When Lady Gaga, patron saint of freaks and queens, hit the red carpet on September 30, I could only think one thing: Mother Monster is officially back. While the pop star never really went anywhere, her famously outlandish fashion sense has been conspicuously absent for the past few years.

In 2022, Lady Gaga completely shifted her aesthetic, favoring high glamour over theatrics. Her Marilyn Monroe days were undeniably great, but I missed the over-the-top Gaga who wore meat dresses on the red carpet and looked like she had hatched from an egg on stage.

Last week, the “Shallow” singer began her official press tour for “The Joker: Folie a Deux,” and I'm happy to report that Mother Monster was in her truest form. On the first day, she revealed transparent eyebrows and a campy new hair color inspired by her character Harley Quinn.

A few days later, Gaga appeared again at the Los Angeles premiere of the film. Her fiery red hair and ugly eyebrows were both in attendance, but this time it was parted to the side. She wore a black Celine column dress with a tiered satin cape detail that gave it a moderately histrionic look.

Further combining elegance and quirkiness, she wore a sparkling statement necklace covered in hot pink gemstones and diamond-studded vines. Her black enamel earrings, by the styling duo of Sandra Amador and Tom Erebout, added to the effect.

The most important accessory was Lady Gaga's choice of towering shoes. She wore the pleather-inspired platform pumps that made her famous, this time in shiny patent leather. Overall, the look was the perfect hybrid of elegance and drama.

Now, I'm not saying that celebrities (or anyone) shouldn't be allowed to change their style. But the blonde hair and mermaid dress aesthetic was uncharacteristically Gaga.

But her new look brings together her famous flamboyant style with the vintage glamour she loves. It's a natural next step in her fashion evolution and feels like a new era for Lady Gaga.