Style Transformation: Nicki Minaj Over the Years
Believe it or not, up until now, Nicki Minaj hasn’t scored a single No.1 hit on Billboard’s charts. Which is surprising, isn’t it? In fact, a lot of her tracks have actually made it to the Top 5. So, to finally claim the throne must feel absolutely brilliant. And so, we decided that celebrations were due. Nicki Minaj has always chosen the snazziest, most vibrant outfits for every music video she’s featured in. Over the years, her style has evolved monumentally and it’s been a delight to watch. So, we decided to give you a taste of just that.
1. Nicki Minaj performs at the 2011 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show at the Lexington Avenue Armory on November 9, 2011. This outfit looks like a bizarre cocktail of cartoons and sci-fi. But boy, does Nicki look so fearless out there.
Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy
2. Nicki Minaj arrives at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards held at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 28, 2011. That’s right, this year had yet another gem we just had to show you. So, we’ve analyzed the colourful face mask, ice-cream necklace, stuffed toys and come to the conclusion that she’s basically an anime character, who escaped from the screen.
3. Nicki Minaj performs on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 13, 2012 . This year saw Nicki take things down a notch. The sequin sprinkled body suit goes quite well with her light blonde hair. Kudos to her for looking at every detail.
Photo Credit: Paul Drinkwater
4. Nicki Minaj attends the Costume Institute Gala for the “PUNK: Chaos to Couture” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2013. Nicki with curls is a whole new level of glamour. Not to mention how well the navy-blue colour suits her. Oh and take a closer look at that winged liner. It looks like it might’ve taken a whole hour to do, but knowing Nicki, it probably took 60 seconds.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock
5. Nicki Minaj performs onstage during the BET AWARDS ’14 at Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on June 29, 2014. Back to black, huh? But would you look at her gold-chain top? Something tells us that it just might be real gold.
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazu
6. Nicki Minaj performs onstage during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on August 30, 2015. Oof, this dazzling red fit really demands attention. But also, that head gear has got to weigh a ton…
Photo Credit: John Shearer
7. Nicki Minaj attends TIDAL X: 1015 at Barclays Center on October 15, 2016. She’s really holding nothing back, huh? Nicki, when can we ever match your level of confidence?
Photo Credit: John Lamparski
8. Nicki Minaj attends the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards at The Forum on August 27, 2017. ‘Barbie Tingz’ was one of her biggest hits and it looks like she’s got an outfit inspired by the tune too. This was also her half blonde, half baby-pink hair era. And boy, did it leave her glowing.
Photo Credit: David Crotty
9. Nicki Minaj attends The Daily Front Row 6th Annual Fashion Media Awards at Park Hyatt New York on September 6, 2018. 7 years later and anime-character-Nicki has made a return. She’s got all the shades of purple down in one outfit. That takes some skill.
Photo Credit: Michael Ostuni
10. Nicki Minaj attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019. Did you really think we’d leave out this iconic look? It appears that her fondness for pink outfits is still going strong. From the footwear to the silver beads – she really looks like royalty. Over the years, she’s left behind her taste for wacky fits and moved on to ones a lot bolder and glamorous. And this journey has been a treat to watch.
Photo Credit: Jamie McCarthy
