Camera shy Nicki Minaj squeezes in tight print leggings as she stalks through airport

She's know for her eye-catching, bold fashion flare - but Nicki Minaj was not ready for her close-up as she arrived at the airport last night.

The curvaceous rapper kept her head down and had her shades firmly in place as she stalked through LAX Airport in Los Angeles in a suitably garish outfit.

Nicki, 29, was accompanied by her boyfriend and assistant Safaree Samuels.

Keeping her head down: Nicki Minaj, pictured at LAX Airport in Los Angeles last night in a rather loud outfit

She was clad in a pair of retro print leggings, teamed with a red leather jacket, Ugg boots.

She was also wearing a long white and pink wig and was carrying a red blanket as she headed to catch a flight to Orlando.

The singer appears in the latest issue of American Vogue, where she posed covered in blue paint and wearing a pink curly wig.

And in an interview to accompany the creative photograph, the star opened up about how her style wasn’t always so distinctive.

Tight-fitting: The rapped donned a pair of retro print legging and hid behind her shades

She told the publication: ‘I was dressing in Tommy Hilfiger baggy shirts and Boss jeans, but then I met a person who dressed like a tiny lady—pantsuits, heels, lots of makeup.

Posing: Nicki pictured recently in a more camera-friendly mood

‘I thought she was larger than life. She once did my makeup – I had never seen myself made up before. I didn’t want to wash it off; I felt like I had one day to live this fantasy of being a glamour girl.’

She also added that her eye-catching ensembles are ‘costumes, not outfits.’

And as well as telling the fashion magazine about her style discovery, the Super Bass rapper admitted that she didn’t always see herself ending up in the music industry.

She confessed: ‘A huge part of me wanted to be a lawyer. I would do a really good job as a prosecutor.’

Nicki has lent her name to MAC's ultra-altruistic Viva Glam range, for which all profits from make-up sold go to HIV and AIDS charities.

The star has designed a vibrant pink lipstick for the line, and has spoken out about her delight to be involved in the project.

She has said: ‘When I was chosen by MAC cosmetics to be the next Viva Glam spokesperson, I wanted to hug everyone that worked at MAC for giving me this opportunity.

'I've always wanted to be a Viva Glam girl.'