The possibility of creating customs for celebrities and entertainers, however, had never crossed Lewis’ mind. Like many other fashion students, the rising talent imagined himself going down the traditional route: rising through the ranks of a design team at an established brand or fashion house. However, a chance encounter changed everything. 

During university, Lewis was a freelance designer for the cult-coveted London-based label Mowalola. Recognising his talent, the brand’s founder Mowalola Ogunlesi introduced him to Nick Royal—one-half of Hardstyle, the styling duo (with Peri Rosenzweig) that boasts the patronage of cultural trailblazers like Gaga and Travis Scott. Royal would then go on to commission Lewis’ first custom garment for American experimental music artist Yves Tumor. 

Lewis has embraced this out-of-the-blue opportunity with full gusto. “It’s been honestly very crazy,” the demi-couturier shared. “It wasn’t something I thought about before but I guess my style of work [fits] naturally in the world of performance and being worn in a public setting to garner attention.”

To our surprise, Lewis was not 100 per cent sure that Gaga would wear his now viral custom creation on the Grammy Awards 2025 red carpet.

Turns out, the gothic ensemble was originally part of a wider commission by Hardstyle for the artist’s Abracadabra music video. Breaking the internet that same night, the theatrical imagery put three of Lewis’ other designs in the spotlight: a subversive red latex cape embedded with nails, a slashed laced corset and decayed bustle skirt look as well as a distressed white corseted dress.

“We decided at the very last minute that [the gothic look] was for the Grammys,” Lewis said. “When I saw it happen, I was just in shock. The whole thing looked beautiful. I’m so happy to be part of Lady Gaga’s new era and I feel that it is a perfect symbiosis with my style.”

The demi-couture designer dove deeper into Gaga’s red carpet look. According to Lewis, the laced-up jacket subverts Victorian-era women’s mourning attire with its contemporary leather fabrication, whereas a scene from the film Orlando (1992) starring Tilda Swinton inspires the skirt. In this cinema adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel, the acclaimed actress runs in a maze garden donning a voluminous Victorian-style gown that looks pitch black on-screen despite its forest green hue in real life. 

“I really like this idea of the body being completely swallowed by black fabric and having this very antique feel,” Lewis shares. “The ballgown skirt looks like she’s been wearing it for decades. It’s been ripped up causing some parts of her body to be exposed. Specifically for Gaga, a lot of the work we’ve been doing is based on this idea of clothing that is decaying and how time affects the clothes we wear.”

Today, Lewis splits his time between Australia, Taiwan and wherever his client commissions take him. Next on his agenda is to drop a collection for his namesake label later this year. For now, he teases that some of Gaga’s custom looks take direct inspiration from what he has in store. And when asked what other stars he’d love to design for, he answers promptly: Lucy Liu and Rihanna. 

“At the start, I never thought this whole journey would ever happen for me,” Lewis reflected. “In time, I have built the confidence to understand that people respond to your work and creativity and that you can have a place in the room.” 

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