Lady Gaga’s two-day concert this week at the Mall of Asia Arena was all about stars and spikes, bubbles and unicorns. Her fans, collectively known as the Little Monsters, came in outlandish costumes, outdoing each other as they watched their Mother Monster perform in a complex castle stage.
For these Little Monsters, “The Born This Way Ball” was about creativity and craziness—never mind comfort.
One fan in the mosh pit watched the two-hour show—in sculpted body armor. Another was in a bubble dress (actually made up of balloons, or condoms?), similar to what Lady Gaga wore on a previous Monster Ball tour and on the cover of Rolling Stone.
We also saw mega-chunky platform shoes in suede, animal print, and leather with serious spikes. There were also visor shades decked with crystals and glass, masks made of broken mirrors, slashed fishnet stockings, and finger-less leather gloves with spikes.
The Arena became a sea of colored wigs, the most we’ve seen in any Manila concert.
We spotted what looked like DIY-studded statement jackets. One was a black denim with “Judas” outlined in pearls, another was airbrushed with a gold unicorn and “Born This Way” in block letters. Both are titles of Lady Gaga’s controversial songs.
Some took inspiration from her music videos, like the guy in silver overalls—reminiscent of the spandex catsuit in “Bad Romance.” A girl used yellow “caution” police-line tape as headband. Several concert goers donned origami-like headpieces patterned after the iconic blue one in “Telephone.”
The more daring Monsters wore barely-there bondage outfits, like Gaga did in the “Edge of Glory” video.
Lady Gaga opened “The Born This Way Ball” in an Armani black leotard with spikes and sequins, in matching thigh-high boots and elaborate headpiece.
She also wore what looked like a “Gaga-fied” terno, a long latex gown in nude with giant butterfly sleeves, and a mini cutout dress with quilted details, also with structured terno-like butterfly sleeves.
American Vogue called Lady Gaga “Our Lady of Pop.” She is known for her weird, wild and often criticized fashion—which inspires fans to go over the top, dress up in odd materials, and raise their “paws” up to her songs.
