Gaga for Gaga's Fashion
Dripping with glamour, sophistication and just...WOW, Lady Gaga's costumes gave been flooring us on American Horror Story: Hotel. We exclusively hit the set to bring you secrets from Gaga's "The Countess" closet, courtesy of costume designer Lou Eyrich and Gaga herself.
Nothing Is Easy
This stunning red coat that Gaga wore in her debut Hotel scene is from the archives of Yohji Yamamoto. "That outfit is 35 to 50 pounds, easily," Gaga says. "It's got two corsets underneath it and there's a full body chain that's all diamonds that's not that comfortable, and then my hair's back and there's a net over the face and then a hat and then a heavy jacket, and then there's a petticoat underneath the dress, and the gown is made of basically like, Scarlett O'Hara's curtains. It's just so heavy, which is perfect for the opening scene, where we're beginning with the end of the most major romance movie ever."
"She Can Do Anything"
So how did she actually move around in it? In a cemetery with grass, no less? "She can do anything," costume designer Lou Eyrich insists. "And she was in seven inch boots, as well. And she was running through the cemetery." We bow down, Mother Monster.
No Small Task
Eyrich, who has worked with Ryan Murphy since Nip/Tuck, admits she was thrilled--and a little nervous--when she found out she'd be dressing Gaga. "Lady Gaga can pull anything off," she explains. "And she's done it all. So I said, 'What am I going to do that she hasn't already done?' She and I had a conversation of who The Countess is, and then I was just able to fly into Countess mode because she and I were on the same page about it. There are so many designers who love to dress her, so we were given a lot of fun things to play with."
Glove Love
"The glove was made just for Gaga," Eyrich says. "It's a Swarovski crystal glove that was designed by Michael Schmidt. He's a jewelry designer here. The glove has a needle that pops out, and that's The Countess's weapon. She always takes it out on the hunt."
But Sometimes Leather is Better
But of course, the Countess can't always wear her Swarovski crystal glove. She has a much more practical leather version, as seen here in her closet.
Everything Old Is New
"This is a dress made by Michael Costello, a local designer," Eyrich reveals, adding that the snakes were taken off of a vintage belt and turned into pins.
Drama, Drama, Drama
"The idea was to have a big e-fan blowing and lots of fabric to just be blowing around," Eyrich says of the scene. "Ryan [Murphy]'s specifications were to have a big train behind her and a lot of fabric blowing."
Get Ready For Flashbacks
"Every script has a surprise behind it," Eyrich explains. "So we're constantly changing it up. Now it's 70's, now it's 80's, now it's 20's, so you're just constantly jumping between eras. The conversation never stops."
Isn't It Necromantic?
"This is the dress she wore for the beach, with a big umbrella," Eyrich says. "We added a pin that has a Kingfisher bird head on it. We've had a lot of necromance because it's so perfect for American Horror Story. Wonderful pieces. It just puts that little edge."
Gown: Ashi Studio
Easter Egg Alert!
Eyrich likes to recycle a few little items here and there from season to season, for savvy viewers. This year you'll likely see a hat or two from Coven.
Jewelry Galore
The Countess has no shortage of glamorous necklaces to adorn her already over-the-top fabulousness.
Creepy Crawly
A peek at a mere fraction of the tables and tables of The Countess' accessories. Those little green bug pins are made out of real bugs.
This is Gaga's Art
It may look like Gaga is just putting on crazy outfits for shock value, but that's not how she sees it. "That's my art, and that's what people don't always really know about me or think about me is that I'm always putting things on to be provocative or shocking for the sake of it, but actually it's not that easy to wear all of those things and to do it with poise and precision and to hit your mark every time, for a director."
The Countess is Not Lady Gaga
"Most importantly...I want people to watch it and not feel like they're watching Lady Gaga," Mother Monster admits. "I'd like them to feel like they're watching The Countess. That's important to me, and I feel like I've spent a lot of time working on that, and I can't wait for everyone to just enjoy the show and what's ahead."
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