The South African Film and Television Awards took place on Saturday, and the best local talent flocked to Sun City to vie for accolades – professionally and sartorially. But while some stars successfully wooed the camera, others left us feeling disgruntled.  Here’s our synopsis of the best and worst red carpet attire.

WORST DRESSED

Enhle Mbali Maphumulo

The striking actress’s Quiteria & George gown was a shock to the system, with layers of what looked like ruched pink tulle collecting into a train evocative somehow of both small poodles and baked goods. Complicated further by the bedazzled bodice, the ensemble as a whole was disastrous. 

Quinne Brown

The 7de Laan star wore an awkward, anachronistic leopard-print dress, with a sheer cut-out around her knees that reduced the whole to a misguided Flintstones tribute.

Mapula Mafole

The Rhythm City celebutante wore a truly peculiar asymmetrical creation, which belied her maturity and made her look like she was stopping off on her way to a Matric dance.

BEST DRESSED

Lunathi Mampofu

This burgeoning talent looked sophisticated, cool, and contemporary in her unique take on a tuxedo. In a sea of gowns and trains, a woman in a beautiful suit is guaranteed to stand out; and every detail of this outfit was curated to maintain the balance between elegance and originality.

Nomzamo Mbatha

This is the dress that everyone’s talking about, and it’s weird – it shouldn’t work, but it does. The enormous sleeves somehow don’t detract from the gown’s subdued silhouette, while the black brush strokes on the skirt and bodice introduced an element of currency. It’s an outfit that’s likely to polarize opinions, but in ours, she pulled it off. 

Thuso Mbedu

Not everything about the Emmy-nominated actor’s look was perfectly coherent –her makeup leaves something to be desired, and the bralette could have been better tailored. Still, we find the simplicity of her long, high-waisted skirt refreshing, and she made a memorable impression in amidst heavy brocades and sequin-clogged satin.