Designers embellish denim to make it fun again, and fashion loves it

If 2025 has proved anything, it is that denim is having a moment. Whether it’s Gap’s viral video with girl group Katseye, Sydney Sweeney’s infamous American Eagle ad, or Levi’s naming Alia Bhatt as their new face, it’s hard to ignore the blue jean and its many iterations. This time around, the trusty blue jean has a new avatar – and it is sparkly and spotlight-ready. Shimmery rhinestones, crystals, glitter, and fringes embellish denim today; a far cry from what it was meant to be. Initially created as sturdy, protective wear for the working class to haul gold, denim is now bedazzled and rhinestoned. It goes without saying that embellished jeans are the undeniable main character of your wardrobe.

American Pop singer Britney Spears performs onstage, during her ‘Dream Within a Dream’ tour, at Continental Airlines Arena (later renamed Meadowlands Arena), East Rutherford, New Jersey, December 2, 2001. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)Gary Gershoff/Getty Images

Designers have been setting the stage for this sparkle-soaked denim era for a while now. The ’90s saw a wave of couture-level rhinestone denim, with Jean Paul Gaultier notably sending out heavily embellished versions through the seasons. Then came the Y2K boom, which gave us enough bedazzled jeans to fill a crystal vault, with some standout moments like Cher at the 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards in 2000 in sparkly grey jeans, Madonna in Tom Ford for Gucci’s multi-stoned purple jeans at the 1999 Grammy Awards, and Britney Spears performing in her signature bedazzled denims during her 2001 Dream Within A Dream Tour.

CHANTILLY, FRANCE – JULY 05: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY – For Non-Editorial use please seek approval from Fashion House) Kaia Gerber walks the runway during the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show as part of Paris Fashion Week at Chateau de Chantilly on July 05, 2023 in Chantilly, France. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images)Jacopo Raule/Getty Images

Most recently, Gucci’s Resort 2025 sent crystal-fringed jeans down the runway, while Pharrell, for Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2024, featured blue-studded denim in his cowboy-themed collection. And of course, Kaia Gerber’s trompe l’oeil jeans for Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023—half a million glass beads and pearls stitched into silk gazar—set a new bar for what ‘jeans’ could be and mean, blurring the line between denim and couture.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 28: Isabela Ferrer (L) and Blake Lively are seen in Greenwich Village on June 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)Gotham

Off the runway, sparkly jeans have been lighting up everyday wardrobes, too. Taylor Swift has rocked embellish denim more than once—be it butterfly-cutout jeans lined with crystals or rhinestone shorts at Super Bowl games—making it clear that she doesn’t reserve sequins just for the stage. Anne Hathaway brought her own twist to the trend in ripped beige jeans at Ralph Lauren Fall 2025, proving shimmer works even without indigo. And when Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL 2025, it wasn’t just the viral victory hugs with Virat Kohli—Anushka Sharma’s pearl-and-sequin-drenched denim stole fashion hearts. Meanwhile, Malaika Arora went full glam in bedazzled Calvin Klein jeans and a matching bralette.

AHMEDABAD, INDIA – JUNE 03: Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru and his wife, Anushka Sharma pose for a photo after trophy presentation in the 2025 IPL Final match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings at Narendra Modi Stadium on June 03, 2025, in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images

However, denim has always been an enduring vehicle of self expression, and be it paint splatters, rips, or something snazzier, jeans make for the ideal canvas. For a while in between, jeans slipped into the background, becoming the dependable basic you’d throw on to tone things down rather than turn heads. They were the off-duty uniform–a casual basic for casual events. But with embellished denim strutting back into the spotlight, the script has flipped: no longer just sartorial filler, these glitzy jeans are now fair game for everything from brunches to big nights out. Try a rhinestoned pair with a slouchy tank and metallic heels for an off-duty-meets-after-hours moment, or clash their sparkle with an oversized graphic tee and sharp kitten mules. Slip them under a sheer dress for a playful Y2K callback, or pair them with a crisp white shirt for maximum impact. For maximal styling, go top to toe in sparkly denim: think crystal laden jacket, jeans, and even a boot to really lean into the trend.

Rhinestone-Embellished Girlfriend Jeans, Karl Lagerfeld, ₹12,357

Chain Tassel Straight-Leg Denim Jeans, Stella McCartney, ₹1,01,947

Embellished high-rise wide-leg jeans, Self-Portrait, ₹46,339

Stud-embellished shorts, Maje, 31,219

Crystal-embellished denim jacket, Maje, ₹53,096

Challenger Rhinestone Denim Boot, Azalea Wang, ₹10,302

Also read:

9 denim trends the fashion crowd is backing in 2025

5 outfits that will make you want to revisit your mom jeans

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