« A Star Is Born » costume designer Erin Benach borrowed clothes from Lady Gaga’s own personal closet to dress her character, Ally.
An unexpected perk of making a movie with Lady Gaga? The ability to dip into the style icon’s own personal wardrobe to put together the costumes.
“We did have full-blown, complete access to her archives and her closets,” “A Star Is Born” costume designer Erin Benach told Fashionista .
But tempting as the prospect of borrowing a priceless McQueen creation or Bowie-inspired Marc Jacobs coat might’ve been, Benach purposefully pulled staples like jeans and leather pants instead of dramatic performance pieces.
“We worked really hard to create a character that didn’t have any Gaga in it,” Benach told the site. “That was one of the biggest challenges of the movie. Everybody has their own ideas of what rock stars look and dress like, off-duty and on-duty. And on top of that, having Gaga be Gaga, we were so conscious.”
“You know what piece is Stefani Germanotta’s?” the costume designer continued. “When she’s [in the recording studio] and she’s got a multi-colored shawl on. That was from her closet.”
The rest of Ally’s wardrobe, she said, was a mix of vintage treasures, Benach’s own designs and custom pieces from major fashion houses — like the gold ruffled Gucci gown Gaga’s character wears to the Grammys, a last-minute addition the pop star herself insisted on wearing.
“I was driving to work that morning of the Grammys [shoot] — it was like 5:30 a.m. — and I answer my phone,” Benach told Fashionista. “‘Hi Erin, it’s Stefani, I… think we should wear the gold dress today instead of the black dress.’”
In the world of “A Star Is Born,” it seems, even the costumes are a harmonious collaboration.
