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Lady Gaga: confident, mature and fashionable as ever

Gaga is not saying she’s retiring her days of being a fashion daredevil. Gaga loves the eccentric and dramatic; she just no longer feels the compulsion to always be over-the-top or use caricature as a way to hide from the media.

“I can see now; I don’t need to have a million wigs and sh*t to make a statement.”

A reflective and emotional Lady Gaga says this in the 2017 Netflix documentary,Gaga: Five Foot Two.”

It’s a shocking quote given the persona Lady Gaga has developed for herself. Known for outrageous ensembles like her 2013 VMAs dress made of raw meat slabs, Gaga and statement-making have always gone hand-in-hand.  

In putting her quote in context, Gaga is not saying she’s retiring her days of being a fashion daredevil. Gaga loves the eccentric and dramatic; she just no longer feels the compulsion to always be over-the-top or use caricature as a way to hide from the media.

“I never felt comfortable enough to sing and just be this way now,” Gaga confesses in the film. “I never felt pretty enough or smart enough or a good enough musician. That’s the good part. The good part is that I just didn’t feel good enough. And I do now.”

This newfound self-assurance allows Gaga to  express herself and experiment, remaining bold in her style choices, but on her own accord.

“Gaga: Five Foot Two” highlights Gaga’s maturity and increased self-confidence that have helped propel her recent success. While she used to sing about the paparazzi and nightclubs, her latest album is a sentimental tribute to her late aunt, Joanne. Freshly after a broken-off engagement, Gaga landed the 2017 Super Bowl halftime performance, making her vision come to life as she literally flew through the air in a jewel-encrusted bodysuit. And as the leading lady in the illustrious 2018 remake of “A Star is Born,” Gaga proved her killer vocals and acting prowess worthy to critics who originally thought a more experienced actress should’ve secured the role.

Gaga has been steering her career out of her own volition, and she is undoubtedly thriving in doing so. She is dynamic, fearless and constantly evolving, with her style following suit. With her sizable accomplishments in the last couple of years and her knack for keeping everyone on their toes, there’s sure to be more career triumphs and daring fashion ensembles to come for the sensational Lady Gaga.

Here’s a tribute to some of her best looks over the last ten years.

2009

Source: Time

At the Much Music Video Awards, wearing a dress made of hair….because, why not?

2010

Source: Glamour

At the MTV Video Music Awards, in the controversial dress that proved Gaga likes her fashion extra rare.

2011

Source: Getty Images

Gaga in New York, teetering in her signature footwear, platform heels that scare ankles everywhere.

2012

Source: Zimbio

Gaga wears a dress that resembles felt, displaying her quirky street style that plays with proportions and color.

2013

Source: Got Celeb

Gaga at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in NYC, with a powdered face that ages her to match her sophisticated suit and pearls.

2014

Source: Elle

Part confetti cannon, part sea urchin, totally gravity-defying and rule-breaking Gaga while out and about in Paris. Epic.

2015

Source: Billboard

When needing to be elegant, Gaga still maintains her fun side, like the balloon sleeves on this frock she wore to the Emmy Awards after-party.  

2016

Source: Vogue

At the 2016 Grammys, Gaga dazzled in her performance, paying homage to her idol, David Bowie, while wearing a Bowie-worthy Marc Jacobs dress that perfectly fused their flamboyant styles.

2017

Source: People

Pictured in the signature pink cowboy hat she wore on the album cover for “Joanne,” Gaga tones things down while also playing with textures through her metallic pairings.

2018

Source: Popsugar

Gaga looks ethereal yet unstoppable in the cotton candy pink feathered Valentino Haute Couture gown she debuted at the Venice Film Festival.

2019

Source: Standard

With a refreshing pop of periwinkle, Gaga looks like Cinderella, though more chic and dramatic, with a massive train and coordinating updo at the 2019 Golden Globes.

Ginny Howey
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By Ginny Howey

I´m a freshman from Charlotte, NC. I'm unsure of my major but am a Spanish for the Business minor and can´t wait to study abroad in Sevilla this summer! I´ve always enjoyed writing and love all things fashion, so Coulture proved to be a perfect fusion of two of my interests. It´s a great feeling being part of a big, creative collaboration of such interesting and talented individuals on the UNC campus who comprise this magazine!