The word “jazzy” has been notably absent from the fashion lexicon for a number of years now. Far from being received as a compliment, it’s the sort of adjective you’d expect to hear from a befuddled parent when confronted by their child in an experimental item of clothing. “Gosh darling, you’re looking very jazzy today! Are you supposed to be able to see your pants in that skirt?” Other loaded descriptors include “smart!”, “colourful!”, and “daring!” Still, there’s really no other word to describe the safari of denim styles that stalked the pavements this fashion month: from crystal fringe in Paris and eyelets in Milan to patchworking in London and burnished gold finishes in New York.
These jeans were all undeniably jazzy . We first started to feel the funk around the autumn/winter 2024 collections, with Undercover’s creative director, Jun Takahashi, dressing his denim up like a Christmas tree with gold tinsel that exploded its way down the seam of otherwise classic blue jeans. The fun didn’t stop there: fast forward to the spring/summer 2025 catwalks and suddenly everyone was souping up the original everyday staple: see Coperni’s shimmering sequined jeans and Gucci’s two-tone denim.
Even Chanel – Chanel! – offered up its own riff on the jazzy jean melody, showing wide-leg jeans adorned with small gems that formed delicate feathered motifs. If the idea of swapping your trusty straight-legs for jeans that resemble the inside of Elton Joh.