Lady Gaga links up with Versace for a new Pride-honouring capsule collection

Lady Gaga has teamed up with Versace to launch a three-piece capsule collection in celebration of Pride Month, as well as the ten-year anniversary of her album ‘Born This Way’.

• READ MORE: How Lady Gaga reshaped the music world in her image

Spearheaded by chief creative officer Donatella Versace, the collection features two limited-edition T-shirts and a beret, all emblazoned with the fashion giant’s ‘Medusa’ logo in a rainbow gradient, and the title of Gaga’s renowned second album in the typeface first seen on its eponymous single’s cover art.

30 percent of the proceeds generated from sales will be donated to Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, which, per its website, is “committed to supporting the wellness of young people, and empowering them to create a kinder and braver world”.

“Versace has always been a leader,” Gaga wrote in a statement. “Since Gianni, Donatella, Allegra, and still now they have celebrated the beautiful [colours] of love we have within us to offer each other. We were all more different, and different is beautiful.

“Thank you Donatella for supporting LGBTQ+ mental health and the ‘Born This Way’ tenth anniversary.”

In her own statement, Versace commended Gaga’s work with LGBTQ+ youth, highlighting that “her foundation [is] so inspiring”.

“Our friendship and our efforts to promote equality, diversity and inclusion have only become stronger with time,” she said.

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Versace and Gaga have a storied history together, notably including when the superstar commissioned a series of costumes from Versace to wear during her tour in support of ‘Born This Way’. One of those – a black leather jacket accented with Versace’s signature Metal Mesh and gold trim – has been recreated for the album’s tenth anniversary, and is being auctioned off by US-based fundraising organisation Omaze.

The jacket reportedly took over 400 hours to craft by hand in Versace’s Milan studio. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Gaga’s foundation.

‘Born This Way’ was released in May of 2011, and has grown to become iconic – particularly within the LGBTQ+ community – for its transparent themes of queer liberation, sexual empowerment and feminism. In a four-star review, NME called the album “an exercise in the pushing of everything to its ultimate degree”.

Last month, Gaga was honoured with the key to the city of West Hollywood in celebration of the record’s anniversary. West Hollywood mayor Lindsey P. Horvath also declared May 23 ‘Born This Way Day’.

A deluxe reissue of ‘Born This Way’ was also announced, due for release on June 18. The edition features six new takes on the album’s tracks by artists who are representative of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Gaga’s most recent album, ‘Chromatica’, was released last May. In a review, NME declared the release a “pure pop celebration from an icon in a world of her own”.

Yesterday, it was announced that Gaga would be postponing her ‘Chromatica Ball’ world tour until 2022, citing travel complications arising from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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