20 May 2010

The Gaga Effect


Okay, I'll let you all in on a little theoretical underpinning of a recent celebrity trend I have been working on.

From her hair and her shoes, to her attitude and those increasingly risqué videos, the rise of Lady Gaga has been unprecedented. It has been crazy, and lets be honest someone like her was much needed. World domination is in her grasp, go Gaga! She says "it's okay, you can be different, just look at me". And that is kinda nice. She isn't the most gorgeous or typically beautiful looking and she may not wear what is inside the pages of fashion magazines, but doesn't that just make us love her more? I read magazines (okay, I read a lot) and when I get to a picture of her I think "wow, look at what she's wearing, isn't she great!" She's an icon, and it already feels as though she has been around for years. That is hard work for you.

So it is only inevitable that retailers alike would try to cash in on her style. Have you noticed? I'm sure sales for leotards have sky rocketed. Even Claire's Accessories brought out the clip-in hair bow. But you will not find most of her ensembles in the likes of New Look or River Island, for they are too daring for your Average Jess. They should probably belong in a museum. Or in her archive. Give it ten/twenty years and they will be on display at the V&A Museum. Her look is hard to replicate, as her outfits are custom made or couture, but retailers have homed in on the wearable pieces and the fashion volume has been cranked up a good few notches.

But there is now something new we are seeing, higher and newer realms and forms of the effect. Celebrities are upping their fashion ante. Their hair is bigger, their make up bolder and their outfits louder. Yes people, what we are witnessing here is what I like to call the "Lady Gaga effect". Stars from Beyonce to Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke, to name a few, have shed their old styles in favour of something a little more 'Gaga' and arguably, out of character. Even their music videos are crazier. Every time I see a Gaga Clone who has been hit by this syndrome I say, "this is a clear example of the Lady Gaga Effect". Like I'm some sort of scientist or something.

But just how far will they go?

Well, we found out the other day when morning television host Lorraine Kelly released pictures of herself looking a little (!) Gaga. Lorraine, I love you, I do, but this has trickled down low. Whoever next? Kerry Katona?! Oh god it hurts to even joke!

Oh I do love a good theory. Testing is ongoing.

What do you all think?

Style memo: I bought into a piece of Ga, the Mac Viva Glam Lady Gaga lipstick, it is absolutely divine. A sort of one-suits-all lipstick. All proceeds go the MAC Aids Fund.

I recently done an interview with Tobias Sagner and here he talks about Lady Gaga, or, Miss Gaga as he likes to call her.

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