When Lady Gaga first hit the big time 15 years ago, she was suddenly everywhere all at once. She made it her business to be camp, outrageous, and interesting, and never showed up in a boring outfit. I’m glad to say that after some years of normality, classic Gaga was out in full force today. Don’t freak out, either, you’re not on TMZ. This post is definitely about cars.
Gaga made a grand entrance to the premiere of her GAGA CHROMATICA BALL concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday. Over a long white dress, she wore a car’s front bumper, folded up, bolted together, and contorted to wrap around her torso.
The wild look was captured by The Hollywood Reporter, amongst other outlets, and has made quite the plash on Twitter. The eye-catching look has been compared to a dinosaur skull, or the first-generation Pokemon known as Cubone.
.@ladygaga has arrived to her #ChromaticaBall event in Los Angeles. pic.twitter.com/Y0pt34XXXK
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 24, 2024
What you really want to know, though, is who she’s wearing. Gaga’s Instagram tells us that the outfit is the work of SELVA, a German clothing designer. But what about the bumper itself?
This one really threw us for a loop. Auto writer Daniel Golson noted on Twitter that the bumper appeared to be from a late-model W212-era Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible or coupe. What threw us off were those big oval holes under where the headlights would go.
On the red carpet I told them it was a car part. They said what kind and I said I don’t know, I’m not a mechanic.
Outfit by SELVA
Fashion Direction by @formichetti
photo @domenvandevelde
styling @hunterclem_
hair @HairByFrederic
make up @SarahNTannoMUA
nail @mihonails pic.twitter.com/KQsW1R6iNl
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) May 24, 2024
My first theory was that those two big oval holes were arm holes. Peter wasn’t buying it, though. He thought it was stock, and that this car must have had some kind of special bumper mount feature. That threw me off my initial hunch, and I started to doubt whether it really was a Mercedes part.
Peter supported his belief with video footage, showing more depth to the cutout. Maybe it was a stock cutout? I spent a further 40 minutes trying to find another car with such a similar front bumper, except with an intake or fog light mounted in that position.
In my heart of hearts, though, I knew it had to be off the W212. I’d found a bumper online that had the same linear clip detail for the missing grille that was obvious on Gaga’s outfit.
On the red carpet I told them it was a car part. They said what kind and I said I don’t know, I’m not a mechanic.
Outfit by SELVA
Fashion Direction by @formichetti
photo @domenvandevelde
styling @hunterclem_
hair @HairByFrederic
make up @SarahNTannoMUA
nail @mihonails pic.twitter.com/KQsW1R6iNl
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) May 24, 2024
It was only once Gaga name-checked SELVA that I got my confirmation. I headed to SELVA’s Instagram profile, and hit paydirt.
It turns out the designer has been using car parts as clothing for some time. While other models have worn the bumper bars with their arms through the holes, Gaga elected to wear this piece differently.
A post shared by SELVA (@selva________________)
I suspect the piece was built in a hurry for Gaga. It was then only realized at a late stage that the arm holes weren’t going to work. If Gaga did use them, the vertical grille supports for the bumper would have been crowding her face. The E-Class bumper does appear more difficult to fit than the sleeker design seen above, and this may have introduced complications for wearing it as intended. Nevertheless, SELVA installed their trademark metal hardware to hold the folded bumper together and fit it to Gaga’s torso successfully.
The final giveaway was found by zooming in on Gaga’s own photos. It’s clear there is some swarf hanging on to the bumper where the arm holes were roughly cut in the plastic. It’s more evidence that this was done on a compressed timescale, and that she wasn’t initially intended to wear it the way it appeared at the premiere. Regardless, it worked anyway!
It’s a dope look, but also not anywhere near the most controversial one Lady Gaga has donned over the years. A standout among many was the ‘meat dress’ which she wore to the 2010 Video Music Awards.
lady gaga wearing a meat dress at the vmas 2010 pic.twitter.com/HI9qrG74VE
— pop culture gal (@allurequinn) May 18, 2024
As an aside, if you’re looking for a tidbit of Lady Gaga trivia to get you through your next dinner party, I got you. She doesn’t sing “red wine” at the start of her hit single, Just Dance. She’s singing “RedOne,” shouting out the producer that helped write the track.
If you’re a big Gaga fan, her concert film will premiere on HBO on May 25. Meanwhile, if you’re craving a look as good as this one, get down to your local pick-a-part and try and find a rad bumper of your own. SELVA’s not the only one that can make car parts chic, I’m sure.
Image credits: The Hollywood Reporter via Twitter screenshot, Lady Gaga via Twitter
She is unbelievably talented. I thought she was past the crazy costume stuff as she does not need to do that to get attention. That said, it sure is interesting! I wonder if she was trying to make a point or…?
So, which writer is doing the inevitable ‘These are the obscure car parts we would wear as fashion (and how we would wear them)’ article? It feels like Torch territory but I’d love to see the Bishop or Adrian suffer try it.
I’m surprised there isn’t a 15-part slide show about it on Gallopdick.
The fact that she still showed up for the event after being hit by a car, says a lot about her work ethic.
Meh… I preferred the meat dress…
That looks uncomfortable.
Nice bit of detective work!
As for car parts as fashion it’s quite fine, even perfectly cromulent, but I’m still annoyed about the VW emblem being stolen from my baywindow bus right around the time Beastie Boys first became popular. Even reproductions ain’t cheap but it’s kinda moot since I’ve put the spare tire on the front so it’s just as well 🙂
And VW even referenced the Beastie Boys phenomenon in their marketing, ha: https://kottke.org/18/11/how-vw-turned-beastie-boys-inspired-theft-of-car-parts-into-a-clever-80s-ad
Is SELVA a fashion designer or a body shop?
Where are my little monsters at? I appreciate Lady Gaga a lot, my first road trip alone was with her new album The Fame back in 2008 blasting the single din radio in my Seat Ibiza
Raises hand! Teenage me had a crush on her……
To steal a Mitch Hedberg bit:
I used to have a crush on her. Still do, but I used to, too.
lol 60 year old me does. I probably couldn’t recognize her music, I just appreciate her style, and attitude. Grace Jones filled that niche in my day I guess, though Lady Gaga is more musically successful.
Lessss gooooooo!
Just to be clear, that is a bumper COVER.
Carry on.
Since this was a fun, apparently covert sponsored post, I’ll ride the wave and mention that Tires (season 1) was released on Netflix yesterday. It’s Shane Gillis’s show about working at a tire store.
Neat.
Uh, sponsored by who?? I certainly missed it.
By SELVA? I’m not sure we’re the target demographic.
By a Junk Yard? Pushing people to buy old car parts for fashion excessories! Yes!
Lady Gaga, obviously.
I still think it’s the Junk-Yard Lobby. They’re trying to get me to wear old brake rotors for a necklace, like some kind of Auto-FlavorFlav
I won’t do it!!
That is an amazing thought. What part would Flav wear around his neck if he as into car parts and not clocks?
Would they have to be round like rotors or steering wheels or maybe the differential cover from a 1948 Studebaker.
A Cherry Bomb muffler, natch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMfNc_5OqRI
Maybe a clutch disk. Those look cool.
Or a giubo.
It’s about the right size and shape, and has a great name to explain to people.
Most likely: a gold-plated differential ring gear.
Would you do it for a Subie Snack?
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43375653/1998-subaru-impreza-22b-sti-bring-a-trailer-auction/
Honestly, I am curious about what should be my next necklace charm. I’ve been wearing an old AMD Opteron server processor for six years, but I haven’t worked in IT for so long.
But I’m stuck. What kind of car part is small enough to work well on a necklace? I want something a bit cooler than a badge, but what’s small enough to work?
This is a fun question. You want something small and relatively flat. Should be somewhat interesting or intricate. Could be a chip or circuit from a car, but I feel like something mechanical would be better…
I will think about it…
I’m sure the Autopian brain trust, if everyone sees this, will have good ideas!
I love the idea she’s a stealth subscriber to the site
Since this was a fun, apparently covert sponsored post…
We do not roll like that and never have. I’m not sure why this keeps coming up. If someone is sponsoring a post or giving us an incentive we will tell you about it either in the headline or early in the body in bold. David’s XPEL posts are a prime example.
We really were just fascinated by the fact that Lady Gaga wore a bumper cover to the red carpet. 🙂
I know, I know. I was just having some 3rd cup of coffee messing around 🙂
This type of hard-hitting journalism is why EVERYONE should subscribe to Autopian.
I will never not adore this woman.
Still gets regular spins on my rotation.
I can live without the Tony Bennett stuff, but when she’s on her electro-stomp game my god.
Her music is not my cup of Earl Grey, but I totally dig her style. Hard to deny her enormous talent.
If only SELVA worked in black, then you could wear it to Goodwood.
Why stop there? The entire Autopian staff should have, nay, deserve, their own bespoke outfits made out of cars. Torch’s would of course include a pair of (functional) Beetle tail-lights as ear-rings.
Not earrings. You know Torch is getting those taillights attached to his back pockets. He may struggle to sit at the event, but it will be worth it.
They’d all look like Transformers. I love this!
I need to wear a bumper to the LA auto show with my leopard print coat
Torch’s outfit it 79 tail lights sewn together, and one heckblende on his chest to highlight the badass scar.
No way I could walk in those heels though.
John Fluevog needs to make driving creepers.
Please don’t do this.
Don’t do what? Dig into unidentified car parts to identify them? This is VERY Autopian content, in my opinion. Well-researched, with just enough side commentary to spice it up.
The Selva____ Instagram photos look like minimalist Autobot cosplay.
At least they look better than the Michael Bay versions.
Oh, that wasn’t criticism.
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