Lady GaGa finally goes a little gaga in Malta

La Toya Jackson can be forgiven for the dramatic face-shading fedora she wore to her brother's memorial. But overnight there has been some discussion of this press conference in Malta, to which Lady GaGa rocked up wearing what has been described by some as a "gimp" mask, a reference to the S&M subculture. Given that this video was published on the blog of the performer's stylist mate Nicola Formichetti, one assumes Formichetti shoulders some responsibility. The mask was authored by Paris-based designer Vilsbol de Arce - who accessorised one entire collection with similar headgear. But while it's not unheard of for a designer to mask models for a runway show (hello, Martin Margiela?) and might work in video vignettes, the practice does not seem terribly conducive to the concept of a press conference, the whole point of which is communication with your audience - as opposed to portraying yourself as Hannibal Lecter. While some ridicule Lady GaGa's idiosyncratic costume choices, frockwriter may have to agree with them for once. There is a fine line between flamboyance and freak show and on this occasion, Lady GaGa appears to have crossed it.