It’s alive! The fame monster is alive!

There is no doubt that Lady Gaga is one of the most radical and unique artists the music and fashion world has seen. But Gaga is not new to the music industry; her first claim to fame happened a few years ago when she was still known as the simple, shy and struggling artist, Stefanie Germanotta. So how does one go from a modest, unassuming brunette to world-famous music and fashion superstar over the course of a couple years? That took a team.

The image, style and lifestyle of Lady Gaga were created by a specifically selected group of people. Mosha Lundström Halbert, an assistant editor at Flare Magazine says that her stylists consist of a “team of friends and people she had met through her job.” This group of stylists became recognized as “Haus of Gaga.”

“Nicola Formichetti is her co-inspirator and costume designer,” Halbert says. “He is responsible for her most avant-garde looks through her Haus of Gaga team of visionaries.”

Formichetti worked as a fashion editor for several magazines, and is currently employed as fashion director of the men’s line for Vogue Homme Japan. But as the head stylist for Gaga, he’s created some of the most outstanding and extreme outfits ever.

What makes Gaga’s image and style complete is how her on-stage character carries over into her off-stage life. Photos in magazines and on television give viewers the impression she’s just walked off-stage from a performance, and Mosha Lundström Halbert says this is a deliberate decision that was made by Haus of Gaga.

“Her team are hyper-aware of keeping her image consistent, both off-stage and on-stage to maintain the over-the-top look she is known for and control her public persona,” Halbert explains. “Even Madonna, who Lady Gaga is often compared to, doesn’t go to the same plains to maintain her look in her everyday life. She is often seen in tracksuits and exercise wear, whereas Lady Gaga maintains her extreme look whenever she is in public.”

This dedication to image construction puts Gaga on a different level of appeal. “People are drawn to her music because of her image. It’s the whole package she represents,” says Halbert.

For Lady Gaga, it is more about her image and what she represents than just making good music. Her reputation is what sells and what’s remembered by fans. When you think Lady Gaga, the image of a meat dress and hair bow often come to mind before her hits like “Bad Romance.”

“She is music`s chief provocateur,” says Halbert, “and remarkable at using fashion to enthral the press.”

Gaga’s style is a difficult one to copy or imitate; while artists and fans may replicate her fashion sense, Halbert thinks that Gaga’s “choice of clothing and image is not meant to be easily translated to the masses like her other pop star peers. She seeks to maintain an image that is individual and hard to copy.”

Flare’s assistant editor also cites other artists who are taking tips from the Haus of Gaga. “Nicki Minaj is clipping at Lady Gaga’s heels right now and clearly following a similar formula. At the Grammy’s, it will be exciting to see the ‘style- off’ between her and Lady Gaga.”

With Gaga being one of the most influential artists in both the fashion and music industry, the world is eagerly anticipating what fashion statements are still to come. Mark February 13 on your calendar and keep your eyes out for Gaga on the red carpet for the 2011 Grammy Awards.

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