Nicki Minaj Goes Old School on W Magazine Cover

Nicki Minaj goes seriously old school on the latest cover of W. We're talking old, old, old school, people.

Thanks to artist Francesco Vezzoli, the artist is transformer into a 18th-century woman, donning elaborate pieces by Dior Haute Couture, Vera Wang, and Western Costume Company. See for yourself:

Said Vezzoli of working with Minaj, who surprised her biggest fan on Ellen this week in this adorable video:

"I wanted to play with the public image of a female hip-hop star. During my entire career, I have always been fascinated by powerful women in history. I have spent a lot of time researching the ways they were represented in art and how their images were used to mold the public imagination."

Mission accomplished, we'd say. Compare this look to Minaj's recent Cosmo cover. Notice any differences?