Fashion

Lady Gaga Has A Royal-Adjacent Doppleganger

by Renata Certo-Ware

Flip through the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, and you'll likely experience deja vu when you spot the story about Grace Kelly's granddaughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, a Lady Gaga lookalike with a famous lineage, a flair for theatrics, and a killer voice, to boot.

The spread, shot on a palatial set, features Grimaldi channeling her grandmother in elegant poses and custom couture, and was lensed by Michael Avedon, who is himself the grandson of famous fashion photographer Richard Avedon. The younger Avedon is making quite the name for himself — or should I say earning the name — by photographing fellow famous grandchildren: He shot Audrey Hepburn's granddaughter Emma Ferrar, also for Harper's Bazaar, in 2013.

For the shoot, Grimaldi wears ultra-lux pieces fit for a princess: a $12,000 Ralph Lauren beaded gown, a glittering gold hair pin by Ana Khouri, and a powder blue Carolina Herrera gown that was surely inspired by Kelly.

But, gorgeous clothing and royal roots aside, what really makes this spread stand out is just how much Grimaldi looks exactly like Lady Gaga (who, based on her title, I can only assume is some kind of royalty, as well). Am I right?

Stefani Germanotta, is that you??

I literally can't even with how much she looks like Gaga here:

And in this one:

Like Gaga, Grimaldi is a chanteuse — and an operatically trained one, at that. She started singing in college with a friend's band, and launched her solo act last winter with a cabaret-style show cheekily titled "Fall in Love With Jaz."

The 23-year-old New Yorker, who opted to wait until graduating from Fordham University before really going H.A.M. on starting her career as a singer and actress, was born and raised in California, just about as far in either direction as you can get from a royal upbringing in Monaco.

Instead of the royal palace, Grimaldi was raised by her mother, Tamar Rotolo, out of the spotlight. Is this reminding anyone else of Anne Hathaway's character in Princess Diaries? It wasn't until later in life, at the age of eleven, that she reconnected with her father, although happily, she reports that the two now have a strong, healthy relationship. In the interview, she recalls when, three years later at age fourteen, the paparazzi learned of her existence and began hounding her as she prepared to enter high school.

Here she is at a red carpet event with her father, Prince Albert of Monaco, and his wife, Princess Charlene

Is it just me or is she serving up some serious Laura Carmichael realness, too?

The Harper's Bazaar article and accompanying shoot is her official "debut", and although she has a few red carpet appearances under her belt, she seems to be a very private person. Off-set, in rare candid snaps of her posted by her cousin (and fellow royal) Pauline Ducruet and in videos she's posted of her performances, she totally embodies Kelly's very particular brand of elevated, girl-next-door giddiness; at the heart of all that poise and polish is a someone who's passionate about family, her volunteer work, and her craft.

Whether or not Monegasque courts see her as a legitimate royal (spoiler: they don't), that's a true princess.

Image: Giphy