Lady Gaga wore a bullet-proof vest while performing at Joe Biden’s inauguration

Yes, that striking navy and red Schiaparelli gown was both custom-made and bulletproof

Lady Gaga at the Presidential Inauguration
(Image credit: Pool / Pool)

Lady Gaga's style is the stuff of legend, but the artist recently outdid herself when wearing a bulletproof dress at United States President Joe Biden's Inauguration back in January.

In the latest issue of British Vogue, the House of Gucci star (check out her killer style in the movie’s trailer) revealed details about her sartorial choice, a decision fueled by the heightened political climate that she was performing in.

"This is one of my favorite things I've worn," she said about the navy and red custom gown designed by Schiaparelli artistic director Daniel Roseberry. "I wore this design for the inauguration and nobody knows this but this is a bulletproof vest."

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for "A Star is Born" nominee Lady Gaga walks the red carpet at the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on January 27, 2019.

(Image credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

The memorable look included a fitted jacket, a voluminous skirt and a giant gold dove brooch meant to symbolize peace. A smaller version of the piece was actually on sale this past summer for $2,000. The proceeds from the sales of the pin benefited Lady Gaga's own project, the Born This Way Foundation.

"When I saw that golden dove, I just knew that this was the right piece," she told the magazine about the brooch, a symbol she thought to be extremely fitting given the event she was scheduled to perform at. 

The Academy award-winning singer recalled speaking to Marine Capt. Evan Campbell at the Inauguration as he escorted her to her designated microphone. "He was asking me if I was nervous and I said yes," she remembered. "But, sometimes, fashion can really give you wings... like a dove."

She went on discussing her bulletproof outfit, explaining that, although Inauguration Day was "one of the proudest" of her life, she felt a modicum of panic.

Lady Gaga

(Image credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage + Getty Images)

"Like many people in America, I felt a deep fear when Trump was president, and ushering 45 out and 46 in is something I’ll be able to tell my children all about,” she explained. “Singing in a Schiaparelli bulletproof dress. I don’t know if people know this about me, but if I weren’t who I am today, I would have been a combat journalist. That was one of my dreams."

She further opened up about the look while appearing on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert this week. “It was a scary time in this country,” the star told the late night host. “And I care a lot about my family. And as a performer, I understand that I put myself in all types of dangerous situations in order to do what I love. And so I did that for myself, but for my family, as well, so that my mom and dad and my sister would feel confident.”

In that same interview, Lady Gaga expressed her hopes for the future of America and the world. “In a lot of ways, I felt like that day was a revolution for this country,” she said. “And a real opportunity for us to look past the resistance and look forward into a time when we can be kinder, and we can be braver as a nation, as people.” We couldn’t agree more.

Anna Rahmanan

Anna Rahmanan is a New York-based writer and editor who covers culture, entertainment, food, fashion and travel news. Anna’s words have appeared on Time Out New York, the Huffington Post, Fortune, Forbes, Us Weekly, Bon Appetit and Brooklyn Magazine, among other outlets.