Happy birthday, Lady Gaga! Today, the singer and actor turns 40—and honor of her special day, Vogue is taking a look back at some of her most memorable style moments. Gaga is, after all, one of the world’s most fashion-forward, risk-taking celebrities. (Cue memories of the infamous meat dress.) And to be exact, we’re revisiting her 92 best ensembles over the years.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2008 with her critically-acclaimed album The Fame, Gaga’s fashion evolution has kept us guessing along the way. She’s the queen of transformation—drastically changing her look with each album release. When we were first introduced to Gaga, she was all about a futuristic disco look, wearing hooded bodysuits and architectural dresses. This is the year she also introduced The Haus of Gaga to the world—a small creative team that would be responsible for her costumes, props, and sets for many years to come.
In the 2010s, however, is when Lady Gaga emerged as the flamboyant red carpet dresser we know her as today. At the 2010 MTV VMAs, she paid tribute to Alexander McQueen in a custom bosch-print gown, gold feather mohawk, and staggering armadillo shoes (she loves a death-defying shoe). “I’ve always been inspired by Alexander McQueen—I think he’s potentially the greatest designer of all time,” Gaga shared in her Vogue “Life in Looks” video. That same night, she switched into her infamous meat dress, which was designed by Frank Fernandez but envisioned by Haus of Gaga—complete with a meat hat and meat purse, of course. (Fun fact: In her Life in Looks video, Gaga revealed that a corset was sewn underneath the meat, to give the garment some much-needed shape.)
Throughout the past decade, Gaga has only continued to experiment with different moods and fashion flavors. For her 2013 album Artpop, she went full on kooky-chic, wearing theatrical ensembles such as a giant feathered Louis Vuitton headpiece, and an inflatable spike dress designed by Central Saint Martins alumni Jack Irving. For her 2016 album Joanne, she went more country-western, often wearing denim cut-off shorts and accessorizing with the pink cowboy hat that she wears on the album cover.