iconic nicki minaj outfits

Iconic Nicki Minaj Outfits Guide

Latest posts by Denis Loncaric (see all)

Another guide, another great artist to talk about. In my previous blogs, I have done a few guides on Nicki Minaj regarding her perfumes and types of vinyl, but this time I decided to do thorough research on iconic Nicki Minaj outfits!

I love fashion, and even though I am not the one to design something, I love seeing some amazing outfits on the red carpet, both for females and males. And Nicki, aside from being one of the best female rappers of all time, has had an amazing appearance on both elegant and sporty occasions as well.  Thus, I think she is worth mentioning and creating a special blog for her outfits only. Stay tuned because it will be a bumpy ride with many different styles, including provocative ones!

Bottom Line Up Front

 My favorite Nicki outfit of all time has to be her purple, feathered dress from the Daily Front Row back in 2018. Believe it or not, this dress is not simple; it has a lot of details, but not too much, beautiful color combination with sparkling undertones. Nicki pulled this dress perfectly, with the great, modest makeup and a wavy, wet wig. 

My Selection Criteria

As I always mention, styles are different, and while someone might not like something, another one will. Overall, when I decided to craft this iconic Nicki Minaj outfits guide, I decided that I would do it by the following metrics:

  • My Style Preference
  • Attractive Design
  • The Level of Difficulty for Creating Such a Design

While most of her outfits were sexy, totally different from others, and even provocative, the minority was the modest and moderate ones. I decided to choose the most appealing ones to me, and in my top three picks, you can see which ones were the best of all time! There is no particular order that I had in mind when I crafted this list, so make sure you check them all if you do not agree with my top three! Let’s dive in!

1. Nicki Minaj Outfit – MTV Video Music Award 2011

Nicki

Probably the most iconic outfit of all time in the whole Hollywood industry was Nicki’s weirdest and craziest outfit in the 2011 MTV video music awards. I cannot even call it a dress because it is not a dress. To be honest, this is one of my least favorite Nicki outfits.

I do not even know, up to this day, what did she want to achieve with this look. Although she managed to attract all attention possible and stand out from the rest of the artists, honestly, this is not the best way to do it.

Minaj had a structural metallic corset, a three-colored wig, lace stockings, and what appeared to look like a tutu skirt, a single slipper, a colorful face mask, and a weird, sewn chain of stuffed animals. Wow, I got tired of just describing this look. It was just too much. Too many details, colors, textiles, and materials. My least favorite Minaj outfit but also the one that has got the most attention. 

Nicki’s Amato Couture dress was out of this world, which, after all, was maybe the point of all. Under all of that, she wore star-patterned tights and leg warmers with child drawings and cartoon characters on the limbs. As for her makeup, she had green eyeshadow, pink lipstick, and long, bushy eyelashes.

Minaj’s bottom looks like pajamas with some furry animals on her feet, weird, right, but whatever works for her. Honestly, I do not even know what I am looking at! To sum it up, one of my least favorite Nicki’s outfits. 

Pros

  • Got everyone’s attention

Cons

  • Too many details, colors, design, and textile
  • Unnecessary doll
  • Does not look like a dress at all

2. Nicki Minaj Golden Dress – 2015 MTV Video Music Awards

Nicki

When it comes to Nicki’s style, we have to prepare for everything, and I mean everything, as you can see by yourself! There’s no doubt that Minaj was one of the first Hollywood artists in the last decade who promoted the “bigger size” style. To make things clear, I do not mean she’s fat, but rather she has curves that she’s proud of, and she is going to show ‘em, hon! 

This was confirmed many times by some of her iconic looks of her, where she put the accent on her buns. One of them was the look from American Music Awards in 2015. I love this look. It might appear too provocative at first glance, but Nicki tricked us.

Even though we can see her curves, she has had a thin sheer layer of fabric covering her body parts that appear like they are fully revealed. 

This amazing metallic gold sheer dress, designed by La Bourjoisie with skin-tight fabric and a plunging neckline, exudes sexiness yet elegance and glam. The dress was estimated at $15,000, which is pretty expensive. This was one of her iconic looks because nobody up till then had used to such a look from Minaj, hence, elegance and glam. 

With this beautiful dress, she decided to go with the long, black wig and natural makeup with beautiful winged eyeliner. Oops, again, so not Nicki, right? But, I have noticed that this look reminds me so much of Cleopatra. I do not know if she aimed for it, but she managed it! 

Overall, the dress looks stunning on her, highlighting her beautiful figure and curves. It is elegant and sexy, and also her makeup is totally on point. Without too much of it, she pulled a beautiful look that everyone has talked about for weeks, and as I can see, today as well!

Pros

  • Beautiful long dress
  • Classy, glam, and fabulous design
  • Shiny yet not too much

Cons

  • Maybe a little provocative 

3. Nicki Minaj Black Dress – 57th Grammy Awards 2015

Nicki

In the same year, Nicki made some iconic fashion trends on some of the world’s most popular music awards. In August of 2015, she made a jaw-dropping appearance at the MTV music awards, but little did everyone remember that in the February of the same year, she had the beautiful, elegant dress that everyone talked about. 

Both appearances in that year were so not like Nicki. Since there are a lot of surprises on the red carpet such as these, Minaj might have been the biggest one. The black dress that she wore was a beautiful and elegant Tom Ford dress. It had a deep V line that was embellished with fringe details at the bottom of the dress.

She might have worn the sexiest dress of the night, and she stole the show. The dress is very tight, highlighting her curves, as usual, with the deep neckline and floor-length fringe skirt adorned with sequins. When it comes to her hair, it was classic, long black hair with a messy look, while her makeup was far than modest.

Keeping her lip color soft and neutral, she opted for a classic cat-eye makeup look accentuated by a hint of shimmer.

When it comes to accessories, Nicki has had a lot of diamonds, including her rings, earrings, and bangles, all of which are encrusted with sparkling gems. Again, I love this look. There is not so much to talk about, she looks hot and elegant at the same time, highlighting everything that needs to be highlighted.

Pros

  • Beautiful design
  • A classic dress that goes with everything
  • Emphasizes the figure

Cons

  • Too opened cleavage

4. Nicki Minaj Red Dress – Met Gala 2018

Nicki

In 2018 Met Gala had a special theme, usually, known as Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination. Among many iconic looks that night, Nicki ensured that the “bad guy” was present, alluded to herself, and indirectly referenced her latest single, “Chun-Li.” This style of hers was worth mentioning in my iconic Nicki Minaj outfits guide because she raised a big storm with this dress!

The dress that she wore was stunning. You can argue with me, but Nicki’s 2018 Met Gala look was her most beautiful appearance on the red carpet. And, in my opinion, this was the best Met Gala theme so far. Minaj was wearing an Oscar de la Renta gown with a full train and Tiffany’s headpiece encrusted with rubies. Red color has prevailed in the dress with the simple black details on the shoulders. Since she mentioned that she was the bad guy here, many people stated that she wanted to achieve that devil look. Point taken, I think she perfectly managed to do that. As a tradition of the Met Gala, the outfit featured an extra-long train and a special detail on her red, a Tiffany headpiece studded with a cross, and red diamonds.

I have to be honest since the theme was heavenly bodies, Nicki’s appearance was for sure out of this world, but it was not heaven but rather hell. Of course, not ugly as hell, but rather devilish, hot, and different as hell! Against the dress’ sequins, the jewels matched perfectly.

The diamonds on her headpiece looked so elegant, expensive, and perfectly matched her overall style that the longer you look, the better it looks!

Even though the town was full of details, including her accessories, the headpiece, the bracelets, and the rings, her makeup, on the other hand, was simple and modest. Aside from her long eyelashes, Minaj chose all-matte makeup for her look. She had glossy lipstick and a beautiful long black wig.

Her soft brows were a beautiful contrast to her evil dress, while her all-black nails matched the grown, which I think was a great detail!

Pros

  • The dress has a lot of beautiful accessories
  • Devilish design with the great color combination
  • Eye-catching dress

Cons

  • Red might not be my favorite color 

5. Nicki Minaj Purple Dress – The Daily Front Row 2018

Nicki

Nicki’s purple dress, amazing two-colored hair, and beautifully-toned makeup were probably my favorite ones. There is no doubt that Minaj had some amazing outfits in her career, but in this dress, she looks like million dollars. The star wore a color-coordinating wet, pink-purplish wavy bob wig to complement her intricately embellished and fringed purple gown. 

It was a Pamella Roland Fall 2018 RTW Dress combined with a long black belt and Stuart Weitzman simple black disco sandals. The dress was almost see-through, but everything that needed to be covered was taken care of. The dress had a purple gemstone sequin and magnificent feathered kimono capes.

Regarding accessories, Nicki has some beautiful diamond rings in combination with wide bracelets and simple, short, whitish nails. Her wig appeared wet, with the above-the-shoulders cut and pink, purple combination. The makeup was just how is supposed to be.

With her iconic bushy, long eyelashes, Nicki had brown, glossy lipstick, stunning eyeliner, and cat eyes. The overall look is just fantastic; it leaves you out of breath. She managed to pull this look perfectly, with just the right amount of elegance, sexiness, and style. 

Pros

  • Stunning color combination
  • Detailed design with feather kimono
  • It emphasizes the woman’s figure

Cons

  • Personally, none, but it might be just too much for someone

My Top Three Picks Up Front:

  1. Nicki Minaj Purple Dress – The Daily Front Row 2018 – Stunning purple dress, with feather kimono and shiny details. 
  2. Nicki Minaj Golden Dress – 2015 MTV Video Music Awards – Sexy and a little provocative yet elegant golden dress that emphasizes Nicki’s figure.
  3. Nicki Minaj Black Dress – 57th Grammy Awards 2015 – Simple without too much detail black dress, with a beautiful V neckline.  

FAQs

Question: How do you dress like Nicki Minaj?

Answer: Here are some tricks you can use to dress just like Nicki. First, you want to show off your cleavage. Nicki is popular for her curves, and each time she has to chance to highlight them, she does!

Thus, you might want to get a push-up bra and show those buns, hun! Minaj loves dresses, especially tight ones, so when choosing the outfit, look out for what is called a “bandage” dress. These dresses are tight and elastic and emphasize your bodyline as well as your cleavage. You can opt for a long or short dress, this is totally up to you because the singer has seen to wear both types of dresses equally. 

Another thing to remember when it comes to the dress always defines your waist. Nicki loves wearing some long belts that are tightened around her waist, making that perfect Marilyn Monroe body. If you opt for the babydoll dress, ensure that the bottom part drops off at the waist, while if you choose drapes, make sure the fabric tightens around your waist.

When it comes to footwear, always opt for high heels. Nicki lovers wearing four to eight-inch platforms and high-heels. You can even try some gladiator sandals, cut-outs, and colorful fringe. 

As for accessories, do not miss them! Nicki loves big rings, all-shiny bracelets, dangling earrings, and colorful wigs. Experiment with long, short, one, two, or even three-color wigs as much as you like. You can also add some colorful hats; basically, whichever you like in the thrift shop, you can opt for and design however you like! Follow these simple steps, and you will easily become Nicki’s twin!

Question: What style does Nicki Minaj have?

Answer: Nicki has her own unique, best-known for Barbie style. She likes high-heels, colorful wigs, and tight dresses. Minaj loves that Barbie look she has been promoting since the beginning of her career.  

Question: What is Nicki Minaj’s clothing line called?

Answer: The name of Nicki’s clothing brand is Nicki Minaj Collection. Her personal clothing brand was launched 9 years ago, to be exact, in October 2013. Minaj has developed and designed all of the accessories, apparel, and housewares products along with her designers. 

In Conclusion

Nicki Minaj is, without a doubt, one of the best female rappers of all time. Whether you are or you are not a fan of her music, you have to pay tribute to some of her record-breaking singles and her devotion to her career. I respected her both as a person and as an artist from the first day.

This is mainly because she stayed true to herself; she published some tremendous singles and features with her own fast-rapping and provocative style. 

Aside from being such a successful artist, Nicki has always impressed me with her looks. She has always had her own style and pulled out many fashion trends. For that reason, I crafted the iconic Nicki Minaj outfits guide, including my favorite ones and my worst ones of all time!  

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