Pop star Lady Gaga rules the red carpet in everything from elegant haute couture to avant-garde creations. But to rule the big screen in “A Star is Born,” Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, the actress, had to abandon her stage persona’s edgy fashion sense to transform into Ally, a struggling musician who catapults to fame opposite Bradley Cooper, who also directed the drama.

At the “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” exhibition at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in L.A. (Feb. 5 through April 12), FN had the chance to sit down with the film’s costume designer, Erin Benach, who discussed designing and dressing the stars of the movie.

“We must have had over 150 pairs of shoes in Gaga’s line, and you never saw any of them in the movie, except maybe this one pair,” the designer said in reference to the shoes on display at the exhibit. “They were Isabel Marant for H&M.”

The heels are a black pointed-toe shoe from the collaboration, featuring gold studs.

One of the biggest difficulties the design team faced was creating a character and style that was unique and not a re-creation of Lady Gaga herself.

“There were harder street vibes, there were softer vibes, and we found something that felt right. She’s a very independent, do-it-all-herself woman who is super-strong, and hopefully, she looks that way,” said Benach.

Benach pointed out that Cooper “always just said, ‘Keep it true to the characters and keep it kind of quiet. Don’t let it be too distracting.’ For him, it was all about the emotion.”

The drama scored four nods for the 2019 Academy Awards, including Best Actor (Cooper), Best Actress (Lady Gaga), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Sam Elliott) and Best Picture.

With contributions by Charlie Carballo

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