CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As a style voyeur, I think sitting in a café to people-watch is just about the best way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Virtually every fashion historian will tell you that fashion trends are not started by models, stylists and magazine publishers. They are inspired by looks from the street and everyday people who follow their inner sense of style. Indeed, the great Coco Chanel, whose first iconic designs were inspired by the bohemian artists of Paris, famously proclaimed: "Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening."

For this monthly column, I will be taking snapshots of fashion-forward citizens I encounter in the streets, at bistros and at private parties. This month features Charleston's fashionistas in their holiday finest. Themes I noticed: all shades of red, graphic prints and -- a perennial favorite -- lots of sparkle!

Dennise Smith is a Charleston lawyer, fashion designer and co-founder of the local arts group Nomadic Tribes Collective.