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first looks
August 19, 2013

To Discuss: All the Looks From Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ Video

By Charlotte Cowles

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Lady Gaga’s “Applause” video came out today, and it was a doozy. It seems she stored up all the things she couldn’t do while recovering from hip surgery — you know, flying over hordes of muscular, scantily-clad men and emerging from giant top-hats in plumes of pink smoke — and unleashed the backlog in one dizzying string of scenes. As far as “looks” go, she flashes between almost a dozen, not counting a few where she appears to be nude. We’ve broken them down for you in a handy slideshow; click ahead and marvel away.

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1 / 11 Photos
What: A seashell bikini and an enormous blond wig. Why: Because the Little Mermaid was just begging to be outdone, and no one's ever done seashell bot... What: A seashell bikini and an enormous blond wig. Why: Because the Little Mermaid was just begging to be outdone, and no one's ever done seashell bottoms before! (Probably for a good reason.)
What: Gaga as a smoke-breathing black swan head. Why: Because it's not too early to recycle the best motifs of 2011.
What: Two Gagas in arty face paint. Why: Because her new "look" has so many options!
What: A disembodied hand bra! Why: They're actually very "in" this season (see here and here). 
What: Straight-up lingerie. Why: What else does one wear to hump the air and do Exorcist-style back flips on a bare mattress?
What: A sheer jumpsuit over Mathieu Mirano's custom-made "Scorched Duct Tape Bra with Safety Pins, Crystals, and Chains." Why: She's al... What: A sheer jumpsuit over Mathieu Mirano's custom-made "Scorched Duct Tape Bra with Safety Pins, Crystals, and Chains." Why: She's already filled her quota of "normal" lingerie for one video.
What: A scale-y green jacket, a legpiece made of mirrored mosaic tiles, and a tail made of fiber optic lights. Why: Who wouldn't want to emerge from a... What: A scale-y green jacket, a legpiece made of mirrored mosaic tiles, and a tail made of fiber optic lights. Why: Who wouldn't want to emerge from a giant top hat looking part-lizard, part-unicorn, and part-weird Etsy project?
What: Inflated white parachute wings and black bodystocking. Why: It's what would happen if a cloud, a balloon, a quilt, and the Norma Kamali sleeping... What: Inflated white parachute wings and black bodystocking. Why: It's what would happen if a cloud, a balloon, a quilt, and the Norma Kamali sleeping bag coat that Mark Lee gave Gaga last Christmas had an orgy. (Haven't you always wondered what that would look like?)
What: More face paint, smeared artfully. Why: Some people are just really insistent about doing their own makeup.
What: Yellow wig, white boots, and dress with a bodice made of bones. Why: To embrace her inner Marilyn Monroe meets crazy, caged cavewoman.
What: More wings, another bodystocking. Why: Just because her parachute is gone doesn't mean she can't still fly.
1 / 11

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