Shout out to designers behind Lady Gaga’s fashion-forward VMA masks

Lady Gaga made global headlines at the weekend’s MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). Not only did she pull in nine nominations, perform and then win five “moonperson” awards, she also pushed fashion boundaries.

Gaga always has an extravagant and elaborate fashion sense and she often has made the best- and worst-dressed lists

In 2020, however, she boldly showed off various masks and gave their designers exposure of a lifetime.

Masktivism: Lady Gaga masks up

“Masktivism” is a new word the pandemic is teaching the world, and it means promoting the act of wearing a mask.

Gaga has been vocal about wearing masks to protect others and showed this by wearing a mask throughout the VMA show.

“Wear a mask, it’s a sign of respect,” she said as she ended one of her many acceptance speeches.

Gaga changed her outfit for every appearance and had a mask to match each one. Here are the designers behind the masks.

Diego Montoya

Diego Montoya is a visual artist and costume designer who has worked with many drag race queens. Queer art has been at the heart of his work. Montoya designed a sound-reactive mask for Gaga’s VMA appearance, with the brand Smooth Technology.

Maison Met aka Mety Choa

Mety Choa is an Indonesian fashion designer and supermodels like Gigi Hadid have worn her creations. Gigi’s equally famous model sister Bella presented Gaga with the Tricon award.

In 2017, Choa renamed her atelier to Maison Met, specialising in wedding dresses, evening gowns and cocktail dresses.

Mason Met designed Lady Gaga a metalic mesh mask which she wore to accept two of her awards.

Cecilio Castrillo

Cecilio Castrillo works with leather and designed a pink gas mask for Gaga to wear when she collected one of her “moonpeople” trophies.

Catrillo said he was “more than happy” that the Tricon Award winner wore her mask.

Lance Victor Moore

Artist Lance Victor Moore designs couture and COVID-19 masks. He is one of the smaller scale designers whose work Lady Gaga proudly wore twice to the VMAs.

He thanked wardrobe director Martha del Rio and fashion designer Nicola Formichetti in his Instagram caption.  

As if wearing several different masks in one show was not enough support for masktivism, Gaga also joked that she had been wearing face shields long before it was “a thing”.