Rapper Nicki Minaj is known for speaking her mind and not giving a care about what others think of her. At the after-party for 39-year-old designer Philipp Plein’s show on Saturday, Sept. 9, she put the fashion industry on blast for co-opting black culture but rarely featuring black people in their shows and on the runway sidelines.  

"Thank you, Philipp Plein, for including our culture," she said to the crowd, The Cut reported. "Designers get really big and really rich off of our culture, and then you don't see a motherfucker that look anything like us in the front row half the time. So let's make some noise for Philipp Plein tonight."

Her statements weren't the only highlight of the night. Nicki Minaj's performance with Yo Gotti, Rae Sremmurd, and 21 Savage set the show on fire.  

Other notable celebs on the scene were Future, Rich the Kid, Metro Boomin, and Teyana Taylor who were either modeling Plein's latest fashions or giving dope performances. And Teyana Taylor did both, becoming the highlight of the evening. 

Despite the grandeur of the event, there was controversy over how black the event was, people pointing out that 21 Savage always had a double cup in hand and why certain artists were there in the first place. 

Nicki Minaj's comments seemed to come out of thin air but there is validity to her statements. According to Refinery 29, there were just 31.5% of models cast during New York Fashion Week were non-white. Plein is known for bucking trends commonly associated with the fashion industry. 

So his inclusiveness is nothing new but still, he deserves a shout out for trying to change the fashion industry's outdated way of operating.

Cultural appropriationNicki MinajPhilipp Plein