Lady Gaga Discussed Her Controversial Meat Dress, 11 Years Later

It's been 11 years, but Lady Gaga's MTV Video Music Awards meat dress lives on in infamy.

In a new interview for British Vogue, Gaga opened up about one of her (and the world's) most-discussed red carpet looks of all time, reflecting on the political statement she wanted to make. Back in 2010, she said, she wanted to make a statement about the U.S.'s Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which directed that military applicants were not to be asked about their sexual orientation.

"We decided to do the meat dress because I thought to myself if we were willing to die for your country, what does it matter how you identify," she said. "This was ultimately designed by Franc Fernandez, but it was the brainchild of House of Gaga and we were backstage with Brandon Maxwell, who was working as one of my stylists at the time."

Though the outfit was "thrilling" to wear, she said, it did undoubtedly "smell like meat."

Gaga also said the dress was makeup artist Val Garland's idea: "Her and I worked together for a long time and she shared a story with me where she had gone to a party wearing sausages and I thought this was quite funny and I said, 'Well that's a great way to make sure that everybody leaves you alone at a party.'"

Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

Though the dress itself looked simple enough, she explained that there was more thought put into it than you might think.

"There's a corset under this, but the corset was a sewn to the meat so this is actually a garment," she said. "They didn't just drape meat over me and cross their fingers."

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The pop star also said that she did not intend to make a statement about animal rights.

"It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian," Gaga told Ellen DeGeneres. "As you know, I'm the most judgment-free human being on the Earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening it's [saying], 'If we don't stand up for what we believe in, if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones.'"