Nicki Minaj Revisits Her Life in Looks, From Pink Friday to Marc Jacobs’s Front Row

Vogue

The rapper has proven time and time again, she’s going to do things her way—in both fashion and music.  Director: Nina Ljeti Director of Photography: Stephen Tringali Editors: Evan Allan Producers: Gigi Chavarria, Qieara Lesesne Associate Director, Creative Development: Alexandra Gurvitch Associate Producers: Marisah Yazbek, Lea Donenberg AC: Jaquline Lehr Gaffer: David Sheetz Audio: Gloria Marie Production Assistants: Brock Spitaels, Lauren Boucher         Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar Production Manager: Natasha Soto-Albors Line Producer: Romeeka Powell Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James Supervising Editor: Kameron Key Post Production Supervisor: Edward Taylor Entertainment Director: Sergio Kletnoy Director of Content, Production: Rahel Gebreyes Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin VP, Digital Video English: Thespena Guatieri

Transcript

00:00 Hi Vogue, this is Nicki Minaj and this is my life in looks.

00:04 This look is my first album cover.

00:11 Album name, Pink Friday.

00:13 This is one of the most important shoots I've ever done.

00:18 What we were going for in this shoot

00:20 was trying to make me look like a big Barbie doll.

00:23 Once I saw the photo, I loved it,

00:26 but I wanted the dress to be more poofy.

00:29 I kept on saying, "Oh my God, it's not poofy, poofy, poofy."

00:32 They go, "Oh, well, let's just draw the extra lace on

00:35 behind you."

00:36 We did it, and that's the beauty

00:39 of some of the best photo shoots

00:41 is that you don't know what the heck you're gonna get,

00:44 and then you leave with something more gorgeous,

00:46 beautiful, and iconic.

00:47 Oh, this is me on the BET red carpet.

00:52 The first time I ever performed on the BET Awards

00:55 when I performed three times.

00:58 I'm wearing Rochas, and I was feeling very elongated,

01:03 therefore I was doing my fake model pose.

01:07 I loved this chandelier necklace.

01:10 Actually, it looks really chic.

01:12 The hair is, uh, eh, no.

01:17 But it was the first time I believe I wore that color,

01:21 and I'm happy I did it.

01:23 Oh my goodness, one of my faves of all time, actually.

01:27 Very special, my first time ever being shot in Vogue,

01:32 wearing Oscar de la Renta.

01:36 Here's something you guys don't know,

01:38 I was not painted blue for this.

01:40 In fact, I didn't find out until the book came out.

01:45 The color was treated in post

01:47 by the world-renowned Stephen Klein,

01:50 and he made this into something so iconic to me,

01:56 it just worked.

01:57 All right, this next look is me and my mother

02:02 at the Oscar de la Renta show in 2018 in New York City.

02:07 Fernando of Oscar de la Renta is a very great friend of mine.

02:13 I really, really love him.

02:15 He, you know, invited us, and I said,

02:18 "This would be amazing to bring my mother there.

02:20 "I'm in New York."

02:22 And he said, "I'll dress your mom."

02:24 I said, "No way."

02:26 He was like, "We will dress your mom, Nick.

02:27 "We got you."

02:28 I mean, that in itself was just such a beautiful thing

02:31 to hear, I wasn't expecting it.

02:33 I'll never forget it.

02:34 Marc Jacobs, 2018, New York City.

02:39 Well, first I was happy that I made it in the door,

02:41 because the year prior, I was late, and I was locked out.

02:46 I've never been to a Marc Jacobs runway show

02:51 that I didn't think was perfect hands across the board.

02:56 To me, the artistry was just always next level,

03:00 always seemed so thought out, so rich.

03:02 I wanted something that felt the least safe.

03:05 I didn't want to feel like sticking to the rules.

03:09 I wanted to have Marc Jacobs meet Nicki Minaj.

03:13 Not Nicki Minaj goes all the way over to Marc Jacobs

03:16 with no Nicki Minaj left, and da-da-da-da.

03:18 I loved this dress, I loved the color.

03:22 The dress seems like a sophisticated, rich lady

03:25 that wears huge ballroom gowns

03:29 and has all these parties every night.

03:32 But the face is given to...

03:35 I love the look from head to toe.

03:39 OMG, 2018, Versace, Milan Fashion Week.

03:47 I hate gloves, I feel like they increase anxiety.

03:50 I am the one that put together my scarf

03:53 around my face like that.

03:55 Look at the beautiful colors on this.

03:57 Look at the, you know, even the belt,

04:00 all the chains are Versace.

04:02 I haven't texted Madonna Teller in a while,

04:04 but she's always a lot of fun to hang out with.

04:07 She's always willing and ready to turn up.

04:09 [laughs]

04:11 Oh, I'm so excited.

04:13 [laughs]

04:15 Oh, no.

04:16 I just realized just this moment

04:19 that actually there was something good

04:21 that came out of this.

04:23 It's what really cemented the fact for me

04:26 that I had to get my breast reduction.

04:29 I did my fittings and stuff.

04:31 I told them I loved this hat.

04:33 I loved what the outfit was giving.

04:35 But I said, "You guys, listen, look,

04:38 "these boobs are gonna be spilling out."

04:41 And by the time we were ready to go,

04:43 I looked in the mirror, I said,

04:44 "Guys, my boobs are still spilling out."

04:46 And Naomi Campbell was walking in and out of the room,

04:50 looking at me like, "Girl, let's go."

04:54 I knew before we even left the room

04:57 that the boobs were about to have a night of their own.

05:02 Okay, this is 2023 Barbie premiere, wearing Alaia.

05:09 Of course I didn't wanna do something predictable

05:12 and wear pink.

05:13 Alaia happens to be one of my favorite brands.

05:16 The way they fit, the way they,

05:19 there's always something sexy about it.

05:21 It's been one of my favorite brands for a long time.

05:23 I haven't worn it for a long time, though.

05:25 So this was the first time wearing it

05:28 to nothing other than the amazing, epic

05:33 Barbie movie world premiere in California.

05:36 I really loved meeting Margot Robbie.

05:38 That was really, really dope.

05:40 A lot of full circle-ness that night.

05:42 OMG.

05:44 What we are looking at, ladies and gentlemen,

05:51 is the best thing that's happened all year.

05:56 Dolce & Gabbana, Nicki Minaj, MTV Awards,

06:00 where I hosted and performed three times.

06:06 We literally had to run to make the red carpet.

06:10 Normally, I always say, "You know what?

06:13 "It's okay, I'm not gonna go that hard

06:16 "to make red carpet if it's a show that I'm performing on."

06:19 This look was so amazing.

06:23 Everybody on my team said, "Oh, hell to the no.

06:26 "We are getting on this carpet."

06:28 I'm talking about the fabric, the polka dots,

06:32 the veil, honey child, listen.

06:37 This, (kissing)

06:39 (speaking in foreign language)

06:43 Well, this made me light up.

06:47 Vetements, or as I called it on the album, Vetements.

06:52 Where I'm from, we give designers our own names

06:55 and that's what we call it.

06:56 I just loved that it didn't have to show any skin.

07:01 I just loved that sometimes women are the most confident

07:06 when they're completely covered up.

07:08 I saw my fans debating about,

07:10 is she going there or is she coming from there?

07:13 And I love the discussion.

07:16 I just want people to decide for themselves

07:20 what it makes them feel first.

07:23 And then maybe after the album's out,

07:25 maybe I'll share my thoughts.

07:31 December, 2023, Vogue cover shot by Norman Jean Roy.

07:36 A full circle moment of all full circle moments.

07:44 I think I'm still in a little bit of disbelief.

07:47 This just feels epic.

07:49 It feels like a triumphant moment.

07:53 And what makes this so beyond special

07:58 is me being able to do this with my son.

08:01 That is just what makes it a memory

08:05 that I will always treasure.

08:08 As I was holding him and I was very uncomfortable

08:11 because my leg, it was just uncomfortable.

08:15 But all of a sudden,

08:16 he must've felt just complete comfort and peace

08:21 and he just fell asleep.

08:23 And it was just the most beautiful thing.

08:25 And it just made me really emotional and I started to cry.

08:28 I couldn't, like that moment was just everything.

08:31 The other thing that makes this special

08:33 is that this was the addition

08:35 to celebrate 50 years of hip hop.

08:38 What better way to celebrate that

08:40 than to bridge both worlds,

08:43 the fashion world and the hip hop world,

08:46 which have always gone hand in hand.

08:49 To me, both of these worlds survive together

08:54 and play off of each other in such a special way

08:57 and always have and always will.

08:59 Well, Vogue, thank you for joining me for Life & Looks.

09:02 (upbeat music)

09:05 Have fun.

09:09 (upbeat music)

09:12 (upbeat music)

09:14 (upbeat music)

09:17 (upbeat music)

09:19 (upbeat music)

09:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Category

Transcript

Recommended