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

  • last year
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

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People
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]

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