Pure fashion mayhem as Lady Gaga fans stun with handmade outfits

Straits Times

20-05-2025

Lady Gaga's fan base both local and foreign came prepared to watch their 'Mother Monster' live in concert.
Dorcas Lim and Gabrielle Marie Sunderaj
The Straits Times
May 19, 2025
The drizzle did not dampen the spirits of Singapore's Little Monsters, as they thronged the National Stadium on May 18 amid the gloomy weather.
Decked out in elaborate get-ups, handmade costumes, intricate make-up looks and remarkable thrift finds, Lady Gaga's fan base both local and foreign came prepared to watch their "Mother Monster" live in concert.
The 39-year-old American pop star kicked off her first of four Asia-exclusive shows in support of her new album Mayhem.
Amid a sea of black leather jackets and feathered angel wings, several paparazzi-worthy outfits stood out on opening night.
Filipino banker and travel content creator Katrina Tiong, 33, turned heads as she pulled up in her nude-coloured "bubble" dress, a near-perfect replica of Lady Gaga's performance outfit from the Grammy Celebration Concert Tour in 2009.
She said: "I made the dress myself, with Christmas ornaments that I ordered."
Going further back in time, on the other hand, was Singaporean creative Dil Kaur, who donned an OG look from the singer-songwriter's The Fame (2008) era.
The 28-year-old said: "Lady Gaga represents freedom of expression. I remember the first time I heard her on the radio, when I was 13 or 14 years old. She sang in her song Just Dance, 'Just dance, it's gonna be okay.' And I was like, you know what? It is gonna be okay. And 16 years later, everything is, in fact, okay."
Ms Kaur added that her favourite part of the outfit was that she thrifted it on e-commerce platform Carousell. "I do drag, and a big part of drag is thrifting. I went online and found a thrifted outfit. So that's what it is. I think it's one of the original looks - very iconic and representative."
But it was Ms Lelani Palmer, 22, a local escape room manager, who had Little Monsters swarming around her, drawn to her handmade homage to Lady Gaga's Paparazzi stage costume from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
She recreated the fake blood with hand-sewn red details and sported a classic platinum blonde wig with a pink streak.
"I patterned, drafted and sourced for the materials for the bodysuit. It took me 30 to 40 hours in total to get it done," said Ms Palmer, adding that Lady Gaga has been part of her life since she was nine years old.
Professional drag queen Miga Sokponreay also reached new heights - literally - with a pair of faux snakeskin heels. The uniquely shaped platforms left the Cambodian towering over other Little Monsters, in a nod to Lady Gaga's Alexander McQueen footwear from her Bad Romance (2009) music video.
"Lady Gaga is not just an artiste and songwriter, but a fashion icon too. She taught me to never fear when fighting for my dreams. And even if they fail or go wrong, at the end of the day, we are all still fighters," gushed the 32-year-old.
And you can always count on at least one fan to turn up as the incarcerated, studded leather-wearing version of Lady Gaga from the Telephone (2009) music video - and that person was Mr Juraimi Roslan, 31.
He bought fake cigarettes for his sunglasses and ordered yellow caution tape to recreate the instantly recognisable look.
The local freelance videographer - who said he is attending all four concerts, which continue on May 19, 21 and 24 - added: "She encourages us to be ourselves. Growing up, I always felt I didn't fit in and didn't belong. She makes me accept myself for who I am."
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