The Lady Gaga guide to faking it till you make it

‘There can be 100 people in the room, and 99 don’t believe in you, but one does,’ Lady Gaga once told the world – before repeating it over and over and over again. The quote, famously turned into a viral meme, was first used to describe the chance her co-star Bradley Cooper took to cast her alongside him in A Star Is Born. (The timing of this piece has nothing to do with the rumours circling around the pair’s relationship being reignited, of course – nothing at all). 

Gaga had been betting on herself long before that, however. In fact, looking back at her career, it’s all she’s ever done. Whether it’s taking risks in fashion, pursuing an acting career with minimal experience or performing on elaborate musical tours despite suffering with a chronic illness, this is a woman who knows a thing or two about brazening it out. And we’re here to salute her hustle with a fully-fleshed guide on how you, too, can follow in her footsteps – by faking it till you make it. 

Acting

She may be the queen of pop but acting isn’t something that comes naturally to Gaga. Be that as it may, she has mastered the Hollywood pivot many musicians have tried – and failed – to do seamlessly. Regardless of what you think of her acting (it has the marmite factor), both her leading roles – in A Star Is Born and House of Gucci – earned critical acclaim. Frankly, it’s a level of finesse we can only applaud, and one for which the term ‘fake it til’ you make it’ could have been coined – literally. She famously favoured the method approach for her portrayal of Gucci heiress, Patrizia Reggiani, ‘becoming’ rather than merely ‘imitating’ her character by behaving and speaking like her – accent and all – for a full 18 months during filming. The dedication paid off when the performance earned Gaga an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. 

Fashion

Lady Gaga’s fashion evolution has been quite something. From the ‘Just Dance’ days and the infamous meat dress worn to the VMAs, right through to her tamer but equally elaborate Brandon Maxwell-designed look for 2019’s Met Gala, Gaga has cemented herself as one of the most eccentric fashion figures in the music industry since her arrival in said industry, back in 2008. In order to become ‘that girl’, however, Gaga understood she had to carry herself as such from day one. She did it by taking risk after risk, fully immersing herself in her ‘art’ as she did so, shifting the dial each time, until what was once deemed outrageous set the precedent for trends to come. 

Above: Photography by Inez & Vinoodh

Beauty

Just as she did with fashion, Gaga conquered the beauty industry after launching her make-up line, Haus Labs. Once again, she used the good old fake-it-till… strategy, positing herself as a revolutionary voice in the industry by championing vegan and cruelty-free production at a time when many major beauty brands were being criticised for their formulas and lack of vegan options. Already well-known for her out-there beauty looks, the move into entrepreneurship didn’t come as a shock (and anyway, are you even a real pop star if you haven’t launched your own fragrance or beauty line these days?). Nevertheless, it stands as further proof that Gaga does whatever she likes – by using the skills she already has or fronting it out and acquiring them along the way. 

Love Life 

Gaga and her A Star Is Born co-star Bradley Cooper sparked rumours of a passionate love affair after their on-screen chemistry seemed a little too real. Speaking to Oprah in 2020, Gaga said they ‘did a really good job at fooling everyone’ – and they really did. Perhaps this is what she should have got the Oscar nom for? 

Confidence

Believing in yourself is key when you’re a popstar and Gaga has always been an advocate for loving yourself and celebrating your uniqueness – even in those moments where you don’t necessarily believe in it yourself. ‘I used to be so delusional,’ she once said. ‘I always imagined I could be more than I was, and eventually I grew and evolved into that person.’ See what we mean? 

Performing

Despite suffering with fibromyalgia – a chronic condition that causes widespread pain around the body – Gaga has pushed through endless dance routines and world tours with a smile on her face and the kind of stage presence that would leave her audience none the wiser to her personal health battles. If that isn’t the ultimate proof of being able to fake it till you make it, we don’t know what is. Lady Gaga, we salute you.