i love nicki minaj and janelle monae because their aesthetics are so far removed from one another but they both actively attempt to defy traditional standards of beauty in their own completely different ways
i think nicki goes “hyper-feminine” (see: Barbie) and challenges traditional standards of beauty by being LOUD in her femininity in both her demeanor and her appearance. yes she likes pink but not only does she like pink she FUCKING LOVES PINK. furthermore, i think she enjoys appropriating male symbols of power or traditionally masculine clothes and “feminizing” them by (flawlessly) incorporating them into her own outfits. or she makes her feminine outfits threatening by wearing spikes and sharp edges
janelle’s aesthetic is more focused around blurring the lines of traditional femininity and masculinity. janelle’s occasional forays into more traditional standards of beauty for women only make it more obvious that she is saying “I am the one who chooses how I look. Today I choose to look this way for myself and tomorrow I may choose to look differently.” she does things like wear a formal white button up, but with a ribbon neck tie. or strappy heels and an all-white suit with a gorgeous necklace. or a suit-inspired dress with a lot of cleavage. she doesn’t even give a shit about gendered clothing and just wears whatever the fuck she wants
i also love love love that they defy white-centric ideas of beauty. nicki has an alter-ego named barbie… what defies white-centric ideas of beauty more than a woman from trinidad calling herself barbie when mattel refuses to release a doll with brown skin called barbie and instead making her one of “barbie’s friends”?
and janelle is constantly constantly using natural black hair and i think she is constantly paying omage to african and african american culture in her aesthetic… i would be shocked if her cover for archandroid wasnt inspired by queen nefertiti
anyways i just love how these ladies dress themselves because i see it as a big middle finger to traditional ideas of how black women should look and i think that’s just great bye