It takes a genius talent to shift fashion trends, but it takes a daredevil to become the talk of the town. Especially when you’re misjudged as the underdog.
From bedazzled cowboy suits to shimmery feathers, eyeliner sharp enough to cut someone and outrageous footwear, Lil Nas X has pulled it off with the kind of confidence that makes everyone either hate you or love you. One thing we can’t deny is that ‘Nas’ has trailblazed through the world of entertainment, not only with his music but with his way of working the room and the red carpet.
He’s a Barbie Girl
Nas’s formula for success: Make a fan account, grow it to popularity, tease your music releases using memes, go viral, change the game. A devoted fan of Nicki Minaj, Nas worked his way to social-media savviness with a Twitter fan account (@nasmaraj) where he interacted with other Barbz. From high school up until he released the ‘Old Town Road’ remix with Billy Ray Cyrus in 2019, Nas was working his magic online to build his audience and promote his independently released songs. His feed, which started with memes and lyrical teasers, has evolved into a fashion haven – but he still brings the humour and unconventionality. He can go from bubble-gum funkiness to emo-chic, from a tailored men’s suit to a bold ballgown. Whether he’s matching his style to his music or to advocate for gay voices, Nas knows just how to work his daring looks.
Fashion, Meet Queerness
‘Pink is not for men’ – and then Lil Nas X showed up head-to-toe in the hottest of hot-pink cowboy outfit at the 2020 Grammys, after months of wearing outfits that could hide his sexuality. “I’ve been trying to deviate from the norm of what most guys wear – suit, tie… So, when I saw that look, even as a sketch, I was like, ‘That’s crazy. That’s a talking point.’ I want to get more in tune with that flamboyant side as well,” he told fashion magazine CR Men.
We started to see more of Montero, the boy from Atlanta, Georgia, who knew he was gay when he was five years old – first through his hair, then his accessories, then his make-up, then his entire ensemble. Playing on androgyny, the 25-year-old graced the 2021 Met Gala in a regal Versace gold cape with high collar and rose embroidery. He later stepped out in shiny gold armour with gold jewellery and eye make-up, before finishing off the evening in a skin-tight black-and-gold glittery bodysuit (yip, not just one outfit but three for New York’s biggest night out). A few months later, we saw him dressed as a lavender menace on the MTV Awards red carpet, with an off-the-shoulder draped Versace gown and flowing wig. “This was a fun one. It looks really hot, sexy, spicy,” he told GQ magazine.
After the success of his femme look, we started seeing more of Nas in gowns to rival Bridgerton and skirts that prove they look as good on a masculine body. The looks blended well with his personality, showcasing his gender fluidity. But the rapper took it to even greater heights at the 2023 Met Gala, adorned in nothing but a silver thong, shimmery body paint, platform boots and a rhinestone mask (inspired by Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld’s cat). Of course, his outfits aren’t always a hit with audiences or the fashion police that line red carpets, but Nas proves time and again that he can pull off just about anything.
Oh, the Sewing Turntables
Long-time stylist Hodo Musa, a Somalian-born, Sweden-raised creative who is now based in Los Angeles, has had a big impact on Nas’s style and outfit choices over the years. Pushing the agenda to go against the grain and experiment with his figure, Hodo and Nas are a dream team. “We play with textures that normally men don’t do,” Hodo told The Independent, explaining that they also insist on working with queer or black designers. “When you align yourself with people like that, then you do magic. Good things happen.”
Together, they’ve worked with labels like Balmain, Versace and most recently Coach, for whom Nas is now an ambassador. In February 2023, we saw him at the Coach fashion show sporting a bright red fluffy jacket, red fluffy accents on his wide-leg jeans, red fluffy platforms and a red fluffy bag, pom-pom hairstyle and rosy cheeks, just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Also at New York Fashion Week, we saw him flouncing down the catwalk in a towering, pink feather headpiece at Christian Cowan’s show, and making another runway appearance for Coach, dressed in grungy attire in total contrast to his usual glittery and iridescent outfits. These six bespoke looks were part of his wardrobe for the ‘Long Live Montero’ tour. Talk about switching it up!
“Fashion is one of those things that I can use to feed that part of me that loves to step into new areas,” he told The Independent.
Told Us Long Ago…
In 2020, Nas revealed in The Guardian that he would build himself up as a superstar, “and fashion will be a big part of that”. Even though he pushes the boundaries of fashion and gender, he was at first nervous about wearing something as simple as a skirt – let alone the risqué outfits he now parades. But once the ‘Industry Baby’ got the stamp of approval and support from his family, and his music became more colourful, it was all rhinestones and suit-gown hybridisation. “I’m less afraid to step out of my comfort zone… Lil Nas X is helping Montero become more himself. Music has made me much more confident.”
We got a taste of Nas embracing his queerness on his 2021 album Montero, but in April this year we were spoiled with Nas’s new single, ‘Trust Me’, which holds deep sentimentality around the rapper’s experience with sexuality growing up. The track was followed by ‘Where Do We Go Now’ and ‘J Christ’, which also speak to the social aspects of growing up queer, and stirred up mixed reactions similar to those of Montero.
Rapper Jack Harlow, who featured on ‘Industry Baby’, told Variety, “I think the community he represents could use someone who’s succeeding on a mainstream level – it doesn’t have to be a niche thing. It can feel like, ‘Yo, you can be number one, you can be the greatest.’ I really recognise what he’s doing, and I think he gets a lot deeper than the jokes and whatever gimmicky stuff people want to associate him with – I really think he’s an icon. I recognise what he’s doing and I admire him… I admired him long before we met.”
Performing at BottleRock 2023
When this year’s Met Gala came around in May, as usual he did not disappoint. Themed ‘The Garden of Time’ (a theme which one might have expected he’d interpret in flamboyantly floral fashion), Nas showed his unpredictable versatility. Contrary to his signature showiness, he sported a long cream jacket with oversized pants and a tank top, neatly trimmed platinum-blonde hair and minimal make-up (except for long nails). But look closely and you’ll be able to count the 50 000 Swarovski crystals and 2 000 buttons by the time he drops his next chart-topper.
From shy boy to femme boy to rude-boy to icon, Nas has carved his way in the industry as a risk-taker and inspiration to aspiring black, queer artists. “Style is a form of self-expression… It’s a way to show people who you are, or at least how you want them to perceive you. I feel like, to get further in life, you have to shed skins and do things that you normally wouldn’t.”
Fast facts
Birth name: Montero Lamar Hill
Birth date: 9 April 1999
Hometown: Georgia, USA
Accolades: 2 Grammy Awards, 5 Billboard Music Awards ,5 MTV Music Video Awards
Keep up with Lil Nas X:
Instagram: @lilnasx
TikTok: @lilnasx
YouTube: Lil Nas X
Words: Saadiqah Schroeder
Photography: Getty/Alamy
