Cardi B, Thebe Magugu, Beyonce: best and worst dressed of the week

This week has been eventful for our stars, seeing them hit red carpets and stages on all fronts. From the Grammy Awards to the first Vogue Nights Jozi event of the year, this is a great time for us to see the best looks in party outfits.

Looking for a little inspiration on what best to wear to your next soiree, here are some of our top picks for the stars who blew us away with their looks.

CARDI B

The Grammys are often a red carpet where we can expect an elevated approach to party-wear and it is also a great space for out-of-this-world fashion moments. Cardi B has often embraced the latter in the past few years, giving us this breathtaking gown by Indian couturier Gaurav Gupta. 

The electric-blue piece is part of Gupta's recent couture show that played around with formless creations. With Cardi's voluptuous curves, the dress's futuristic appeal comes alive through the sculptural hood that seems to have no beginning or end. This makes it an effortless yet memorable gown that requires little antics or maximalist accessorising.

THEBE MAGUGU

Now that's commitment! Magugu went all out in his interpretation of Vladimir Tretchikoff's celebrated painting, Chinese Girl, which saw the designer transform into the image of the woman painted in blue. In the original piece, the woman is seen in a tunic that resembles a cheongsam, but Magugu took it on with an ensemble that was a nod to the golden details of the original outfit seen in the painting.

WINNIE HARLOW

We may love her for her many runway moments, but this week Winnie Harlow brought all the fun to Formula E. Posing with one of the electric racing cars, she rocks a poncho and wide-leg pants which could easily have been a dowdy look, but the shimmering night sky print and neon colours give it a fresh pop.

WORST

BEYONCE

Is it her cryptic way of communicating the much-anticipated visuals for her lauded album? Is she exploring a fun side of futuristic styling? Is this what an alien superstar looks like?

Beyonce's style can be polarising, but in this case it's just not what you would expect at her Roc Nation brunch party. The custom look comes alive like a futuristic origami, thanks to Gareth Pugh's unconventional take on volume and shapes. Beyonce's stylist for this look was KJ Moody who typically loves to play with metallics when it comes to the Grammy record breaker, but this was probably best suited for the Grammy's carpet. Speaking of which ...

Moody put Beyonce in another custom gown by Gucci. The overall look is begging for the design house's former creative director Alessandro Michele's OTT aesthetic, but instead Moody takes a restrained approach. While the ruffled high slit is a great choice for the leggy Beyonce, the overall style becomes boring with such a dramatic gown that reflects reports of the star being late due to traffic. Perhaps that was a sign for her to change outfits before arrival.

ALL OF THE MEN AT THE ROC NATION BRUNCH

Boring all-black ensembles, ill-fitting suits and uninspired dramatic outfits. Nothing new was offered by the gents in attendance at the beloved pre-Grammy do.

As menswear embraces the influx of trends that stem from social media and the many subcultures that exist today, not one of these legends or up-and-coming talents displayed any approach that would inspire this era of fashion lovers.

While the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and Uzi Vert have often pushed boundaries with their approach to fabrics, aesthetics and accessorising, their brunch looks showed no commitment and lacked the usual shock factor they bring. And don't get us started on Daniel Kaluuya's viral suit that looks bad from just about every angle. There are many ways to take on the oversized trend but this ill-fitting attempt is not the best example.

TAYLOR SWIFT

The star arrived in this underwhelming Roberto Cavalli look that is great for showing off her tight abs but is as memorable as the many similar looks by her peers circa 2014.

HARRY STYLES

While he may have rightfully earned the biggest gong for last night's Grammys, Harry rarely wins on red carpets as the Gen Z style icon he has become. 

Straying away from his usual Gucci looks, he opted for a sparkling rainbow jumpsuit made in collaboration with Swarovski and Egonlab. Rather than blurring the gender lines, he seems to be walking a tightrope between an underdressed clown and lacklustre Elton John cosplay.