Lady Gaga on the Runway

Nearly unrecognizable Lady Gaga rules New York runway at Marc Jacobs show

Lady Gaga discreetly walked in the Marc Jacobs fashion show in the 20th position, wearing an oversized coat with blue fur sleeves.

Photo courtesy of Marc Jacobs

Fresh off her critically mixed tribute to David Bowie at the Grammys, a virtually unrecognizable Lady Gaga walked the runway at the Marc Jacobs show to close New York Fashion Week.

Slipped discreetly into the lineup, showcasing No. 20 out of the 65 looks comprising Jacobs' fall 2016 collection, the petite singer — who, at 5-foot-1, is shorter than most models — wore an oversized dark blue coat with fur on the sleeves, a pale green silk bow blouse, and towering silver wedge boots.

Like the other models in the show, her platinum hair was crimped flapper-style in finger waves, and she wore heavy goth-like eyeliner and dark lipstick.

Gaga, labeled in the Marc Jacobs look book merely as "Stefani" (her real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta), received no applause or outsized recognition from the audience as she walked the circular runway route directly behind Kendall Jenner. "We thought we would make each girl a show unto herself," Jacobs said.

In program notes, Jacobs said the collection was inspired by Japanese musician Keiji Haino, known for his use of the concept of Ma, which has been described as "the haunted spaces between the notes." The collection seemed fit for a goth princess, with big coats, full skirts, dramatic capes, and feather-embellished gowns in dark shades.

At the end of the show, Jacobs took a runway bow in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the face of Hillary Clinton. On the front row, Vogue editor Anna Wintour wore a similar T-shirt in white, with Clinton's face in red, and white and blue sparkles, which Jacobs had designed.

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Dior and More

3 major luxury fashion brands move into famous North Austin mall

Zimmermann/Instagram

Zimmermann is one of the new stores at The Domain.

Three major luxury brands are now open at The Domain: Balenciaga, Christian Dior, and Zimmermann. The famous Austin mall has been angling more toward luxury in the past few years.

Although it is common for The Domain to add multiple shops at once, these are unusually big names to be packaged together. This is also a significant development because although items from these brands may have been available around town, these three stores appear to be the only standalone stores for their respective brands in Austin.

A press release announcing the openings gives the most information about the Balenciaga store, which is 6,137 square feet and will carry men's and women's styles, shoes, bags, accessories, eyewear, and jewelry. The façade is made of a composite material combining glass, porcelain, and quartz, and the release says "the store’s construction is careful to respect existing elements," which is to say they did not completely rebuild the storefront. This store is located at Century Oaks Terrace and Agave Lane.

Dior will also feature collections for women and men, as envisioned by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones, respectively. Dior emphasizes timelessness and is located next to Agave Park.

Finally, the store fewer Austinites might be familiar with: Zimmermann. The Australian brand is known for flouncy dresses, often in pastels and florals. Its ready-to-wear items are usually priced lower than ready-to-wear by Balenciaga or Dior, but it is still a luxury brand with luxury prices. It is located on Century Oaks Terrace.

Despite a stated interest in attracting luxury brands, the most talked-about development for The Domain in 2024 was a new location for Loro, the casual "Asian Smokehouse" by Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue and Tyson Cole of Uchi. The mall is also welcomed a smaller Ikea store last year.