The Best Nicki Minaj Outfits Of 2012

ure, we could spend our whole Best of 2011 coverage counting down all the sparkly inanimate objects that we coveted, daydreamt about, and ran up our credit card bills with this year. But what fun is an annual STYLE recap without delving into our favorite fashion plates? Here at MTV Style, it's not the most "in vogue" outfit that ends up nestling into a warm corner of our hearts, but rather, the most unique (and occasionally gonzo) use of fashion as a means of self-expression. Thus, we give you the 10 most show-stopping 2011 looks from one lady who embodies that philosophy to the umpteenth degree: the ever exciting Miss Nicki Minaj who, beeteedubs, ALSO celebrates her 29th birthday today! HAPPY BARFDAY, NICKI!

PINK FRIDAY

Nicki Minaj in Europe promoting her album "Pink Friday."
Photo: Getty Images

Nicki kicked off 2011 across the pond promoting Pink Friday in this head-to-toe bubblegum pink ensemble. From the asymmetrical stacked curls (for a certain Gumby silhouette) to the platform pumps, this outfit fittingly ushered in what ended up being a stupefying year of Nicki Minaj sartorial awesomeness. Twenty-eleven included a series of firsts for the rapper, from an inaugural performance on Saturday Night Live to a Grammy nomination, and THIS outfit, with its Keith Haring-inspired satin jumpsuit, plastic studded cuffs, and giant pendant necklace was an apt harbinger of all the effervescent fash-happiness to come.