by Diandra Escamilla

Eye patch zipper-check, spinning orb headgear-check, jaw-dropping ensemble-check, copycat-umm...we think not. Lady Gaga can definitely pull off haute couture like no other, which had us wondering: who are the style gurus behind the pop sensation that have us all going gaga over Gaga? 

The Haus of Gaga is a modern-day, futuristic Warhol Factory. Comprised of Gaga's closest allies all whom of which were handpicked by the singer who has crafted a team of young stylists and artists, "They believe in me, and they look at me like a mother and daughter and sister, with pride and love," said Gaga. "In this industry, you get a lot of stylist and producers thrown at you, but this is my own creative team." Her in-haus crew manufactures an array of novel inventions that have become a staple of her live shows. How can we forget the discostick, the fire bra and the video glasses!?

Her ex-boyfriend Matthew Williams (aka Dada) is the creative director of the Haus of Gaga. Williams, a skilled tailor and craftsman executes the majority of Gaga's creative visions. He says of the bra, "It's really just sparklers, the old sparklers on the tits trick." Quite modest for a creation that surly had many thinking, "how did they do that?"

When Lady Gaga stepped on stage at the VMA's to accept her award for Best New Artist dressed in a red lace Alexander McQueen archive ensemble, conceivably the expression on Eminem's face was well read. However, according to fashion director of Vogue Hommes Japan, Nicola Formichetti, Gaga aced it in her lace. Nicola, a resident of the Haus of Gaga, has helped shape her look over the past months, styling her for the VMA's, V Magazine spread and most recently during the shoot of her "Bad Romance" music video. "She is not like any other celebrity I've worked with [because] she is not afraid to take risks, and she knows so much about what is going on in fashion today. She would die for fashion!" said Formichetti.

Without a doubt there is a plethora of creative forces running through the Haus of Gaga, but there is a name that some may be unfamiliar with: B. Åkerlund. She is the solid gem in Lady Gaga's crown. Åkerlund was repeatedly contacted by Lady Gaga to collaborate on shoots, but at the time Åkerlund was busy being a mom to newborn twins. However, the phone calls from Gaga didn't stop. Upon the horizon of Gaga's "Paparazzi" video shoot the singer reached out to Åkerlund's husband Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund convincing him to direct and bringing his wife to style the anxiously awaiting singer.

Following their incredible collaboration, B. Åkerlund immediately jumped on board as Gaga's first official personal stylist. Åkerlund recalls asking Gaga "How do you know that we're so perfect for each other?" and she [Gaga] said, "I just know." "We both realized that it's a match made in heaven," said Åkerlund.

The Paparazzi video is, as Lady Gaga puts it, "a creative orgasm." Watching the video, many will agree this partnership is irrefutably awe-inspiring. Åkerlund created a leather and Swarovski crystal-mesh embellished custom wheelchair, for the Paparazzi video, which she re-upholstered with Gucci fabric and replaced the wheels with low-rider wheels that she found in East L.A. "I come from the world of fashion. I don't like to pull fashion; I like to make fashion," said Åkerlund. She also styled Gaga for the June cover of Rolling Stone in a bubble bodysuit. "It doesn't necessarily have to be about the new hot designers; it's whatever we feel like doing at the moment," said Åkerlund. "If that means pulling from old resources of designers we like or archives of things or whatever it is. It doesn't matter as long as it feels right," leaving us guessing that pants never feel right for the "Poker Face" singer who prefers to wear her underwear as outerwear.

Lady Gaga will grace the stage of Nokia Theater at L.A. Live December 21-23rd in support of The Monster Ball Tour.

Photographs Courtesy of: WireImage and michaelschmidtstudios.com