By: Aphiwe Pasiya, Melissa  Le Roux, Matina Steyn, Onele Liwani, Thandile Majivolo

From Rihanna’s Swarovski crystal gown to Solange’s hospital robe-inspired dress, we went searching for our own fashionable locals. Do they look fab or drab?

You would think talking to Capetonians about fashion would be a walk in the park, right? Well, not so much. Getting people to share their fashion insights proved to be a minor fashion mishap. But with a thread of persuasion and a needle inserted in the right seam, everything fell in place perfectly. People we thought were random shoppers at the V&A Waterfront proved to be fashionistas in their own right, with some giving us the low-down on what’s hot and what’s not this winter season.

Leather came out tops in the trends department. But other items that made the hot list were leather shirts, slim leg pants and jeans, denim jackets, lace, long skirts, knitted scarves, and leather boots. Fashion no-no’s they shared with us included hot pants, socks with slippers, lumos, jeans with sandals and leopard print leggings.

“Lumos are a no-no, unless you’re going to an 80’s party,” Francesca added.

Black was the dominant colour voted for, but our street fashion fundis also admitted to playing around with a lot of warm and neutral colours.

David Tlale and Jeremy Scott were some of the influences mentioned by our young fashion gurus. A few of them displayed very well-informed fashion choices and the ability to take risks without ruining the whole outfit.

Now the big question is whether Cape Town’s fashion is trending or not. The colours, fabrics, textures, and outfits have been observed and they all seem to coincide with trends currently in season. Some of our fundis took the time to thoroughly piece together their ensembles. The effort and execution suggests that Cape Town’s street fashionistas have their finger on the pulse.

Watch video below: