Lady Gaga Wore Tom Cruise’s Original Top Gun Jacket In The ‘Hold My Hand’ Music Video
Tom Cruise recently revealed to James Corden on The Late Late Show that he and Hans Zimmer, one of the composers for the upcoming Top Gun sequel, were struggling with the music for the film when Lady Gaga approached them both with “Hold My Hand.” “There was just a sound and something we were looking for and it just wasn’t right,” he said. “She presented her song to us and it just opened up the whole movie.”
It’s easy to see why. On Friday, Gaga released the music video for her new song, a powerful rock ballad that perfectly walks the line between modern music and the ‘80s sound that would have been at home in the original movie. The drama of the lyrics and guitar licks are intensified by the music video, which features clips from the two films, depicting powerful scenes like the death of Anthony Edwards’ Goose in the original movie. But in between these shots is Gaga, jamming on a piano, singing into the camera, and walking down an (airplane) runway.
Gaga’s looks in the video are clearly direct tributes to the film. We first see her in pilot drag, wearing a white tank top with an aviator jacket on top. This isn’t just any old costume, however, but the actual jacket Cruise wore in the original film back in 1986. When the song really hits its climax, though, Gaga switches out the tank top underneath her jacket for a nude gown that explodes off the singer and into the wind. The dress was created by Ukrainian designer, Lessja Verlingieri for her brand Lever Couture. Verlingieri has been working with Gaga and her fashion director, Nicola Formichetti, since 2011, this dramatic gown is just the latest of their collaborations.
Verlingieri revealed to Paper Magazine that the dress was created from 200 yards of fabric, and was inspired by a parachute, as well as other performance wear commonly worn by pilots. She wanted Gaga to look like she’d been lost in the desert for 20 years, with the dress representing “independence, bravery, and survival.”
"Nicola has been a supporter of my brand since the early days and we have collaborated on various projects throughout the last ten years," Verlingieri told Paper. "He wanted a dress that fit the theme of the forthcoming Top Gun sequel and I felt honored to step into his universe once again and create something unique and magical for Lady Gaga."
While Gaga is safely on the ground, in no need of an actual parachute, seeing this dress in action, brought to life by the wind and floating behind the singer in each in every direction, we’re not entirely convinced it wouldn’t be practical in the instance of an actual emergency landing. Check out the dress (and Gaga) in all its glory in the music video below:
