Lady Gaga and Doechii Meet on a Nostalgia-Drenched “Runway”

Camille FreestoneTue, April 28, 2026 at 12:25 AM UTC

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Lady Gaga and Doechii Meet on a Nostalgic “Runway”TK

Despite the all-encompassing The Devil Wears Prada 2 marketing campaign and the ubiquitous viral red carpet moments, the film won’t actually hit theaters until this Friday. In the meantime, Lady Gaga and Doechii have blessed us with the music video for “Runway,” their duet that soundtracked the movie’s latest trailer.

Directed by Parris Goebel, the choreographer behind megawatt pop performances like Rihanna’s Superbowl halftime show, and Lady Gaga’s 2025 Coachella set, the music video combines high camp, high fashion, high performance, and high glamour in a manner that befits a song with lyrics like “Monday to Sunday I can turn a dance floor into a runway.”

This is capital F-fashion, to be expected for the sequel of the film that first brought fashion into mainstream consciousness. As such, it presents a very specific idea of how pop culture views high fashion.

The scene is set with a room blanketed in optical-illusion-style black and white patterns, but it’s full of dancers all in varying shades of bubblegum pink, dandelion yellow, and cobalt blue—or was that cerulean? Styled by Kyle Luu, the performers, posed like statues, are decorated with rigid hoop skirts, feathered outerwear, and outlandish headpieces. They begin vogueing, flashing brightly-colored gloves here, there, and back again. The whole thing materializes somewhere between The Hunger Games’ capitol style, the Mad Hatter’s tea party (Tim Burton’s version), and the opening musical number of Funny Face.

Gaga and Doechii emerge from the crowd in their own larger-than-life ensembles. The former, styled by Chloe and Chenelle, wears a blue futuristic blazer and ombré-effect skirt both designed by Robert Wun. The latter, styled by Sam Wolfe, appears as Gaga’s exhibitionist equal in a cutaway caged bustier and hoop skirt from British designer Harris Reed. They both twist around in bejeweled catsuits before Gaga goes Britney-Spears-Toxic in a red latex suit to match the film’s emblematic trident-stiletto heel.

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The Devil Wears Prada 2 New York premiereDia Dipasupil - Getty Images

Later, the crowds give way for another scene in which the two pop stars dance in let-them-eat-cake style Victorian gowns designed by Miss Claire Sullivan. The category is obviously opulence—with the added thrill that most of the fashion featured comes from emerging designers like Bad Binch Tong Tong, Matières Fécales, Viktor & Rolf, and Gaurav Gupta. The video’s most emblematic looks are without a doubt, British designer Daniel Del Valle of The Vxlley’s blue and white porcelain top worn by Gaga (as she pours herself a cup of tea); and the custom red Luar suit worn by both divas… simultaneously.

The high camp of the video mimics the precedent set by the film’s press tour featuring Schiaparelli ball skirts and Givenchy leather capes. And today, just one week before the Met gala, an event that has turned 2019’s “Camp” dress code into a perpetual theme, this video seems to punctuate the mass appeal of fashion.

Lady Gaga in Matières Fécales at the 2026 GrammysJeff Kravitz - Getty Images

When The Devil Wears Prada first came out 20 years ago it served as a glamorous, mildly parodic depiction of the early 2000s fashion industry on the cusp of the dot-com boom. But here we are 20 years later as the advent of the internet and social media have upped the ante for all parties involved. Brands not only have to vie for the discerning approval of buyers, editors, and stylists, but they must also spar for clicks of a global consumer base. The loudest voice often wins.

And yet the video’s over-the-top wardrobe still transmits a bigger message, by choosing to highlight a wide range of designers with original ideas and without the financial backing of conglomerates. Take for instance, the French label Matières Fécales, founded by Hannah Ros and Steven Raj, has been favored by Gaga on a number of recent red carpets. In only three seasons, the pair have already established a signature exploration of the grotesque beauty of human existence in their unconventional takes on elegance. Then there’s Miss Claire Sullivan, the pop star outfitter du jour, who has recently dressed both Addison Rae and Pink Pantheress. The designer uses glamour as a form of armour. And isn’t that what this whole multi-billion dollar industry is about?

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”