On Edge: That's my look and I want it back

From the underground clubs of New York City to South Africa's fashion-forward forums, a look that amalgamates diverse styles and breaks cultural rules has bounded onto centre stage.

Coined in 2009 by Venus X, a New York underground DJ, the term ''GHE20 GOTH1K" (pronounced ghetto Gothic) initially applied to ''angry kids, who play weird music and dress unlike anyone else". The look discards gender stereotypes and religious symbolism, and revels in embellishment, Latin influences and exoticism.

Venus X intended to establish a subculture that would form a "new world order movement" - much like the punk movement of the 1970s -made up of young people frustrated with society's constraints and expectations.

"This is not a trend," she announced on Instagram in May, appalled by Rihanna's adoption of her look, for which she received no credit. ''It's the result of being an Outkastin the hood. Scaring your Dominican parents with your German industrial obsession and weird piercings. Wanting revolution in the arts, government and fashion."

But despite Venus X's resistance to the subculture becoming mainstream and commercialised, ghetto Gothic has become a global trend. It is a mash-up of exotic cultural dress cues accessed via the internet, urban street clothes and sportswear to create a hybrid look.

Rihanna's recent ghetto Gothic-inspired music videos pulled the subculture into the mainstream, much to the dismay of Venus X.

"It is not a fashion hashtag for Rihanna to use, who has no political reference point. GHE20 GOTH1K is extremely political. It's not about expensive clothes," she said. "The politics are radical. They're anti-capitalist and are pro-freedom and democracy."

The ghetto Gothic philosophy resonates with a number of South African trendsetters: Johannesburg-based designer Tzvi Karp, professional dancer and choreographer Manthe Ribane, Cape Town-based rapper Nicci Saint Bruce and Pretoria style icon Maitele Wawe, to name a few. They mix and match oversized earrings, colourful braids, gold or silver Hindi jewellery , oversized nose rings , spiked black leather wrist bands , body chains, and the right pair of sneakers to make it their own.

Karp, 27, finds the inevitable links between cultures and the cross-pollination between traditions and subcultures particularly pertinent. He defines his sartorial style as Sikh punk, with influences from Eastern and African culture.

Ribane, 26, currently touring with Die Antwoord, adapts the trend in a unique way - mixing sportswear with Indian traditional jewellery, quirky hairstyles (often braids) and dark lipsticks.

Wawe, a 24-year-old creative from Thohoyandou, Limpopo, is an aspiring "fashionpreneur", blogger and final year logistics student.

"A major roleplayer in defining the trend locally is my sister Manthe Ribane, who has always been so different, persisting with her unique style She is my definition of ghetto goth."

The ghetto Gothic trend is a long way from its New York underground club scene roots , but local fashion progressives are tapping into the movement to reappropriate the look for a new audience. As Venus X says: "Ghetto Gothic is a worldwide alternative space for the weirdos of this generation."

• Cooper heads the fashion, lifestyle and pop cultural division at Flux Trends as a senior trend analyst. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram under the user name @NicolaCoop