Above left: Lady Gaga at the VMAs in 2010. Above right: The "Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power" exhibition at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington in 2012.
Five years after Lady Gaga wore a meat dress to the MTV Video Music Awards, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has put the fleshy frock on display.
It's preserved with dye and formaldehyde, but conservators are unsure how long the item will last. Jun Francisco, the director of collections, says the dress is "very hard," telling MTV News, "Right after the VMAs, the museum contacted Lady Gaga about the meat dress and the plan for the future. They agreed to send it to us, but at the time it was still raw meat. So we had to figure out -- we went back and forth with ideas -- and the thing we decided on was to preserve it like a beef jerky. So it's taxidermied."
Designed by Franc Fernandez, the outfit was one of three worn by the bisexual megastar to the 2010 VMAs. Neither of the other outfits are on display as part of the collection. Her piano has also been acquired by the museum as part of its "Women Who Rock" exhibit.
The museum also possesses the outfit's matching shoes, purse, and hat. The shoes are being displayed with the dress, but the other items are still in storage.
The dress and shoes will be on display at the Cleveland museum until the end of the year, although officials are considering extending the exhibit if possible.
