Haute couture, the most exclusive and expensive kind of clothing, can be a keen barometer for the shifting tastes of the uber-rich. What does it say that this season jeans are a recurring theme? Or rather, the illusion of them. A dupe without the bargain price tag, these “non-denim” jeans feature luxurious materials and intricate techniques that combine to create garments that look like denim, when in reality they are anything but.
The trickery started last year with Bottega Veneta under Matthieu Blazy. His spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection featured Kate Moss wearing “jeans” made entirely of leather, printed with photo-realistic “denim” detailing. Predictably, they caused a stir.
