What You Don't Know About Lady Gaga's Sister
The world knows all about Lady Gaga, and for years her every action has been documented and dissected by the press. So it's surprising then that not much is known about her family life, in particular, her younger sister Natali Germanotta.
Unlike Gaga, Germanotta has tried to fly under the radar except for a handful of interviews that give insight into her life. And her life is every bit as interesting as that of her older sister. Here is everything that you need to know about Germanotta, from her relationship with her sister to how she's made it on her own.
She used Gaga's bold style to her advantage
While Germanotta is much more conservative than her famous older sibling, growing up she was very thankful for Gaga's bold style choices because it meant that she could get away with more.
She revealed as much during an interview with Teen Vogue in 2011, when she discussed how her dad reacts to her outfit choices. She said, "Whenever I wear something crazy and my dad gives me a hard time, I say, 'Well, at least I'm not walking out on the street with red pasties,' and he'll be like, 'Good point.'"
She loved Convent of the Sacred Heart
Like Gaga, Germanotta also graduated from the prestigious Convent of the Sacred Heart. But, unlike her sister, who previously told Rolling Stone magazine that she was bullied for being "ugly," Germanotta had a much more pleasant experience at the school. This is something Germanotta was excited to discuss during an interview with Teen Vogue in 2011. She said, "I'll have those friends forever. My sister and I were in different grades with different girls."
Whether she really will have those friends forever or it was just the words of a 17-year-old girl is unclear, but Germanotta's comments about her high school definitely paint a very different picture than Gaga's.
She was voted best dressed by her peers
Gaga has had some questionable fashion choices over the years, but she has never been boring and it seems Germanotta has also had an interest in fashion from a young age. During an interview with Teen Vogue back when she was aged 17, she revealed that she had already made a bit of a name for herself as a fashion-lover after her school friends hailed as "best dressed" in the grade.
At the time she said that she intended to attend fashion school, telling the publication that, for her, "college is less about getting drunk and more about learning what you need for your career."
She was in Gaga's Telephone music video
Perhaps one of the most surprising things about Germanotta is that she's able to fly under the radar and avoid the intense media attention, despite having an incredibly famous (and recognizable sibling). For instance, hardly anyone noticed that she featured in one of Gaga's music videos. The video was for the 2010 track "Telephone" featuring Beyoncé, and was filmed inside a jail cell. While Germanotta's role in the music video was small, it's still pretty great to be able to say she was in such an iconic music video at just 17.
She's worked in the family restaurant
In 2012, Germanotta stepped out from behind Gaga's shadows for a photoshoot with digital magazine Viral Fashion . In the photos she can be seen wearing high-fashion while posing in her family's Upper West Side restaurant, Joanne Trattoria.
The restaurant is very close to Germanotta's heart, and she revealed as much during the accompanying interview for the publication. She also worked in the restaurant and when speaking of her roles and responsibilities there she said, "I do a little bit of everything and adore my family." Everything is right, as Viral Fashion notes her shifts consisted "of hosting, serving and working with the staff."
She's often at her sister's side
When Gaga was awarded the CFDA Fashion Icon award in 2011, the best part was not that she turned up in a green wig, but that she took her baby sister as her date. However, this is not the first time Gaga and Germanotta have been seen in public together.
The pair are extremely close and have been spotted together in public on multiple occasions, including attending Brandon Maxwell's 2016 show, shopping trips in New York, and Germanotta was backstage supporting her sister at the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime show in 2017.
Sometimes Gaga's career annoys her
You would think that having a famous sister comes with a lot of perks, but that's not always the case. Germanotta revealed during an interview with Interview magazine in 2011, that at times Gaga's career has been annoying.
She said, "I was in high school back when she was playing places like the Knitting Factory. I remember me and my dad helping her pack up her stuff and walk down flights of stairs carrying her big electric piano. It might get annoying sometimes, but the pride I feel for her really outweighs all that stuff."
She's killing it in the fashion world
Germanotta made her fashion dreams a reality when she enrolled in the prestigious fashion school Parsons. She graduated from the school in 2014 and that same year, Gaga was featured in Harper's Bazaar wearing one of Germanotta's pieces.
Gaga took to Instagram to share a photo of herself in an all-white ensemble, and gushed about how her sister was "killing it" in the fashion industry. She went on to explain that the jacket was handmade by her sister and was part of her Parsons thesis collection. It was also chosen by Carine Roitfeld to be featured in the Icon Issue.
But this was not the only time that Gaga wowed in an item handmade by her younger sister and in 2015, she wore a bright pink dress designed by Germanotta and Perry Meek while performing "La Vie En Rose" at the Hollywood Bowl.
She's in the doll making business
Gaga and the younger Germanotta, along with the Born This Way Foundation, joined forces with toy company Mattel to help create the first celebrity doll for the brand's Monster High dolls.
Speaking during an interview with Refinery29 in 2016, Germanotta gushed about her excitement at being a part of the project. "We are all so super excited," she said. "I mean, being able to be a part of this collaboration is so wonderful and such a great opportunity for everyone."
She's not afraid to be vulnerable
Much like her older sibling, Germanotta is also a force to be reckoned with and an inspiration. She revealed during an interview with Refinery29 that in life she has a motto, "Be the most vulnerable me I can be."
She went on to comment about how that motto and the collaboration on the Monster High dolls were linked. She said, "I feel like the doll really represents showing your unique self and being the most vulnerable you. Through that, within the design and the aesthetic, and the doll itself, it really puts forward that image to the young kids that will be seeing it and interacting with it..."
She was behind a Super Bowl halftime surprise
In 2017, Gaga was the star of the Super Bowl halftime show, and it was definitely a show to remember. However, ahead of the performance she gave an interview with Boston's Mix 104.1 radio show Karson & Kennedy, telling the show that her sister had some wild ideas for the performance, which included her flying through the air — which actually happened.
Speaking of how the idea came to her sister, Gaga recalled that she said, "I know, let's suspend you in the air!"
She dreams of making fashion for everyone
Germanotta has a desire to create fashion that is affordable and this is a sharp contrast to the clothing that her sister typically wears — Gaga's always photographed in designer labels.
Germanotta previously shared her mission to improve the fashion world during a chat with Interview magazine. She said, "I would like to make things that are extremely affordable." She added, "I also want the process and production of the clothes to involve recycling. I'd like to have a store where people can buy things but also rent specific pieces if they can't afford to purchase them."