Elnino, Andze Tivani, Tshepi Vundla: Barbie's best and worst dressed

Barbie-mania continues to take the world by storm and it was no different for cinemas on the African continent. We look at the stars who attended the Barbie movie premiere this past week and gave us a lesson on being pretty in pink and serving up Y2Kcore Barbie-style.

BEST

ELNINO MATTHEW

Just because the theme is Barbie doesn't mean every shade of pink needs to dominate the red carpet. Elnino was a standout in this regard showing attendees how to dress up for the legacy of the doll. Avoiding an OTT ball gown, Elnino rocks a body-tight dress with patchwork denim. The half up, half down pony keeps the overall look casual yet still glamorous, allowing the flawless beauty beat to shine.

The look is paired with shrug boots and silver opera gloves that help elevate the effortless nature of the ensemble.

TOMIKE

Tomike Adeoye wins as one of the stars inspired by an existing Barbie look. Taken from Margot Robbie's on-screen cowboy ensemble, Tomike gives it an extra cool factor with her tinted glasses.

The look could have easily been elevated by cowboy boots but Tomike's Barbiecore style sandals don't take away from the overall aesthetic thanks to the chunky platforms.

VINE OLUGU

As the king of the Kens in attendance, Vine captured his own style while bringing the feminine energy needed for this red carpet. One of the few stars to stun in pastel shades, Vine opted for a loose-fit jacket and trousers. The 70s look is punctuated by an open button shirt and pearls. The cherry on top was his handbag and large beads braided at the back of his cornrows. We can definitely look forward to more handbags for men considering how well he rocked it.

KIM JAYDE

South Africa's celebrity sneaker queen kept it fun and youthful as a “real-life Moschino Barbie.”

From her ribbon to her two-piece jacket and skirt, Kim turned heads in this hot pink combo. Always rocking sneakers with her looks, this was an event best suited for Kim's style that perfectly fitted the hip-hop influences seen in the final look topped with gold accessories.

ANDZELO TIVANI

An important facet of styling a look is considering the different environments your look will be photographed in and Andzelo understood the assignment with this outfit. The blush tones of his two-piece suit work well with the colour of the Barbie installation making the life-size doll effect impeccable. A striking finishing touch is his bleached blonde hair and his ballerina nails.

The reality TV star is definitely one to keep an eye on for future red carpets.

WORST

SHEGGZ

There are many themes in the world that can confuse us. Whether it is the expectations or the accompanying mood board that instructs one on how to go about it. The luck of the Barbie red carpet is that there have been weeks of international looks setting the standard for what is to be expected. Whether you mimic an existing look or attempt to take your spin at the all-pink outfits everyone else has tried, it's a pretty easy event to dress up for.

For some reason Sheggz not only got it wrong once but managed to flop his take on Ken doll style twice. He first gave us a taste of what he is capable of with a lacklustre off-white look seen at a Barbie slumber party. Things took a more confusing turn when he went to the premier in a casual ensemble featuring baggy trousers, a white tee and a puffed blue body warmer. The look, even with chunky-soled lace-ups, still didn't work and had no correlation to the theme. However, the flimsiness of the outfit seems to match the controversial Earring Magic Ken Doll that leaves very little to be inspired.

TSHEPI VUNDLA

Tshepi's ensemble is almost magic, you can't go wrong with velvet when it's styled well. However, the giant furry bucket hat throws the whole look off completely. Not limited in terms of what she is willing to wear, Tshepi's looks are often a bridge between playful and elegance. A matching jumpsuit could have done wonders with the hat or she could have gone for the 70s look by opting for white, pink or metallic go-go boots.

LIQUOROSE

While there are many different iterations of the Barbie brand, this hip look feels a lot more inspired by the Bratz dolls seen in the 2000s, with the matching denim look, especially with the waist turned up. Perhaps a little more dazzle with glitter appliqué and playful butterflies, stars or hearts for a beauty look would have made it more Barbie appropriate.

BELLA OKAGBUE

Bella's look here is a departure from her usual style of slinky dresses and dramatic trains, which would have worked better for what was expected. The dress looks like something an older TV personality could have worn and appreciated. The outfit could have done with a different shade of pink, less beadwork and sleeves in a material that don't resemble curtains.

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