Lady Gaga is many things: conceptual artist, pop star, provocateur, and master of outfit changes. In her latest incarnation, appearing with legend Tony Bennett on a duo album titled Cheek to Cheek, she’s a vintage Vegas chanteuse to Bennett’s smoky-voiced crooner.
She’s also a fan of Edina-based bead designer Gail Be. The singer appears in a one-of-a-kind beaded headpiece, necklace, and top by the designer in the CD’s liner notes as well as on the cover of the single “Anything Goes.”
They’re part of an ensemble created by Be in 2004 and updated in 2012. Crafted completely out of Swarovski crystals from the 1950s—the fruits of 15 years of bead collecting and seven months of labor. So how did she find herself on a major pop star’s radar?
It started with having the right agent. Gail Be managed to land with Look Los Angeles, an exclusive agency that represents high-end fashion designers around the world for opportunities to display their wares in film, TV, print, and on the red carpet. When the Gaga crew came knocking, the agency curated a list of top options that included Be’s unique creation.
“What people look for, especially in L.A., is what’s unique, what’s different, what’s one-of-a-kind, what can never be copied—and bling,” says Be. “I knew I was going to be against every major fashion house in the world, but I never gave up hope that it would be picked.” If you want to dress like Gaga, Be’s ensemble could be yours—for a cool $47,000.
