The Story Behind the Platform Animal Horn Heel Seen on Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’ Album Cover
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Since Lady Gaga’s 2011 “Judas” music video, Shannon Coffield has been working with the singer and actress under the moniker Gasoline Glamour. The designer creates jewelry, shoes and accessories that break fashion norms.
Styles are often adorned with spikes, Swarovski rhinestones, chains and mixed materials that typically doesn’t belong on a shoe. Think 10-inch platform heels covered in crystals of all shapes and sizes.
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“It’s important to use different mediums and just explore,” Coffield said. “With Gaga, she’s an inspiration. I worked with her and her team on and off, through all of her metamorphoses. She’s fearless in many ways and especially in her fashion. She doesn’t care if she’s wearing a meat dress or whatever. It’s good to push the envelope, and as a designer, it’s important, too.”
After taking some time away from the industry, she received a note from Marta Del Rio, one of Lady Gaga’s stylists, early in the year asking to rent a few pieces for a new project, and her work ended up on the “Chromatica” album cover in May.
“I still can’t believe it sometimes,” she said. “When you’re a designer, once people pick your stuff up or you ship it away, you don’t know what’s going to happen. It was such a nice surprise.”
Smack dab in the center of the cover shot is Coffield’s Howlin’ Wolf shoe, worn by Gaga as she sprawls on a grate radiating pink light. The mad-scientist aesthetic perfectly fit the Gasoline Glamour platform shoe, which has an animal horn in place of a stiletto, while the rest of the shoe is covered in beaded fringe, vintage and custom Swarovski crystals and more semi-precious stones.
Coffield crafted this shoe several years ago — and it took nearly 12 months to make.
“My creations are organic. I don’t draw, I just kind of morph ideas together,” she said.
Other celebrity fans include Nicki Minaj, who just wore a Gasoline Glamour cake ring in her pregnancy announcement photos, Pharrell, and Ariana Grande, who also wore Coffield’s custom gloves in Gaga’s “Rain on Me” music video.
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