Reasons why Nicki Minaj might’ve felt more at home at Betsey Johnson yesterday than she did at Carolina Herrera:

- Her seatmate, the fabulously unconventional Lynn Yaeger (instead of buttoned-up Anna Wintour).
- Her blue afro, sure to get the stamp of approval from Johnson, who stocked the gift bags with scented fuchsia hair extensions.
- Her song “Fly”, which played as the opening music, and drew a humble laugh from the singer.
- And, of course, the clothes. If there’s a designer for Minaj other than, say, The Blonds, it’s Betsey Johnson. Last night, the hip-hop star’s outrageous rainbow ensemble helped her stand out from the audience, but the models? Not so much. Which is kinda great, because as much as we love surprising celebrity show choices, it’s also nice to see fashion week pairings that just make sense.

For spring, Betsey’s theme was T & A (yep, as in tits and ass). And there was tons of it, not just in the brightly-colored bras and panties themselves, but also in more layered looks, like see-through party dresses that highlighted the lingerie underneath. Patterns and textures were classic Betsey Johnson (leopard, rhinestones, skulls, frills), but with one totally new influence: Mary Katratnzou. We couldn’t take our eyes off a long-sleeve, knee-length dress which bore Katrantzou’s signature subject (interior design) as well as technique (digital print). Perhaps the white hot– yet fabulously expensive– British designer will see her hallmark look take off in the States sooner than she thought.

*Photos: Imaxtree