Lady Gaga Is Causing Fashion Mayhem

Lately, it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu. In many ways, 2025 feels like a reheated version of 2010: skinny jeans are on trend, techno dance music is back, peplum tops are out of hibernation. But the most damning evidence of all? Lady Gaga’s new album, Mayhem.

Now, Gaga has always been a bit chaotic. But in the last decade, we’ve seen a much more normcore version of the “Bad Romance” singer. Meat dresses have been replaced with Oscars-approved Hollywood glam. Egg-shaped entrances have been pushed aside for jazzified intros with the late Tony Bennett. Fire hazards of almost all kinds have been non-existent.

So when the icon showed up to the 2025 Grammy Awards in a goth-coded gown, fans knew something new — or old? — was coming: her return to fashionable chaos. With her recent outfits featuring unexpected silhouettes, clashing fabrics and daring accessories, Gaga’s Mayhem era serves as a reminder that to her, fashion is an art form meant to provoke and inspire creativity. Her styling choices aren’t just about making headlines — they’re about disrupting the status quo.

For example, at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards this month, Gaga wore a flowy red gown with an exaggerated frilly collar (perfectly on-trend for the season), bell sleeves and lace detailing. The look is from the Fall 2025 collection of McQueen, a frequent collaborator of Gaga’s from the late 2000s. While the outfit is less sci-fi and more eclectic bohemian, in a sea of sequins and barely-there ensembles, Gaga’s modest take on red carpet dressing was unexpectedly subversive.

Later that evening, Gaga chose a provocative turtleneck dress with ruched detailing from Stella McCartney’s Fall 2025 collection. The lacy texture, Madonna-esque bustier and dark mood conjure images of a previous Gaga — the version of the star that produced Artpop in 2013.

But really, we can trace the start of the Gaga’s Mayhem era to as early as February 2, when she made an appearance at the 2025 Grammy Awards. Wearing a gown by Samuel Lewis, the “Bad Romance” singer punctuated the red carpet with pointed shoulders, a corset bodice and draped skirt. Undeniably goth, the look was unlikely anything else on the red carpet — but knowing Gaga, that was entirely the point. Consider her ensemble a rejection of the mainstream; after all, goth prioritizes individuality and expression through a decidedly dark aesthetic. Instead of embracing the light, she dove into the darkness and signalled the start of a new era.

Then on February 16, as she headed to Saturday Night Live’s 50th Anniversary at Radio City Music Hall, Gaga once again embraced her inner Victorian heroine. Styled by Chloe and Chenelle Delgadillo, she wore a unique trench coat-mermaid gown hybrid, adorned with silver buttons from top to bottom.

A few weeks later, while galavanting the streets of New York City, Gaga sported a runway look from Diesel’s Fall 2025 collection. Taking a page from the ‘90s grunge playbook, the ensemble featured a plaid, A-lined wool coat with fringed, fuzzy hems. She then accessorized with matching boots, topped with a loosely tied Lisa Yang cashmere beanie.

On March 6, at a Spotify press conference, Gaga turned heads by wearing a distressed hoodie by Puppets and Puppets, Nicholas K beanie, Comme Des Garçons tutu and Acne Studios peep-toe shoes with socks. Surprisingly casual? Perhaps. But every look is a curveball with Gaga, whose sartorial choices channeled an angsty teen rather than a millionaire megastar.

A few days later, the star took the SNL stage in a custom-made crystallized one-piece catsuit by Dominican-American designer brand Luar. Breathing life into the lyrics to her new hit “Abracadabra,” Gaga appeared as a lady in red. The bejewelled catsuit, topped with a connecting headpiece, was a striking nod to the late 2000s Mother Monster.

Later that evening, Gaga performed “Killah” in a sculptural, custom Robert Wun suit. With exaggerated shoulders and tiered pleated pants rendered in a royal purple fabric, she challenged traditional notions of femininity and fashion.

From powerful statements to contrasting references from different fashion eras, Lady Gaga’s Mayhem era is all about disruption. It provides commentary on the power of individuality and challenging conventional fashion. In a time where celebrity ensembles feel overly curated and predictable, Gaga’s clothing chaos is a breath of fresh air. It’s a reminder to embrace the weird, the strange and the unexpected — even if that means looking to the past for inspiration.