It’s no secret that Nicki Minaj and late luxury designer Karl Lagerfeld had a deep mutual admiration for each other, with the two joining forces on a cover shoot for Elle last year and Minaj frequently fawning over Lagerfeld’s designs for Chanel. But if suspicions are correct, it may be Fendi, another formerly Lagerfeld-designed label, that Minaj has in mind for her first luxury collaboration.
As WWD reports, speculation about a potential partnership was sparked after Minaj posted a video of herself dressed in head-to-toe Barbie-pink Fendi—including a logo-stenciled wig. She captioned the post: “All I’ll say is dreams really do come true. 🙏🏾😢🤫 #FendiPrintsOn#ThatIsAFendiFakk coming soon,” leading many to believe that a collab of the non-musical variety may be on deck for the fashion-obsessed rapper.
And why not? As WWD points out, the 93-year-old Italian fashion house has been seeking new ways to connect with millennial consumers. With the ascension of talents/personalities like Rihanna, Virgil Abloh, Kanye West and Dapper Dan in the luxury landscape, the moment could be ripe for Fendi, owned by LVMH (which also owns Fenty and Louis Vuitton) to make a renewed bid for the urban market. Minaj, who memorably went full logomania for their Spring/Summer 2019 runway show last fall (pictured above), has been regularly seen sporting the brand’s iconic print in recent months—including on a trip to the label’s Roman headquarters in March. Was a deal struck during her visit?
Fendi declined to comment to WWD on Minaj’s post or any prospective partnerships, but the outlet did note that Silvia Venturini Fendi, the label’s Creative Director for Accessories, Menswear and Children (also the only remaining family member at the namesake house) commented on the post with a flurry of heart and fire emojis, further fueling anticipation for a formal announcement.
If there is, in fact, a collaboration in the works, Minaj can consider the hashtagged promise she made in her IG tribute to Lagerfeld after his death fulfilled: #FendiPrintsOnForever