In a swath of what appears to be Prada’s spring hot-rod inspired collection, a very pink-haired Nicki Minaj poses off on the cover of the latest issue of Wonderland magazine, photographed by Matt Irwin. This cover might seem like a bit of wrongly timed bummer, since her sophomore album Roman Reloaded, originally slated to drop on Valentine’s day, has been pushed back to April 3rd. We trust that Nicki has a few more tricks up her sleeve to make all of this for her benefit.
Last month in a New York Times Style Section profile Nicki Minaj was discussed as a global brand and a burgeoning marketing juggernaut. Brands like MAC Cosmetics, OPI nail polish and Mattel’s Barbie franchise have found her to be a force to be reckoned with and have all placed Minaj at the centerpiece of major marketing pushes. Notwithstanding the album being pushed back, we’re sure we’ll see tons more of Minaj in the coming months. As she tweeted when she announced the new album date: “But have no fear. Tons of surprises before then.” We’ll be watching.
In the article, the Moment For Life rapper opens up about her obsession with Barbie, explaining “I feel like Barbie is great because it doesn’t only focus on beauty–you have Barbies that work, they have tons of different jobs now. And they come in different shades, which I love, and different hairstyles. So I think that they’ve gotten to the point where they’re making girls feel like it’s OK not to look like or be like the traditional Barbie.” Point well made ‘Harajuku Barbie.’
Her animated makeup and persona are refreshing in a robot filled music industry. StyleBlazers, wouldn’t you agree?
-Deidre Dyer & Tunisia Wilson
