Fashion Icon: Nicki Minaj

As much as I don't rate her music all that much, Nicki Minaj is truly a style icon in her own right when it comes to pulling off quirky fashion trends.

Ever since she first burst onto the rap music scene back in 2010 with her debut album, appropriately entitled, 'Pink Friday', I have always noticed Nicki's individual sense of style and personality. It just goes to show that some celebrities can stand out from the crowd for any number of reasons... for Nicki Minaj, it's her striking charisma and Hawaiian looks that get my vote.

Nicknamed 'Harajuku Barbie', what I love about this lady's style is her ability to wear anything and everything, and wear it with confidence. For me, fashion is very much about making your own way and not following any one trend in particular. Fashion and beauty are so diverse in that they can transform a person's look entirely, and Nicki is the perfect role model for transforming her day to day look - I would definitely call her a style chameleon.

Although she may come across to some people as slightly O.T.T, I love her eccentric outfits and make-up choices, and I'm always eager to see what style she will come up with next!

Whether she is playing dress-up as a Punk on the cover of Marie Claire Magazine, amping up the neon factor whilst promoting her MAC Cosmetics campaign or wearing just about every type of wig there is, Nicki Minaj is certainly an inspiration to fashion followers and art lovers alike.

Note: All images are not taken by me.

Pretty in Punk! Vogue Editorial

I've always had a strong love affair with fashion editorials. Whether I find them in Vogue, Elle, Tank or Pop, the excitement of buying my favourite fashion magazines each month brings a feeling of joy and reminds me just how versatile trends really are.

Even when I used to plan and co-ordinate styling photo shoots whilst I was studying at uni, it was always a pleasure to see the progression of how an initial idea develops into a finished promotional campaign - I suppose this is how creative teams feel when they are out on location shooting for the world's leading fashion magazines.

In that spirit, whilst flicking through the glossy pages of last month's Vogue, I stumbled across an extremely creative editorial with a strong emphasis on PUNK. So naturally, as Punk is one of my all time favourite sub-cultures especially in terms of styling, I have included the full editorial spread from the last issue on my blog... enjoy!

Note: All images courtesy of Vogue May 2013 Issue.