Nicki Minaj loves her Barbie necklace and her legion of fans is happy to call themselves Barbz. But now the Harajuku Barbie is taking her obsession with the ultimate female icon to a new level with a one-of-a-kind actual Nicki Minaj Barbie doll that will be auctioned off for charity.
While Nicki's colorful wigs, plunging necklines and body-hugging outfits are typically more revealing than the iconic dolls', Barbie maker Mattel has fashioned a single Minaj-edition Barbie that will be put up for auction on Charity Buzz on Wednesday as part of the five-day Divine Design event and gala at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, according to Billboard magazine.
Bids on the figure will be offered through December 19 and start out at $1,000. The Grammy-nominated singer is in good company, as former one-of-a-kind charity Barbie models include Janet Jackson and Rachel Zoe. All proceeds from the sale will go to Project Angel Food, which provided meals for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.
"Barbie is obviously a pop culture icon. She's been in the spotlight for over 50 years, and strikes that chord with girls of all ages in terms of being representative of the times," said Barbie spokeswoman Stefani Yocky, who declined to say if the one-off is the beginning of a deeper relationship between the rapper and the company. "And Nicki is a big part of pop culture and also huge within the fashion industry, as well as a big Barbie fan ... It's really exciting for us that she's been so generous to allow us to create this one-of-a-kind doll to support such an important cause."
Minaj just revealed that her alter ego, Roman Zolanski, will be dropping a teaser his/her new single, "Roman in Moscow" on Friday (December 2). The song will be the first taste from Nicki's upcoming second studio album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, due out on Valentine's Day.