Nicola Formichetti (; born 31 May 1977) is a fashion director and fashion editor. Born in Japan, he is most widely known as the

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

of the Italian fashion label

Diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

and for being a frequent collaborator with singer-songwriter

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

.Lord Gaga: The Man Behind the Meat Dress
Rachel Dodes (''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

''). March 5, 2011. He worked two years (September 2010 – April 2013) with the French fashion house Mugler as artistic director. Formichetti is also known as fashion director of '' Vogue Hommes Japan'', is a contributing editor of several other fashion magazines and is fashion director for the clothing company Uniqlo.Power of the Cyberimage

Suzy Menkes Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...

(''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''). January 19, 2011. In November 2010 he was named one of the "most influential creative forces working in fashion today".BoF Exclusive , The New Creative Establishment 2010 – The 50 Most Creative Forces Working in Fashion Today
, Imran Amed (''The Business of Fashion''). November 23, 2010. The following month he was awarded the

Isabella Blow Isabella "Issie" Blow (nee Delves Broughton; 19 November 1958 – 7 May 2007) was an English magazine editor. As the muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as pr ...

Award for Fashion Creator at the 2010

British Fashion Awards The Fashion Awards, known as the British Fashion Awards until 2016, is an annual ceremony established in the United Kingdom in 1989 to showcase both British and international individuals and businesses who have made the most outstanding contribu ...

.Isabella Blow Award – Fashion Creator 2010
/ref>

Early life

The son of a Japanese stewardess and an Italian pilot, Formichetti was born in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and grew up in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

,Profile of Nicola Formichetti at Mugler.com
attempting to assimilate in both cultures. As a child he trained as a classical

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

(and still plays for relaxation). But moving to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

became his great desire and he used the excuse of attending into an

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

school to which he was accepted in order to get there.In the magazine: Nicola Formichetti
, Interview by Sam Voulters (''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

''). March 2011. Formichetti has explained that instead of attending he "literally walked in the front door of the architecture school and then ran out of the back one to go clubbing for three years." He became a student of the

nightlife Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...

and

street fashion Street fashion is fashion that is considered to have emerged not from studios, but from the grassroots streetwear. Street fashion is generally associated with youth culture, and is most often seen in major urban centers. Magazines and Newspapers ...

s, and began working at a fashionable boutique called 'The Pineal Eye' where he would become art director and head buyer for two years. Formichetti is openly

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

Career

While working at 'The Pineal Eye' Formichetti was spotted by fashion editor Katy England and she offered him a monthly page at '' Dazed & Confused'' called "Eye Spy," and after being named the magazine's fashion director in 2005 would eventually be promoted to become its creative director 2008.Dressing Miss Gaga
, David Colman ''( W''). July 2011.Meet Mr. Gaga , The Stylist Nicola Formichetti
Marcus Chang (''T Magazine'' / ''

''). January 4, 2010. His work at ''Dazed & Confused'' led to other fashion magazines, including '' V'', ''

Another Magazine ''Another Magazine'', styled ''AnOther'', is an international fashion and culture bi-annual. Founded in 2001, its Editor-in-Chief is Susannah Frankel, who joined in January 2016. Frankel had been Fashion Features Director of the magazine since ...

'', ''

Arena Homme + ''Arena Homme +'' is a fashion magazine for men published biannually since 1994. The first issue was published in Spring/Summer 1994.Harper's Bazaar USA''. Among fashion designers he has worked with Kim Jones, collaborating with him on his collections and shows, and has worked with

fashion house Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and plac ...

s such as

Dolce & Gabbana Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, and cosmetic ...

Alexander McQueen Lee Alexander McQueen CBE (17 March 1969 – 11 February 2010) was a British fashion designer and couturier. He founded his own Alexander McQueen label in 1992, and was chief designer at Givenchy from 1996 to 2001. His achievements in fashion ...

Gareth Pugh Gareth Pugh (born 31 August 1981) is an English fashion designer"Gareth Pugh: Fashion Designer."

, Carri "Cassette Playa" Mundane,

Prada Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding t ...

Missoni Missoni is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Varese, and known for its colorful knitwear designs. The company was founded by Ottavio ("Tai") and Rosita Missoni in 1953. History Early beginnings The business was founded in 1953, when O ...

Iceberg An iceberg is a piece of freshwater ice more than 15 m long that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open (salt) water. Smaller chunks of floating glacially-derived ice are called "growlers" or "bergy bits". The ...

, and brands such as

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

Umbro Umbro is an English sports equipment manufacturer founded in 1924 in Wilmslow, Cheshire and based in Manchester. They specialise in football and rugby sportswear featuring their ''Double Diamond'' logo. Umbro products are marketed in over 100 c ...

, Puma, Stussy,

Topman Topman is a UK-based multinational men's fashion retail brand founded by Burton Group (later renamed Arcadia Group) in 1978. Along with its women's clothing counterpart Topshop and the rest of Arcadia Group, Topman went into administration i ...

, H&M, and

Edwin The name Edwin means "rich friend". It comes from the Old English elements "ead" (rich, blessed) and "ƿine" (friend). The original Anglo-Saxon form is Eadƿine, which is also found for Anglo-Saxon figures. People * Edwin of Northumbria (die ...

. Among

fashion photographers Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion ind ...

Formichetti has worked with Nick Knight,

Hedi Slimane Hedi Slimane (; born July 5, 1968) is a French photographer and grand couturier. From 2000 to 2007, he held the position of creative director for Dior Homme (the menswear line of Christian Dior S.A., Christian Dior). From 2012 to 2016, he was the ...

Terry Richardson Terrence Richardson (born August 14, 1965) is an American fashion and portrait photographer. He has shot advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Aldo, Supreme, Sisley, Tom Ford, and Yves Saint Laurent among others, and also done work for ma ...

, Steven Klein, and

Oliviero Toscani Oliviero Toscani (born 28 February 1942) is an Italian photographer, best-known worldwide for designing controversial advertising campaigns for Italian brand Benetton, from 1982 to 2000. Toscani was born in Milan, and took up photography foll ...

, as well as others.

2014-2015

Formichetti worked with and styled rapper

Brooke Candy Brooke Dyan Candy (born July 20, 1989) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and tattoo artist. Raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, daughter of Tom Candy, former CFO of ''Hustler Magazine'', Brooke rose to prominence after starring in Gr ...

Lady Gaga

2009–2012

Formichetti is a prominent member of Lady Gaga's creative team, the Haus of Gaga. His collaboration with Lady Gaga as her stylist or fashion director began in early May 2009 at a shoot with photographer

Sebastian Faena Sebastian may refer to: People * Sebastian (name), including a list of persons with the name Arts, entertainment, and media Films and television * ''Sebastian'' (1968 film), British spy film * ''Sebastian'' (1995 film), Swedish drama film ...

for the July 2009 issue of ''V Magazine'' (''V60''), Formichetti saying that "It was an instant love." This was soon followed by a cover shoot for ''V61'' (September issue) with

Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva OBE HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in magazines such as ''Vogue, V Magazine,'' '' Vanity Fair'' and '' GQ.'' He has also cre ...

. The following June he was fashion director for her performance at the

2009 MuchMusic Video Awards The 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards were held in Toronto, Ontario at MuchMusic's headquarters on June 21, 2009. Along with the MuchMusic VJ's, on April 16, 2009, it was confirmed on the MuchMusic website that the Jonas Brothers would co-host the show ...

,nicolaformichetti.com/celebrity
an
nicolaformichetti.blogspot.com
/ref> and following that for the majority of Lady Gaga's important performances and appearances in the second half of 2009, including at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in September, where she appeared in four dresses by

Jean-Paul Gaultier Jean Paul Gaultier (; born 24 April 1952) is a French haute couture and Ready-to-wear, prêt-à-porter fashion designer. He is described as an "enfant terrible" of the fashion industry and is known for his unconventional designs with motifs inc ...

and one by

, then on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' in October, where she appeared in a metal orb structure designed by Nazir Mazhar, and later at the

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...

in December, where she appeared in a latex dress, by Atsuko Kudo, designed to resemble those worn by

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...

, for Gaga's introduction to her namesake

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

. In the fall she also appeared in the third volume of ''Vogue Hommes Japan'', the editorial titled "Lady Gaga & Araki's Tokyo Love" shot by

Nobuyoshi Araki is a Japanese photographer and contemporary artist professionally known by the mononym . Known primarily for photography that blends eroticism and bondage in a fine art context, he has published over 500 books.The number depends on such things ...

, with fashion direction by Formichetti. Their first collaboration in a music video together, for "

Bad Romance "Bad Romance" is a song by American singer Lady Gaga from her third extended play (EP), ''The Fame Monster'' (2009)—the reissue of her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008). Gaga wrote and produced the song with RedOne. Following an illegal ...

",Fashion 2.0 , The Holy Trinity: Fashion, Music and Film
, Imran Amed (''The Business of Fashion''). December 7, 2009. directed by

Francis Lawrence Francis Lawrence (born March 26, 1971) is an Austrian-born American filmmaker and producer. After establishing himself as a director of music videos and commercials, Lawrence made his feature-length directorial debut with the superhero thrille ...

, would later be voted Video of the Year and then win the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for

Best Short Form Music Video The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...

. In this Gaga appears in several outfits and footwear by Alexander McQueen, reappears in the orb by Nazir Mazhar, as well as in a "diamond crown" outfit by

Franc Fernandez Franc Fernandez, full name Francisco C. Fernandez, is an Argentinian artist, fashion designer, and creative director based in Los Angeles and New York. His most well-known work is his meat dress design for Lady Gaga, but has also worked with sev ...

, and one by her creative team—the Haus of Gaga—among other pieces. Formichetti is also credited as stylist for her album ''

The Fame Monster ''The Fame Monster'' is a reissue of American singer Lady Gaga's debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008), and was released on November 18, 2009, through Interscope Records. Initially planned solely as a deluxe edition reissue of ''The Fame'', ...

'' (shot by Hedi Slimane),''

'' by

Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...

(B0013535-72). 2009. and has been fashion director for her sold-out

The Monster Ball Tour The Monster Ball Tour was the second worldwide concert tour by American singer Lady Gaga. Staged in support of her first EP, ''The Fame Monster'' (2009) and comprising a set list of songs from that and her debut studio album, ''The Fame'' (2008 ...

2010

In late January 2010 Formichetti was stylist/fashion director for Lady Gaga's music video for her song "

Telephone A telephone is a telecommunications device that permits two or more users to conduct a conversation when they are too far apart to be easily heard directly. A telephone converts sound, typically and most efficiently the human voice, into e ...

", directed by

Jonas Åkerlund Hans Uno Jonas Åkerlund (; born 10 November 1965) is a Swedish film director, screenwriter, music video director, and drummer. His video for Madonna's song "Ray of Light" won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video, Short Form, and a record of fiv ...

, which was released in March. Immediately after this video was filmed came her appearance at the

52nd Grammy Awards The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Pe ...

(where Gaga performed with

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

), for which Formichetti was also fashion director. In February he was fashion director again for her appearance at the 2010 BRIT Awards, where she dedicated her performance to their friend Alexander McQueen, who had committed suicide only five days earlier. Following their collaboration for several more appearances and performances over the next months came Formichetti's styling for her video for "

Alejandro Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros (Greek), Alsander (Irish), Alessandro (Italian), Aleksandr (Rus ...

", directed by his collaborator in the past Steven Klein, and for the associated cover shoot by Terry Richardson for the mid-July issue of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

''. Her ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' performance of "Alejandro" in early May was also styled by Formichetti. Among other projects, next came the styling for Richardson's shoot of Gaga (in a meat bikini) and Nick Knight's shoot of model Jo Calderone (Gaga in "drag") for the fifth volume of '' Vogue Hommes Japan''. Around the same time Richardson shot Gaga as styled by Formichetti for the company Supreme NYC, but the shoot would wait until 2011 to be released both in the Supreme ad campaign and in the French magazine ''

Purple Purple is any of a variety of colors with hue between red and blue. In the RGB color model used in computer and television screens, purples are produced by mixing red and blue light. In the RYB color model historically used by painters, pu ...

''. Knight then photographed her again, styled by Formichetti, for the upcoming September issue of '' Vanity Fair''. In August the three would appear yet again in collaboration for the 30th birthday issue of the magazine '' i-D'' (the shoot itself actually dating from 2009), Formichetti also giving a short interview for the Gaga piece following hers. Then in September came her celebrated appearance, for which he did the styling, at the

2010 MTV Video Music Awards The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 12, 2010 at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Chelsea Handler hosted the event, the first woman in sixteen years – since the 1994 MTV ...

, where she wore (among other outfits) the famous " meat dress" by Franc Fernandez. Also in September the Fall issue of ''V Magazine'' (''V67'') appeared on newsstands, with Gaga, styled by Formichetti and shot by Mario Testino, on the cover with

Marc Jacobs Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...

. At the end of 2010 she was named Best-Dressed of the Year by ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

''.

2011

After several months largely out of the spotlight (except on tour) Gaga returned in January 2011 to begin the serious promotion for her upcoming album '' Born This Way'' and Formichetti has been fashion director for the project. The music video for the title track " Born This Way" was directed later in January by Nick Knight, with Formichetti responsible for the styling. In February came her performance at the

53rd Grammy Awards The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights pri ...

where they collaborated with designer

Hussein Chalayan Hussein Chalayan, (; tr, Hüseyin Çağlayan ; born 12 August 1970) is a British-Cypriot fashion designer. He has won the British Designer of the Year twice (in 1999 and 2000) and was awarded the MBE in 2006. Chalayan is currently teaching a ...

on her appearance and performance.Lady Gaga's Egg-Citing Grammy Awards Costume
Jessica Derschowitz (

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

). February 13, 2011. Gaga, interested in the concept of

rebirth Rebirth may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film * ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film * ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film * ''Rebirth'', a documentary film produced by Project Rebirth * ''The Re ...

, sent Formichetti a picture of a

human embryo Human embryonic development, or human embryogenesis, is the development and formation of the human embryo. It is characterised by the processes of cell division and cellular differentiation of the embryo that occurs during the early stages of de ...

, and he was first inspired to create, as he told her, "egg hapedshoes—like you were born that way, with eggs as feet." She took the idea further, resulting in the egg or "vessel" (designed by Chalayan) in which she was carried down the red carpet and later onto the stage, hatching out in a yolk-coloured latex outfit to perform her new single "Born This Way". She was wearing, as he

tweeted Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, "Mugler by Nicola Formichetti." A "Born This Way"-associated shoot called "Alien Excess" done in January by photographer

Mariano Vivanco Mariano Vivanco (born 15 December 1975 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. He traveled the world with his family, who eventually settled down in New Zealand where his passion for photography took flight. Inspired by t ...

for the Spring 2011 (March) issue of ''i-D'' features Gaga in a latex coat from the new Mugler menswear collection, with Formichetti responsible for the styling. A shot from the same session with Vivanco, but with different styling, also by Formichetti, appeared on the cover of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' in February. He has also done Gaga's styling (shot by Nick Knight) for her as spokesperson for the MAC Viva Glam Campaign of the MAC AIDS Fund. A new project called "The Masterpiece" has been announced in which Formichetti will collaborate with her for MAC to create a "wearable piece of art" composed of the profile photos of fans who join the campaign.

2012

On October 23, 2012 in a ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'
interview
Formichetti was mentioned by fashion photographer Lope Navo: "I bumped into then-stylist Nicola Formicetti in B Bar in NYC randomly and he told me he saw the first cover I shot in Milan for ''Rodeo'' magazine of Seijo Imazaki. He said he loved it and we have been in touch ever since. He gave me so much advice about my work."

2020

Formichetti and Gaga's collaboration was revived in 2020, when he served as fashion director in the production of Gaga's sixth studio album, ''

Chromatica ''Chromatica'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Lady Gaga, released on May 29, 2020, by Interscope Records and subsidiary Streamline. Gaga supervised the production with longtime collaborator BloodPop and a variety of other producer ...

''.

2021

In order to realize a series of photos as well as a fashion film, released on April 6, he collaborated with Gaga and Nick Knight for a

Dom Pérignon Dom Pérignon (; ) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making ...

's commercial, titled "The Queendom".

Mugler

After months of rumors, in September 2010 Formichetti was announced as the new creative director for the Parisian fashion house founded by the celebrated designer

Thierry Mugler Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the fo ...

(who has largely retired from the business), which he has renamed Mugler. He has said that it was in fact Lady Gaga who persuaded him to go for the job, when they were looking through pieces from the Mugler archive when shooting the video for "Telephone".At Mugler, Genius and Its Limits

Cathy Horyn Cathy Horyn (born September 11, 1956) is an American fashion critic and journalist who worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1998 until 2014 where she had the highly noted and provocative blo''On The Runway'' In 2015, she was appointed critic- ...

(''

''). March 23, 2011. At Mugler Formichetti oversees designers Sébastien Peigné for womenswear and

Romain Kremer Romain Kremer (born 1 April 1982 in Villefranche de Rouergue, Aveyron, France) is a French fashion designer. He graduated from the Duperré School of Decorative Arts in Paris in 2002, and the following year he went to work for firms like Christia ...

for menswear.Formichetti For Mugler
, Ella Alexander (''

''). September 13, 2010. Joël Palix, director general of the company, said "We were looking for a young talent who could really bring energy to the brand ... Nicola is a multicultural, techno-savvy expert involved in fashion, communication, image and entertainment. He and the appointed talented designers will represent a new direction for French fashion. Nicola Formichetti leaves MUGLER on April 2, 2013. " For the occasion, he also asked the k-pop artist

G-Dragon Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...

to compose a theme for the fashion runway, entitled "I am Mugler".

Menswear

The menswear, a collaboration with Romain Kremer, of Formichetti's debut (Fall/Winter) collection "Anatomy of Change" premiered during the Men's

Paris fashion week Paris Fashion Week (french: Semaine de la mode de Paris) is a series of designer presentations held semiannually in Paris, France with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the French Fashion Federation. ...

on 19 January 2011.Mugler by Nicola Formichetti
,

Derek Blasberg Derek Charles Blasberg (born April 22, 1982) is an American journalist, socialite, author, and television personality who works in the fashion industry. As of 2018, he is the head of fashion and beauty partnerships at YouTube and is a senior staff ...

('' VMAN''). January 19, 2011.Lady Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti makes Mugler debut
Olivia Bergin (''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

''). January 20, 2011. This was accompanied by a video shot by

, featuring Formichetti's new muse, the full-body tattooed Canadian model

Rick Genest Rick Genest (August 7, 1985 – August 1, 2018), also known as Zombie Boy, was a Canadian artist, actor, fashion model, and musician. He held a Guinness World Record for his full-body tattoos. Personal life Genest was born in LaSalle, Quebe ...

,Mugler @ Paris Menswear A/W 11
, Alex Fury ( SHOWstudio.com). January 19, 2011. and by a remix by Lady Gaga, as musical director for the menswear project,Paris Fashion Week: Mugler menswear is reborn, and Lady Gaga is the midwife
Adam Tschorn (''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

''). January 19, 2011. of a new track ("Scheiße") from her upcoming album ''Born This Way''. The clothes, worn by Rico Genest and other models on the runway, recall those by Mugler himself from earlier decades, in such ways as the use of the colours navy blue and bright orange, or "hyper-modern"-style jackets lacking

lapels Lapels ( ) are the folded flaps of cloth on the front of a jacket or coat below the collar and are most commonly found on formal clothing and suit jackets. Usually they are formed by folding over the front edges of the jacket or coat and sewin ...

. The collection also features some not-so-conventional latex pieces such as biker jackets, gloves, and even latex trousers. On the overall vision,

of ''

'' describes Formichetti creating a "mechanical man" in the tradition of Mugler's fantastical woman,Rethinking the Mugler Man

, (''

''). January 19, 2011. yet Adam Tschorn of the ''

'' found plenty of the pieces surprisingly wearable. Formichetti himself says on the collection "I want to say something that has the past and the future, but what is really important to me is the present." Returning to Rico Genest, it was his discovery by Formichetti and then Gaga's urging which actually resulted in the menswear show, something not originally planned.The Incredible But True Story of How Nicola Formichetti Got Rick Genest to Model in Mugler
, Interview by Lee Carter (''Hint Fashion Magazine''). March 20, 2011. Genest's discovery also influenced the collection itself. The show was streamed live from Paris on the Internet. Genest can be seen styled in Mugler by Formichetti and shot by Mariano Vivanco in the sixth volume of ''Vogue Hommes Japan'', the editorial being titled "Hard To Be Passive". In the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of ''

GQ Style ''GQ'' (formerly ''Gentlemen's Quarterly'' and ''Apparel Arts'') is an American international monthly men's magazine based in New York City and founded in 1931. The publication focuses on fashion, style, and culture for men, though articles on ...

'' (UK) Formichetti is interviewed on the future of the brand, with Genest (also interviewed) shot in Mugler by Karim Sadli for the editorial.GQ Style presents Nicola Formichetti
, Andy Morris (''

''). March 15, 2011. Interview (inaccessible) by Sarah Hay.

Womenswear

On 2 March the womenswear, a collaboration with Sébastien Peigné, premiered. Lady Gaga was again musical director, previewing the track "Government Hooker" from her upcoming album as well as including the already released title track "Born This Way" in the soundtrack. But this time she actually performed on the runway in person for Formichetti's show, modelling pieces from his collection, called "Anatomy of Change Femme—Mode Sans Frontiers."Mugler Fall 2011: Lady Gaga Bought the Whole Collection
Leah Chernikoff (Fashionista.com). March 3, 2011. Additionally, Rick Genest from the menswear collection made a reappearance on the runway among the models.
Amy Odell (''The Cut'' / ''

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

''). March 2, 2011. The reaction of critics to the clothes was generally similar to their reaction to the menswear two months previously. Formichetti offers a silhouette in the Mugler tradition,Mugler @ Paris Womenswear A/W 11
, Alex Fury ( SHOWstudio.com). March 3, 2011. "minimally rendered" as described by Cathy Horyn,Mugler Gets a Remake, With Help From Lady Gaga

, (''

''). March 2, 2011. and with sculptured shoulders (for the appropriate pieces),Paris Report , Runway as Nightclub at Mugler and Pugh
Jacob Brown (''

''). March 3, 2011. Alex Fury of SHOWstudio.com describing them as "architectonic". For the show Formichetti employe
Rein Vollenga
to contribute sculptural elements to the silhouette, Atsuko Kudo skin-like items of torn-up latex, and Franc Fernandez for Gaga's two hats. She herself gave input for the collection, associated with her ''Born This Way'' projects and performances, but is not financially involved with Formichetti's MUGLER. As he says, "It's just friends helping each other... I think when you start talking about money, it stops the whole creative process for me." Although there was worry it might, Gaga's appearance did not prevent Formichetti's audience from noticing the clothes,
, Naomi Attwood (''

Grazia ''Grazia'' (; Italian for ''Grace'') is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany. Greece, Indonesia, I ...

''). March 3, 2011. variously described as "shiny and sexy", and "taut and futuristic",Paris fashion week turns to Lady Gaga – and a quiet Belgian
Imogen Fox (''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''). March 3, 2011. or like the menswear "surprisingly wearable", in particular the jackets and dresses.Mugler Autumn/Winter 2011–12 Show Report (Womenswear)
Jessica Bumpus (''

''). March 2, 2011. He chose to go mainly with the colours black, white, electric/royal blue, and beige.Lady Gaga Loves Mugler, Carven's Library Cocktails, and Pugh in the Flesh
Rebecca Voight (''

Interview An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

''). March 3, 2011. The set he designed for the show was composed of clustered columns from which rose arches to form a structure resembling the long central interior of a

Gothic cathedral Gothic cathedrals and churches are religious buildings created in Europe between the mid-12th century and the beginning of the 16th century. The cathedrals are notable particularly for their great height and their extensive use of stained glass t ...

,Mugler RTW Fall 2011
''

Women's Wear Daily ''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion".Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides infor ...

''. March 2, 2011. the

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

and its flanking aisles, through which the models, Genest and finally Gaga strutted. While it was found by critics among Formichetti's audience who were physically present at the show that both the architecture and lighting made it difficult to properly see the collection, the performance was as much or more for the millions around the world watching it streamed live on the Internet, like the menswear collection, but this time on the brand's

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

page,facebook.com/ThierryMugler
/ref> and featuring 45 minutes live behind-the-scenes preshow.Mugler's Digital World
Interview by Rachel Strugatz (''

''). April 5, 2011. In fact he believes the future of the brand is a digital one, Formichetti saying "I design digitally, I communicate digitally, and I live digitally, and I wanted to incorporate that into the brand." For him Gaga's performance fits in the "new Mugler world", a "fantasy world" fusion of high fashion and pop with an existence both real and digital.

Nicopanda

Nicola, along with his brother Andrea Formichetti, created the Nicopanda line based on the panda cartoon that looks like Nicola. The story behind the name, accordingly to Nicola, "my friends used to call me Nico Panda because I’m half Asian, I had this long beard back then; and was a little chubby, so I looked like a bear—an Asian bear. So people started calling me Nico Panda"

Nicola's New York

The nicopanda line was first introduced in September 2011 at Nicola's pop up shop in New York's Tribeca district. Along with the Gage/Clemenceau Architects, the space at 50 walker street was transformed into a mirrored prism that housed vintage Versace, MUGLER, Uniqlo, Nicopanda products like the zombiepanda rings, iPhone and iPad skins in collaboration with Gizmobies, and looks by the Haus of Gaga. Nicola worried that people wouldn't show up to the store, While the pop-up was happening, Nicola made a competition for his fans on Twitter, where the winners were invited to the pop-up for a breakfast with Nicola and a preview of the new Uniqlo line he worked on, the Innovation Project. Fans drove from Ohio and flew in from Phoenix for this chance.

Nicopanda Lane Crawford

In May 2012, Nicola opened Nicopanda pop up stores at Lane Crawford in Beijing and Hong Kong.

Nicopanda Tokyo

After opening up pop-up stores in Hong Kong and Beijing, Nicola opened up more pop-ups in Tokyo in June 2012. There were pop-ups in LHP in the Harajuku district, in Opening Ceremony in the Shibuya district, and also a pop-up shop and gallery at the Isetan Shinjuku department store. It was in this pop-up gallery that the Amebapanda chetti design was first presented, along with the Nicopanda X Hello Kitty collaboration.

Villa Effe

In August 2012, Nicola and his brother Andrea opened up a "super complex" in Nicola's hometown of

Numazu is a city located in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,486 in 91,986 households, and a population density of 1,014 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Numazu is at the nor ...

, Shizuoka, Japan. Villa Effe holds a wedding hall, a restaurant, a beauty salon and a shopping hall that includes displays of Haus of Gaga looks and the Nicopanda line.

''Vogue Hommes Japan''

Formichetti was fashion editor for '' Vogue Hommes Japan'' from its inception until fall 2012, when the magazine was folded and repackaged into ''

''.

Uniqlo

As of January 2013, Formichetti remains as fashion director for Uniqlo.

MAC

In addition to his collaboration with Lady Gaga for the MAC Viva Glam campaign, Formichetti has styled

Irina Lăzăreanu Irina Lăzăreanu (; born 8 June 1982) is a Romanian-born Canadian model and folk singer. She has been an ambassador for Chanel and a muse to designers Karl Lagerfeld and Nicolas Ghesquière. As a musician, she is closely associated with Pete D ...

, shot by Miles Aldridge and co-styled by Dillon Turman, for MAC's ''Quite Cute'' collection.

Philosophy and influence

In the fifth volume of '' Vogue Hommes Japan'', Lady Gaga had the following to say about what she and Formichetti desire for the future of fashion:"At Work With Lady Gaga",
Vogue Hommes Japan VOL. 5
'', Interview by Jo-Ann Furniss. 2010. NicolaFormichettispopupshop01

Formichetti has repeatedly declared he is "not an elitist" in fashion, instead wanting to share what he does with everyone,

Robin Givhan Robin Givhan (born September 11, 1964) is an American fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize winning writer. Givhan was a fashion editor for ''The Washington Post''. She joined the ''Post'' in 1995, and left in 2010 to become the fashion critic and fas ...

(''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

''). February 6, 2011 using the Internet for this purpose. Like Gaga, who has inspired him to do so, he also interacts with and is inspired by his followers, and usually works in collaboration with others. He sees himself not as a "stylist", which term he rejects, but rather as an

art director Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...

"whose job it is to create moods, oversee an overall image." As he told ''

'': His influence is varied. Before his Mugler collections premiered he was ranked the most influential stylist in the world (even if he dislikes the term), in no small part because of the enormous volume of his fashion magazine work, including making ''Vogue Hommes Japan'' "the most powerful Japanese-language publication in the global fashion industry", and because of his consulting for a number of fashion houses and other brands. It is with and through Lady Gaga as her fashion director, however, that Formichetti's influence on culture is greatest. Previously the role and influence of stylists was more limited, and while others have become designers, he is the first to take control of a major fashion house, interpreted as the most prominent example of a stylist becoming a power broker within the industry.Fashion stylist to the fore as menswear shows begin in Milan
Imogen Fox (''

''). January 15, 2011. Formichetti's eclectic selection for the

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

Gaga of pieces from designers ranging vastly from the great, such as

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...

, to the obscure, has influenced what has been described as a "cultural phenomenon" of imitation, extending even into "provincial backwaters". He frequently meets and is hopeful for many younger talents who are interested in fashion today. Formichetti practices

Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes a ...

daily.