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

Hi, Vogue.

This is Nicki Minaj and this is My Life In Looks.

This look is my first album cover,

album name Pink Friday.

This is one of the most important shoots I ve ever done.

What we were going for in this shoot was trying

to make me look like a big Barbie doll.

Once I saw the photo, I loved it,

but I wanted the dress to be like more poofy.

I kept on saying, O my God, it s not poofy, poofy, poofy.

They go, Oh, well,

let s just draw the extra lace on behind you.

We did it, and that s the beauty

of some of the best photo shoots

is that you don t know what the heck you re gonna get,

and then you leave with something

more gorgeous, beautiful, and iconic.

Oh, this is me on the BET red carpet.

The first time I ever performed on the BET Awards,

when I performed three times.

I m wearing Rochas,

and I was feeling very elongated.

Therefore, I was doing my fake model pose.

I loved the chandelier necklace,

actually, it looks really chic.

The hair is a eh, [makes buzzer noise] no,

but it was the first time I believe I wore that color,

and I m happy I did it.

Oh, my goodness,

one of my faves of all time actually, very special.

My first time ever being shot in Vogue,

wearing Oscar de la Renta.

Here s something you guys don t know.

I was not painted blue for this.

In fact, I didn t find out until the book came out.

The color was treated in post

by the world renowned Stephen Klein,

and he made this into something so iconic to me.

It just worked.

All right, this next look is me and my mother

at the Oscar de La Renta Show in 2018 in New York City.

Fernando of Oscar de La Renta

is a very great friend of mine.

I really, really love him.

He invited us, and I said,

This would be amazing to bring my mother there.

I m in New York.

And he said, I ll dress your mom.

I said, No way.

He was like, We will dress your mom, Nic, we got you.

I mean, that in itself

was just such a beautiful thing to hear.

I wasn t expecting it.

I ll never forget it.

Marc Jacobs, 2018, New York City.

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

because the year prior, I was late,

and I was locked out.

I ve never been to a Marc Jacobs runway show

that I didn t think was

perfect 10s across the board.

To me, the artistry was just always next level,

always seemed so thought out, so rich.

I wanted something that felt the least safe.

I didn t want to feel like sticking to the rules.

I wanted to have Marc Jacobs meet Nicki Minaj,

not Nicki Minaj goes all the way over to Marc Jacobs

with no Nicki Minaj left and da da da da da.

I loved this dress.

I loved the color.

The dress seems like a sophisticated rich lady

that wears huge ballroom gowns

and has all these parties every night,

but the face is givin tah.

I love the look from head to toe.

OMG, 2018,

Versace, Milan Fashion Week.

I hate gloves.

I feel like they increase anxiety.

I am the one that put together

my scarf around my face like that.

Look at the beautiful colors on this.

Look at the, even the belt.

All the chains are Versace.

I haven t texted Donatella in awhile,

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

She s always willing and ready to turn up [laughs].

Oh, no,

I just realized just this moment

that actually there was something good

that came out of this.

It s what really cemented the fact for me

that I had to get my breast reduction.

I did my fittings and stuff.

I told him I loved this hat.

I loved what the outfit was giving,

but I said, You guys, listen, look,

these boobs are gonna be spilling out.

And by the time we were ready to go,

I looked in the mirror, I said,

Guys, my boobs are still spilling out.

And Naomi Campbell was walking in and out of the room

looking at me like, girl, let s go.

I knew before we even left the room

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

Okay, this is 2023 Barbie premier wearing Elaia.

Of course, I didn t wanna do something predictable

and wear pink.

Elaia happens to be one of my favorite brands.

The way they fit, the way they,

there s always like something sexy about it.

It s been one of my favorite brands for a long time.

I haven t worn it for a long time though,

so this was the first time wearing it

to nothing other than

the amazing epic Barbie movie world premiere

in California.

I really loved meeting Margot Robbie,

that was really, really dope.

A lot of full circleness that night.

OMG, what we are looking at ladies and gentlemen,

is the best thing that s happened all year,

Dolce and Gabbana, Nicki Minaj, MTV Awards,

where I hosted and performed three times.

We literally had to run to make the red carpet.

Normally, I always say, You know what, it s okay.

I m not gonna run.

I m not gonna go that hard to make red carpet,

if it s a show that I m performing on.

This look was so amazing.

Everybody on my team said, Oh hell to the no,

we are getting on this carpet.

I m talking about the fabric, the polka dots, the veil,

honey child, listen, this [blows kiss] bellissima.

Well, this made me light up, Vitmo,

or as I called it on the album, Vetamins.

Where I m from, we give designers our own names,

and that s what we call them.

I just loved that it didn t have to show any skin.

I just loved that sometimes women are the most confident

when they re completely covered up.

I saw my fans debating about

is she going there or is she coming from there?

And I love the discussion.

I just want people to decide for themselves

what it makes them feel first,

and then maybe after the album is out,

maybe I ll share my thoughts.

December 2023, Vogue cover,

shot by Norman Jean Roy.

A full circle moment of all full circle moments.

I think I m still like in a little bit of disbelief.

This just feels epic.

It feels like a triumphant moment.

And what makes this though beyond special

is me being able to do this with my son.

That s just what makes it a memory

that I will always treasure.

As I was holding him, and I was very uncomfortable,

because my leg was, it was just uncomfortable.

But all of a sudden,

he must have felt just complete comfort and peace,

and he just fell asleep,

and it was just the most beautiful thing,

and it just made me really emotional and I started to cry.

I couldn t, like that moment was just everything.

The other thing that makes this special

is that this was the edition

to celebrate 50 years of hip hop.

What better way to celebrate that

than to bridge both worlds,

the fashion world and the hip hop world,

which have always gone hand in hand.

To me, both of these worlds survive together

and play off of each other in such a special way

and always have and always will.

Well, Vogue, thank you for joining me for Life in Looks,

[marker scratches on paper]

I had fun.

[bright music]