Call for Submissions: Bled Threads

Gaga Stigmata is excited to open submissions for our new fashion project Bled Threads. Bled Threads is a curated online forum of Gaga-inspired couture. 

Photo by Refinery29.com

"To me my outfits aren’t wacky. They are who I am. The fame can kill you. You say I am my clothes, and I am my clothes. My clothes bleed too. Just like me." 
--Lady Gaga

To Lady Gaga, fashion is more than clothing placed on the body--it is as alive as the Living Dress she performs in for her Monster Ball tour. It is a hologram of the ever-changing self. For Gaga, fashion is not about costumery in the traditional sense, as there is no stabilized identity behind the masquerade. Fashion, rather, is political spectacle. It is both weapon and shield, a way to combat and avoid the victimization of fame--fame being the bloody price of offering oneself up for the judgement of the crowd.


Gaga's fans have found inspiration and subversive power in mimicking the Lady's fashions, as well as in crafting their own original pieces in order to perform their complex identities in a world that's still entrenched in dangerous binaries. It is these risky, exciting fashions--the fans'--that we will present in Bled Threads, a curated forum of Gaga-inspired couture.

Instructions for Submissions:
Please include at least one full body shot of your costume, and any close up shots of detailed areas. Professional, high-resolution photos are encouraged. Include the following questionnaire with your submission. We may follow up with additional questions if your entry is selected for presentation in the gallery.

Q & A:

What is your name? (Nicknames are fine)

Where are you from?

How long did it take you to craft your costume?

What was your inspiration? Please be specific.

Please describe your costume in detail:

What was your experience like wearing the costume?

If you wore your costume to a Lady Gaga concert, where was the concert?

If you were to name your costume, what would you call it?

Please send all submissions to gagajournal@gmail.com. Put "Bled Threads Submission" in the subject header, and please also include a bio.

Note to Professional Designers: Any clothing designers who wish to create a Gaga-related costume for submission to our regular Artworks section of the site (and for possible inclusion in our book project) are encouraged to do so. Please see our Creative Submission Guidelines for more details.