A month after it was dropped, and we are still digesting the wonderful costumes, and a good amount of them latex, in the new Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj video “Alone.”
The video opens with a quick peek of Kim on a T.V. screen of her in the black vinyl wardrobe she wears later. But quickly, we get into the opening scene of Kim and dancers in matching band jackets with epaulets, hats, and short flared skirts. As she sings, Kim seems to have more than a passing fancy for the clarinet she holds.
Next, we get an explosion of color with Kim, and her dancers dressed in Lycra body suits, first gyrating on pink yoga mats and then bouncing in equally pink exercise balls. Lycra, like PVC, leather, vinyl and, yes, latex, is a go-to video textile performers, and fans, all love it so much.
It’s in the following scene/wardrobe change where latex couture gets introduced. First, we see Petra’s backing dancers wearing black latex body suits, the leading lady herself in an all-black vinyl outfit. She is in tight pants, a corset with buckles, knee-high flared boots, high-neck belted top, occasionally stretching and whipping the tethers from a black cat o’ nine tails. It’s when Nicki makes her appearance that we are treated to full-on latex couture…with two different outfits. We see her first in a glossy red latex shirt, tie, and long black skirt. Then she is standing in the same set with Petra in her black vinyl, Nicki wearing a clingy black latex dress, with her backside bare in a pink booty-baring bodysuit to match her sunglasses. The outfit is a version of what we call a Cheeky Skirt, and you can bet Nicki Manji looks fantastically cheeky as she just slightly bares her rear.
Lastly, dressed in a ‘nurse’ lingerie outfit, Petras finally walks up to and dances for the man who has been watching this video all along.
As happy as we always are with any hint of latex anywhere, we can find it, when our favorite textile is featured in such a spectacular way, even for a brief moment in a video, we couldn’t be happier.
