The Curious Case of Katy Perry’s First Lady Cosplay

There is a marked departure from Perry’s on-stage and off-duty style. The Lifetimes tour delighted in all of her most outré fashion eras: a cyborgy (Blue Origin-referencing?) metal bodysuit, a peppermint candy cane-hipped latex dress and candyfloss moonboots that remixed her California Girls looks, a Prism-coded and jungle-inspired Dolce & Gabbana corset and grass skirt, and a bodysuit made of tinkling red baubles. Valentino, Moschino, and The Blondes often featured in her line-up of flamboyant costumes. On the fashion week circuit, she was a committed front rower for Demna’s Balenciaga; in day-to-day life, it’s all oversized denim, graphic tees, and fuzzy Charlotte Simone coats.

As a political plus one (again, Trudeau resigned last year, and the first lady title is an American concept), Perry has opted for more conservative, safe co-ords and quieter color palettes. The whimsy, still, floats just beneath the surface, staying faithful to youthful labels and a slightly subversive sleeve here and there. She remains galaxies away from the austere, hard-shouldered silhouettes of, say, FLOTUS Melania Trump. The new First Lady of New York, Rama Duwaji, is the blueprint for a sophisticated, politician’s partner aesthetic that interpolates her own artistic sensibilities and effortlessly chic POV, wearing vintage, independent designers, and witchy Miista boots. From brooches to ballgowns and borrowed archival looks, the spouses of political figure’s sartorial sensibilities can tell the story of her partner (or her own) politics and priorities.

It also hasn’t even been a year since Perry embarked on her three-minute intergalactic float with the all-women Blue Origin team, where the crew donned cobalt blue, body contouring space suits designed by Monse, with Skims underneath. She took the role pretty seriously, while still reveling in the more fashion-forward flight suit: “We’re putting the ‘ass’ in astronaut!” she said. Clearly, Perry’s happy to take up these politics-adjacent roles if she can keep her own sense of humor and style intact.

Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images

JoshOsuna / SplashNews.com

Perry is no stranger to a significant style shift, having transcended what was a well established campy, kitschy bombshell look (pink bouffants, pin-up rompers, ’50s circle skirts) for sexy and severe Rick Owens and Balenciaga ’fits, and dark, moody palettes by way of under-the-radar designers like La Maskarade, Du Ciel, and XI SCORPII. Don’t expect the “Woman’s World” singer to divest herself of any personal style in favor of the bland and politico-friendly. Katy Perry is chameleonic, so it will be interesting to see how this first lady cosplay develops post-Davos.