between costume and clothing- or is there one? Just a little fashion brain food for you!
(** photo from fashionfame.com**)
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