Lady GaGa: 'Fashion is everything to me'

Lady GaGa, 22, is top of the UK charts this week with her single, "Just Dance".

Her real name is Stefani Joanne Germanotta but her family and friends refer to her only by her stage name, GaGa. Born in New York, she went to the same posh Manhattan private Convent of the Sacred Heart School as Paris and Nicky Hilton. She arrives along with her entourage for her first appointment in London, to perform on a 4Music TV show, wearing sequined knickers, shades, a bra and high heels. Here she describes her look.

I designed these custom nude sequined panties with opalescent light blue rhinestones on them. I'm also wearing a Rifat Ozbek Italian jacket with feathered shoulder pads. It has got gloves sewn under the sleeves; that's so my thing. I made this leather nude bra for my "Love Game" video. We did this set-up that looked like The Night Porter where she is naked under the Nazi uniform. I've got on brand-new Christian Louboutin toeless shoes in taupe/camel colour. These Capezio dance fishnet tights are very Eighties. This diamond-encrusted Maranello watch was given to me as a gift by Akon, my producer, Vincent Herbert, and my manager, Troy Carter. I'm wearing vintage Versace sunglasses. I've also got some shades I wear on stage that have video screens on the lenses that flash up messages. My creative team at the Haus of GaGa who are all under 26 came up with it. Christian Siriano made the oversized black patent bow in my hair for me. And this hair is certainly mine! It didn't used to be. But my record label have allowed me take my weft out so now it's my real hair. These false brown lashes are made of feathers by shu uemura. I've got white daisies and white roses tattooed on my shoulder and back as well as an anti-bomb tattoo on my left hand. Fashion is everything to me. It's just as important as the music. I don't want to exist to the British people as just one song. I want to be a true artist who affects their culture in the same way that I've affected American culture."

'The Fame' is out now on Interscope