It’s a big month for Lady Gaga fans: She stars opposite Joaquin Phoenix in Joker: Folie a Deux, which will be released in theaters on October 4. Last weekend, she released the film’s companion album, Harlequin. The superstar attended the London premiere of Joker last week and hosted a private album listening party for fans. In between events, Eskume met up with the October cover star to share her creative process for both projects.
“Bringing this film to the world has been a very special and exciting experience,” she said. “Arianne Phillips and I designed the film together; we had this huge task because people had this idea of Harley Quinn and we wanted to create something completely new. The clothes were a little immature and represented a youthful mindset.
Gaga also talked about her red carpet look for the London premiere, a custom red Celine gown paired with a matching puff-sleeve bolero jacket. Given her and designer Hedi Slimane’s shared fashion history, he was the natural choice for her look for her first “Joker” press tour. “We’ve known each other for a long time — he shot me for the cover of my album ‘The Fame Monster,'” she said. “[The look] had to be beautiful but also a little rebellious. Two things I love!
The Harlequin listening sessions were another topic of discussion. The concept cover album includes tracks like “Smile,” “The Joker” and “That’s Life.” (Read AskMen’s review on it.) She made the record with her fiancé, Michael Polansky. “Harlequin is my interpretation of all the music from the movie as well as some original music,” she said. “We had a very special experience together while making ‘Joker.’ I hadn’t broken up with Lee yet when I finished making the movie. The original song ‘Happy Mistakes’ has become the most popular song. “Look at the person who plays Lee,” she said, “and I’ve played broken women in different ways throughout my career.”
With the album having launched and the film generating a lot of buzz ahead of its release, Gaga is hoping both projects will resonate with Little Monsters in the same way they always have. “I have such amazing fans. It was so fun to see them in London tonight,” Gaga said. “They’ve printed out the Harlequin cover and put it on the makeup. It’s really cool to see.” Watch the full video above.
